Pia Toscano's didn't realize it at the time but this was to be her last regular season 10 performance. She later was shockingly eliminated - (Screen shot - photo )

The look on American Idol judge Randy Jackson's face when it was revealed that contestant Pia Toscano was to be eliminated - (Screen shot - photo )

American Idol judges fell in love with Casey Abrams musicianship skills while ignoring his voice - (FOX - photo )

Haley Reinhart and Casey Abrams are together again in recording a song this past fall - (FOX - photo )

Video Beat SPECIAL - Part 2 - AMERICAN IDOL's NEW SEASON BEGINS

James Loving - National Radio Text Service

Season 10 will be best remembered as the season Casey Abrams was saved and Pia Toscano was the sacrificial lamb as a result of the judges poor decision using their save TOO EARLY. The questions now are will the make the same mistake again and can they select as talented a group as they did last season? Idol's new Season 11 starts TONIGHT - Recommended TV Listings

Thursday January 19, 2012

CAN AMERICAN IDOL JUDGES DO IT AGAIN?

The reruns of American Idol Season 10 are over and the real deal with new season 11 begins tonight.

After reviewing Season 10 we relived the torment of Pia Toscano being eliminated due to the bone headed decision of the judges to use the save in the 11th position by saving super talent Casey Abrams. The problem was not his great talent but he doesn't have a great voice. The question is did the judges learn their lesson and will be more discerning in using the save this season?

After Toscano was informed that she received the least amount of votes from the viewing public, the judges all responded by saying that they were SHOCKED by the outcome. Too little too late as the damage was done and Toscano didn't even have a chance to sing for her survival supper as she was dead and buried in the Idol casualty water.

The shocked look on judge Randy Jackson's face is most memorable. It was he that sent Toscano on the path to ruin by insisting that she sing an up tempo song and stop leaning on ballads which is her strength. She did as he requested and paid the price… ELIMINATION.

Tears flowed down the cheeks of the other contestants as well as their look of disbelief. Abrams even commented about how could the judges save him when there were so many talented voices in the competition. With that humility Abrams showed that not only is he super talented as a musician he also is a super dude or as Jackson would say DOG.

Jackson is the villain in the Toscano incident. He did an about face throughout the competition as he urged the contestants to change up on their material and choose songs to show their versatility. Toscano heeded his advice. After she was eliminated Jackson changed his tune by telling another contestant, "My motto is if it ain't broke don't even consider fixing it."

Poor Pia she wasn't around to receive that bit of advice. In house mentor Jimmy Iovine was challenged by the judges with his recommendations to the contestants in his song choices.

When Cheryl Crowe assisted him with his coaching Iovine had something to say to the contestants about the judges as well, "When someone says to you (to) be yourself and then say do the other thing that's an oxymoron, that's a contradiction."

Inconsistent advice was a thread throughout the season but the judges never admitted that they made mistakes. It was as if they are above being human.

During the reruns we forgot that last season we were so upset that Toscano was eliminated that we refused to adhere to Idol host Ryan Seacrest's request to the viewing audience to STAY WITH US. He knew that Toscano's departure would most likely alienate many of the viewing public. We refused to watch and review the show from that point.

Following a two week strike of the program in which Paul McDonald and Stefano Langone were eliminated we decided to see WHAT'S UP and tune in. It was during the final 6 that we noticed the major improvement of top 3 finishers Lauren Alaina # 2 and Haley Reinhart # 3.

Pia Toscano's elimination last season on American Idol was the shows greatest injustice since Jennifer Hudson was booted off the show. Toscano's elimination was a result of the judges using their save TOO EARLY. There should be a rule in place that the save cannot be used UNTIL they PUBLIC SELECT the Top 10.

Last season they were the most successful of all judging team over the 10 season Idol series in selecting the most talented group of contestants ever to appear on the show in a season. But as good as they were the judges had their faults.

Last season the decision making and the way it was handled in the saving of the Casey Abrams episode indicated by Seacrest's statement that the judges and producers to save him if he were to be voted off the show. It appeared to be a well conceived plan to keep Abrams on regardless of who the American viewing public voted for. The reputation o the show was on the line at that point and the American public voiced their displeasure following the judge's decision.

The point being is that American Idol was designed to be a singing competition NOT a TALENT COMPETITION. No question Abram was the MOST TALENTED of all the contestants given his musicianship skills and possessing the talent to play several instruments well.

His upright bass playing is impeccable. That's Randy Jackson's instrument. Musician skills not his voice is what put Abrams over the top. The list of instruments that the talented 20-year-old plays includes double bass, bass guitar, keyboard, guitar, piano, melodica, accordion, sitar, clarinet, drums and cello.

Anyone who says that Abrams is a better singer than Toscano is absolutely out of their mind. He doesn't have a distinctive true voice and growled in many of his performances. It's unbelievable that a judging panel that includes two vocalists and one record producer couldn't come to terms with. Their love for Abrams belies their responsibility to make good decisions. The show after his save Abrams sang in his natural voice doing Elton John's "Your Song" and it was very good.

Abrams quirky and funny personality and appearance gives him an avenue for an acting career. Last season no other contest has that skill.

Since the show and signing with Fuller's management company Abrams recorded a song with Haley Reinhardt Abrams and Reinhart recorded a holiday song, "Baby, It's Cold Outside", in November 2011 that was also released on video. Its popularity and sales numbers have yet to be released. During season 10 Abrams was enamored with Reinhart. As it turned out Abrams was more infatuated with Reinhart and she came off as having a respect for his talent and his being a nice guy and an easy to like person.

With the new season upon us the question now is though the judges chose the most talented group in American Idol history will they make the same mistake this season and use the save too early? Will they be judicious enough to choose as talented a group this to equal or better last season contestants or... will they fall on their swords and make bad choices and suffer the sophomore jinx of a good first season and then follow up with bad. That result would indicate that the judges were lucky with their choices last season and lack the talent to make good choices on a consistent basis.

Can the AI judges pull it off and be successful again? The fun begins tonight as the audition stage of SEASON 11 BEGINS on the Star World Network in Southeast Asia and the FOX Network (Jan 18th) in the USA.

Part 1 - AMERICAN IDOL ROCKS AGAIN WITH PIA TOSCANO & CASEY ABRAMS

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