American Idol's first-ever remote show was its best in years

reality blurred

The sound and production quality were pretty stellar for last night's first-ever remote Idol show, despite being filmed with iPhones. "This was the best episode of American Idol in years," says Andy Dehnart. "It improved despite the challenges and constraints. I don’t know what I expected, but it wasn’t something that looked this good or that allowed for such a strong connection with the contestants. The show appeared slightly less glossy than usual, but still had strong production values, especially considering the situation. This was not American Idol on Zoom. Seeing this level of talent coming from inside their wonderfully imperfect homes—instead of on a glossy set—illustrates a point that American Idol usually strains to make about how its cast members are real people just like you and me, from all kinds of places." ALSO: Katy Perry praised the "historic" remote episode.