When brash Brit Simon Cowell left American Idol to helm a reality competition of his own, experts and fans started writing the obituary for the country's most popular program. Instead, thanks to a few vital rule changes and a pair of lovable new judges, 29.3 million viewers tuned in to a star-studded finale featuring Lady Gaga, Bono and Beyonce and saw 17-year-old country crooner Scotty McCreery become the second-youngest winner in Idol history.

Now that judges Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler have joined forces with Randy Jackson and host Ryan Seacrest to create a fearsome foursome, Idol is happy to stand pat. "We made a lot of tweaks last year," says producer Nigel Lythgoe. "I'm not sure that we want to make too many more this year." That means the most popular changes — a lowered eligibility age, an extended Las Vegas round, the return of the judges' wild card — are here to stay, though there will be a middle round, expanded from 40 to 42, to handle this year's impressive crop.