'American Idol' 's New Judges Hopeful They'll Find a 'Superstar'

Producer Nigel Lythgoe gives a preview, and says the guys could have an edge on the girls this season

Published on January 17, 2011 11:30 AM

It may be their first season on the show, but new American Idol judges Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler are already thinking big.

“There is a genuine hope that we can find a superstar,” producer Nigel Lythgoe told PEOPLE on Saturday at BAFTA’s annual awards-season tea party in Los Angeles. “Everyone is pulling in the same direction, and that is hopefully going to be rewarding, not just for the program but for the viewers, too.”

The 10th season of the singing competition premieres this Wednesday on Fox. And while it’s obviously early in the process, Lythgoe says the guys – who’ve won four of the last five seasons – might have an edge on the girls this year.

“The guys are outstandingly unique,” he says. “There are some great voices with the girls, so I’m not going to commit myself at this stage, because we all know how they grow across the season. But I’ll certainly say that the boys are unique this year.”

Lythgoe says to expect a very diverse group of talent, everything from “jeans-based country singers to jazz singers and Spanish.”

If Lythgoe sounds excited about the revamped show, that’s because he is. “I just want it to go on air now,” he says. “Let’s get it on.”