UPDATE 9/10/2013: With Nigel Lythgoe officially announcing today that So You Think You Can Dance has been picked up for Season 11, it seems Fox was smart enough after all. Now let’s hope Nigel is just as smart.
If Fox is smart enough to renew So You Think You Can Dance for next summer, they should really consider hiring Paula Abdul as their permanent third judge. Unlike her nearly incoherent and always loopy commentary (and wildly eye-rolling antics with Simon, I might add) on American Idol, Paula brings an oddly warm and interesting take to the judges panel on Dance. It also makes complete sense, seeing as how she was always a much better dancer/choreographer than she ever was a singer. Add to the fact that the guest judges this season (and to some extent last season as well) have been hit-and-miss (for every Tyler Jesse Ferguson and Kenny Ortega we get a Carly Rae Jepsen), this seems to be where Paula Abdul belonged in the first place.
They would also be wise to hire Mark Kanemura as a permanent choreographer. He would bring a quirky, fun breath of fresh air to an already extremely talented group that may have lost a step over the last couple of seasons. Who knows, he just might be what the show needs to help raise the bar for everyone else.