American Idull?

Every year they recalibrate American Idol. It's the biggest hit on TV, but I guess they want to keep it fresh. Few changes have actually improved it.

This year, less open audtions, more Hollywood-round. I don't mind. I'm not a big fan of the earliest rounds.

Also, semi-finalists jump from 24 to 36. I don't know. The is liking adding a giant new round to a portion of the show that wasn't even needed to begin with.

Then there's no "Idol Gives Back" charity broadcast. Excellent idea. I support charity, but not bad TV.

Finally, they seem ready to go forward with a fourth judge. Very bad idea. I don't know how good the judge will be herself, but three is just right. Plus each of the judges they've got now have different styles that complement each other. They are the nucleus of the show (Paula is the proton, Randy the neutron and Simon the nasty electron) and messing with that can be explosive. (Though it may be the producers are preparing to dump Paula for her erratic behavior, and need a replacement.)