American Idol Past to Present

American Idol has made some huge changes since it debuted in 2002. How many of these changes do you remember?

Hosts
When American Idol first aired, Ryan Seacrest wasn't the only host. He was joined by Brian Dunkleman, who left after season 1.

Judges
Over the seasons, the judges have changed. The original three judges were Randy Jackson, Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul. Kara DioGuardi joined the three judges for season 8 to make a four-person panel. At the end of season 8, Abdul quit via Twitter, and Idol replaced her with Ellen Degeneres before the beginning of season 9.

Instruments
Starting in season 7, contestants were allowed to use their instruments in their performances.

Production
In season 8, Executive Producer Nigel Lithgoe left Idol. He was replaced by co-executive producers Cecile Frot-Coutaz and Ken Warwick.

Power of the Judges
In seasons 1-3, judges brought back wildcard contestants who hadn't made it through to the finals, and allowed them to compete to get back on the show. In season 8, the judges had veto power to keep an eliminated contestant (up until the top 5).

Age Restrictions
In season 4, the upper age limit to audition was raised from 24 to 28.

High-Tech Viewing
In season 6, American Idol aired for the first time in high definition

Giving Back
In the 6th season, American Idol started a charity - "Idol Gives Back". It uses donations to help eliminate poverty both in the US and Africa.

Theme Parks
In 2009, Walt Disney World Resort in Florida opened an attraction called "The American Idol Experience".

Technology
Video games based on Idol include American Idol (2003), Karaoke Revolution Presents American Idol (2007), Karaoke Revolution Presents American Idol Encore (2008), Karaoke Revolution Presents American Idol Encore 2 (2008) and American Idol: The Game (2009). Game systems include Playstation 2, Playstation 3, XBOX, iPhone, Wii, Game Boy Advance, mobile phone and personal computer.