American Idol dipped in the ratings this past season in the face of increased genre competition from The Voice and The X Factor, and executive producer Nigel Lythgoe isn’t happy with recent comments from Fox entertainment president Kevin Reilly that the show should undergo some tweaks. “When Kevin says we’ve got to do new things next year, what are the changes?” Lythgoe asked TV Line rhetorically. “Maybe we should do it under water while basket weaving?” Continued Lythgoe, “It surprises me that there’s some kind of challenge to the producers to make it more exciting. What do they think we do? Sit on our asses not worrying about the show? I know, let’s watch the ratings dip down, that will be fun, won’t it? I get very annoyed with people, especially executives that should know what they’re talking about, making statements like that, to be frank with you.” Fair enough, but we would totally tune in for the underwater basket-weaving theme night: Finally, something that would really teach those contestants the meaning of breath control.
