Nigel Lythgoe: "I Miss Idol"

[Brian Damage]

Nigel Lythgoe knows reality competition shows. As an executive producer of both American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance, the U.K. native has helped spur dreams of stardom worldwide. The producer's latest baby, Superstars of Dance, (Mondays, 8 pm/ET, NBC), has joined the performance show playing field with a global spin on the genre.

Unlike Idol's and Dance's battles of the neophytes, Superstars features professional dancers from eight different countries. Groups, couples and individuals compete in a format that was inspired in part by the Olympics, with judges from the participating countries scoring the routines. Hosted by "Lord of the Dance" Michael Flatley and TRL alum Susie Castillo, the costumes are lavish, the sets dazzle and the dancing is diverse. Just as Superstars is getting warmed up, TVGuide.com visited the set to chat with Lythgoe to discuss his inspiration for the series, why he thinks there's room for another dance show and how things have changed for him since he left his role with American Idol.

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