Tonight was the finale for my favorite talent competition show, So You Think You Can Dance. SYTYCD, for short, has done a wonderful job of introducing the world of dance to those, like myself, that would have never bothered to search it out. I believe the show is the anti-American Idol.
Idol has all but killed the singing competition show, only a unique show like The Sing Off (despite being hosted by Nick Lachey) has been able to breathe fresh air into the genre. As the years have gone on, Idol has become a show that appears to be really scripted, only moments when Ryan Seacrest appears bored and ad-libs is the show fun. The opposite is true of SYTYCD, the panel's reactions and the banter with Emmy snub Cat Deeley, all seem natural and unscripted.
While this leads to awkward transitions, which Deeley (again, how hasn't she won the hosting Emmy) handles effortlessly, it also allows the show to connect with the audience in a real way. This really comes through with the feedback from the judges, minus Mary Murphy's predictable scream, SYTYCD blows Idol out of the water. For some reason Idol went very soft this year, and disrespected its audience. But executive producer, Nigel Lythgoe's, along with those of the choreographer guest judges, consistent criticisms when something isn't danced well, has helped to expand the audience because they are not underestimating its knowledge of the material.
The Finale of both shows really expose the glaring differences between the two. While Idol tries to make a spectacle out it, SYTYCD allows its contestants to shine. Instead of inviting lots of professional acts to the show, they make the show a celebration of the season, and awards the audience for watching all season by showing the best dances of the season.
What is truly weird is that Lythgoe is a exec on both shows, and you never see him attempt to bring what works on SYTYCD to Idol. From the finale, to the guest judges not only being celebrities but choreographers who actually know what to look for (the addition of Jimmy Ivoine was a start), to the inclusion of past winners helping specific contestant not the whole group, Lythgoe has so many ways to improve the highest rated show on TV. Yet, he doesn't.
In conclusion (I know, I know...this is a cop out, but it's getting close to midnight and I need to feed Gizmo), if Idol wants me to not fast-forward through most of its results show, and the judges' "critiques" as well, they need to take a cue from SYTYCD and make the show fun to watch, and less like funeral procession.
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