American Idol Changes Format

This chick has no chance.

And dashes the hopes of Reynaldo Lapuzes everywhere.

American Idol will attempt to change things up in 2009, at least according to show producers. In addition to a new fourth judge - singer, producer, and Paula-threat Kara DioGuardi - the show will focus less on the audition period and more on the contestants who actually make it to Hollywood. (Hopefully, without the accompaniment of that horrific Collective Soul song.)

The "Wild Card" round will return and an extra week will be devoted to the "Hollywood Round" where contestants will get more time to show their "skills" to the judges before the final 36 are chosen.

And, despite her loud sound-offs of the last week or two, Paula is not going to be booted from the program. Executive producer Ken Warwick said P-crazy was "worth her weight in gold" and in no danger of losing her job.

The changes to the show do seem to be a response, at least in part, to the November suicide of obsessed Abdul fan Paula Goodspeed - a ticking time bomb situation which Paula contended AI producers may have exacerbated by letting Goodspeed take part in the audition process.

By focusing less on the audition period, producers hope to steer the focus away from the ridicule of bad (and possibly unstable) singers. Once they get to LA, however, they're at Simon's mercy.