Seacrest Hopes New Season of 'Idol' Will Be 'Sort of a Circus'

Since news dropped that Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler were joining Randy Jackson on the "American Idol" judges' panel, fans have remained uncertain. Some were certain Simon Cowell's exit marked the end of the "Idol era", no matter who replaced him. Others were jazzed at the prospect of this new blood, especially after last season. Having seen the new "American Idol" crew in action at the TCA and in audition sneak peeks, MSN TV has high hopes!

"With Simon leaving, that's given us a new direction," previewed exec producer Nigel Lythgoe. "It's allowed us to shake things up. We're not replacing. It's an entirely new cast and an entire new show. It's more about searching for that eventual winner, rather than stopping people getting there."

"It will hopefully be a bit of a circus," Ryan Seacrest added. "I'm inspired by this new life. Simon and I had our banter, but this is a whole new dynamic. It's very funny. There's a genuine camaraderie. We've known each other for a long time."

Perhaps that's why in the "Idol" audition screener the new panel seems to be having more fun and being, well, nicer to contestants and each other. More than a few of the singers got choked up, but some of those tears were over being face to face with triple threat Jennifer Lopez or rock legend Steven Tyler.

"We bring a different perspective than any of the previous judges ever have, especially Simon," Jennifer Lopez said. "We're artists. We've been up there. At first I wasn't sure about [signing on]. Then I thought, 'I love this show.' I was already backseat judging! And all the experience I have in this business and all I've learned, where else can I put it to good use than helping other artists? At the end of the day, we're not here to break people down. America's judging. We're there to guide them and mentor them through it."

"God knows I've been judged all my life," Tyler chimed in. "I wanted to test my limitations. There's nothing worth doing that's not worth overdoing, and I've never done television like this. I'm vulnerable too. I wanted to see if I can be real."
 
The change in energy on the panel has even brought out a new side of "Idol" veteran Randy Jackson, who's going into his tenth season.

"You'll see more of an assertive dog," Jackson promised. "Maybe more hair on the dog. Fewer 'Yo's, more 'No's, less 'Dogs'. It's a different panel. My role has definitely changed. You're going to like this a lot."

One more noticeable shift? Simon's famous black T has been replaced by JLo fabulous looks and Tyler's rocker style.

In the audition sneak peeks alone, Jennifer Lopez covers every hairstyle, from curly to straight to the Jenny from the Block ponytail. Imagine what she'll do with a whole season!

"You know me, I change it up every single day," Lopez promised. "I'm a girl who likes to get dressed up, put on her jewelry and her lipstick and go, so that's what you'll get."

"American Idol" premieres on a new night, Wednesday, Jan. 19 and Thursday, Jan. 20 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on FOX.