- LOS ANGELES: Producer Nigel Lythgoe is returning to hit television singing contest "American Idol," a show he helped create, as it revamps its lineup of judges and its format to liven up the program in the face of slipping viewership.
Lythgoe, a prolific producer who also is a judge on the Fox network's "So You Think You Can Dance," has been named an executive producer of "American Idol" for its 10th season, starting in January 2011, Fox said on Thursday. The producer, whose return to the show had been widely rumored for weeks, helped launch televised singing contest "Pop Idol" in the UK with long-time friend Simon Fuller. The pair brought the popular format to the United States with "American Idol," which airs on Fox. Lythgoe left "American Idol" after seven seasons, and in the past four the show has seen its viewership slide. "Working as executive producer on 'American Idol' for its first seven years not only was an inspirational journey into the heart of American pop culture, it opened my eyes to the untapped potential of the incredibly dynamic young people in this world," Lythgoe said.