There's no doubt that one of the things that made "American Idol" an immediate sensation was the BAD AUDITIONS. But a lot has changed in reality TV, and "Idol" wants to change with it.
So when ABC brings "Idol" back, they're doing away with those. Showrunner Trish Kinane says, quote, "It doesn't feel comfortable to put borderline unstable people up on stage and laugh at them."
That doesn't mean every audition will be SERIOUS, necessarily. She says, quote, "We want the humor, but we don't want the exploitation."