American Idol: More Emotion, More Paula Abdul

Look for some changes on American Idol, which saw its ratings drop last season.

When “American Idol” returns to television January 13, the show will be “more real” and “intimate,” and “raw,” according to Mike Darnell, Fox’s president of alternative programming.

“It’s going back to letting the kids be more emotional and seeing more of their reality, we’re going to allow the public to see a little more of their emotional state,” Darnell said.

And what about Paula?

“Last year there was very little of the Paula that we knew from earlier seasons,” said the source. “Seeing the innocent side of these contestants really gets to her. She feels for their mistakes.”

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