...ey-fied

https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2018/03/08/review-american-idol-back-and-its-fine-whatever/401219002/

Just about everything on Sunday's premiere is like the Fox version, right down to the host, the emotional contestant backstories, the music and the judges, who -- like the old ones -- "are also mostly OK," says Kelly Lawler. She notes that ABC seems to put a greater emphasis on the "American" in American Idol. "The tone is heartwarming; failed contestants are let down as easily as possible and the contestants who make it to Hollywood are all as sweet and diverse and quirky as can be," she adds. "The problem with making Idol a warm and fuzzy show that takes literal trips to Disney World is this: The vitriol is what helped catapult the series to its onetime status as a phenomenon. Idol was, for much of its long run, a show about telling people the truth, even if it hurt."

ALSO:

Burning questions: Will sexual harassment scandal affect Seacrest? Will The Walking Dead and O.J. Simpson hurt the premiere? (http://variety.com/2018/tv/news/abc-american-idol-1202719820/)
ABC defends the high costs of its Idol reboot: It's about the same price of an hourlong drama, $3.5 million to $4.5 million (https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/american-idol-producers-ryan-seacrest-high-costs-1092251)
For Lionel Richie, American Idol is a chance to share his six decades of experience in the music industry (https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/08/arts/music/lionel-richie-american-idol-interview.html)
Kelly Clarkson defined what a reality show winner should be: Nobody has done it better than her (https://theoutline.com/post/3630/kelly-clarkson-very-intriguing-perso)
Kelly Ripa "auditions" for Idol (https://etcanada.com/news/307763/kelly-ripa-auditions-for-american-idol/)

I have a feeling it's gonna be worse than the original. A lot of the appeal of the old one was that it was brutally honest (mostly because of Simon Cowell) and didn't let down the bad contestants easily. I'll still watch it tomorrow though.

ABC's "Disneyfied" American Idol reboot is "eerily upbeat" (https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2018/03/american-idol-abc-premiere/555290)
The Idol revival "packs an Epcot Center’s worth of anti-cynicism," says Spencer Kornhaber. "It is kind and gentle and proficient and fakey: Disneyfied in the classic sense. The opening montage crisscrosses the country with images of regular folks pursuing their dreams, set, naturally, to the sound of Coldplay. In the auditions that unfold, the focus is on the prospective stars who get told yes, with most of the nos relegated to a quick montage at the end of the episode. Even the folks who get the thumbs down are advised not that they are bad, but that this isn’t the right time for them, or maybe not the right show." ALSO: Katy Perry is worth $25 million -- she is carrying the show. (http://www.refinery29.com/2018/03/193248/katy-perry-american-idol-surprisingly-good)