Net Miles Of Smiles

The final 13 contestants prepare to battle it out for pop singing stardom on “American Idol.”

It’s time to get down to serious business on “American Idol.” Now that all the gimmicks, hoopla and hype of the top 36 are done with, viewers can look forward to the straightforward rhythms of the final rounds. We may have 13 final contestants this year instead of 12, but thankfully the producers haven’t changed the formula for how we’ll get down to the final 2.

American Idol

Grammy-nominated songwriter Kara DioGuardi joins veteran judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson on the panel as the hit reality competition series returns for its eighth season. Ryan Seacrest also returns as host.