At a recent ETC event, select members of the show biz press were shown previews of the 13th season of the popular reality singing contest “American Idol,” which premiered locally on Jan. 16.
Video snippets of the Detroit auditions saw the usual fare of hopefuls—the talented, the bad, the hilariously bad and the plain ridiculous.
But more than the auditions itself, reporters got to watch the new judge, blue-eyed jazz singer-composer Harry Connick Jr., in action.
Connick, who joined returning judges Jennifer Lopez and Keith Urban in the panel, instantly made an impression, dropping witty one-liners and delivering astute critiques. Although less intimidating than former judge Simon Cowell, Connick was not one to mince words, either.
“Idol” airs on Thursdays and Fridays on ETC at 6 p.m. Allan Policarpio