America's Got Talent is returning for its ninth season, and show fans will surely love the major changes producers brought in to spice up NBC's summer competition series.
There's something new in the air that is seeping at the studio of Americas Got Talent. It's not so evident among the panel of judges, who are still the same bunch we enjoyed seeing last year. Howie Mandel, Howard Stern, Heidi Klum and Mel B remain the judges to critic the craziest and more often than not very out-of-the-box acts in America. Of course, the same can be said of host Nick Cannon, who remains to be the ultimate presenter of the show.
So what makes this season's America's Got Talent more interesting than the previous seasons? According to USA Today, the biggest twist for this year is the "Golden Buzzer," an emergency button that any of the judges can use once during the season to save a contestant, who got three strikes from the other judges.
Additionally, wannabe contestants can now submit their videos online to the Today show, so they can get a chance to be part of the live acts showcased in front of the judges. Three lucky and impressive submissions will be asked to perform on the Today's plaza, and fans will then be asked to vote an act that is good enough to go into the live shows.
Instead of having Las Vegas Week, the show is moving to New York, largely to accommodate the Sirius king, who joined America's Got Talent in 2012, USA Today has learned. The said talent is said to be back on the condition that the show will shoot in the New York area.
Last season performance artist Kenichi Ebina took home the top prize of the show, with ratings up by 6% to 12 million viewers. Hence, this year, the nationwide search will be more intense. A huge number of contestants have already been netted early this year to see who is going in front of the judges.
Heidi Klum, supermodel turned TV presenter, joined the show last season and it seemed that she enjoyed her stay in America's Got Talent that's why she's back for more.
"I am very satisfied with the way I voted last year," Klum said, according to The Fresno Bee. "It really was a gut feeling. Sometimes, when a person has a bad audition, I can sense that there's something there that is good. I want to give them another chance because I do feel something. So, most of the time, I just go with my gut."
Klum also dished what it's like to be a judge of the very interesting summer competition series. She even compares it to "Groundhog Day" where they are tasked to watch as many as 50 acts in one sitting, and this usually stars from 10:30 a.m. and ends at 9 p.m.
"Sometimes it feels like we are never out of there and it gets a little overwhelming. At the end of the day, you are a little loopy," Klum said, adding that her daily routine from now on comprise going home, eating, sleeping, and heading back to another round of judging.
America's Got Talent season 9 is set to premiere tonight at 8/7c on NBC. Some of the interesting acts to watch out for include a hologram dancer, a bearded singer in a ball gown, and a man attempting to set a record by putting as many poisonous tarantulas on his face. Don't miss the premiere episode tonight. Watch America's Got Talent season 9 stream using this free online stream link here.
