ABC's version of American Idol treats eliminated contestants as an afterthought

TVLine

The elimination process was one of the most compelling aspects of the Fox version of Idol. "Once a staple of the Idol experience, it has essentially been reduced to an afterthought," says Andy Swift. "For all the time and energy ABC devotes to endearing its contestants to the viewers, it’s kind of shocking how those same contestants are quickly, unceremoniously booted from the stage when it’s revealed that they aren’t moving forward. This is a far cry from days of Idol past, when the eliminated contestants were not only forced to watch a video montage of their journey but also had to sing live for America one last time. It was painful, it was devastating, it was… thrilling. Especially when tears were shed." ALSO: Clay Aiken blasts Idol for "therapy session" response to a contestant forgetting lyrics.