A heavily revamped American Idol returns for a 10th season later this month, but only 47 per cent of Idol viewers questioned in a new poll said they would definitely or probably watch it.

In fact, 67 per cent of those taking part in the poll for The Hollywood Reporter magazine said they thought the best days of the TV singing competition were over, despite the addition of actress Jennifer Lopez and Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler to the judging panel.

American Idol, which for more than eight years has been the most-watched TV show in the US, returns on January 19. In a bid to reverse sliding audiences and slumping record sales for Idol champions, producers have shaken up the format, adding an Idol house where the top 12 contestants will live during the competition, lowering the singers' minimum age to 15, and bringing in top record producers to act as mentors to the would-be pop stars.

But according to The Hollywood Reporter on Wednesday, plans for an "all-star" showdown, featuring champions like Kelly Clarkson or David Cook competing against popular "losers" like Adam Lambert or Jennifer Hudson, were ditched when few of the former Idols gave their consent.

Only Randy Jackson remains from the original judging line-up.

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