Nigel Lythgoe, the producer of American Idol, recently admitted that the show erred a bit last season. Entertainment Weekly had the story...

At Sunday's TCA press tour panel for Fox's So You Think You Can Dance, a lively discussion about what makes certain finalists on the dancing show stand out from the rest turned into a much more interesting back-and-forth about what Dance can teach its bigger — and much more powerful, in terms of ratings — older brother, American Idol.

Lythgoe, the executive producer of both shows who also serves as a Simon Cowell-like judge on Dance, said there's plenty — and that we should all expect some changes on Idol next season. '

'We realized we made mistakes on Idol last season,'' he said. ''We were so engrossed with the mentors and didn't really focus on the Melinda Doolittles of the show. We didn't know them as much as the Kellie Picklers of last season.''

Lythgoe is referring to the marked difference in the ways the two programs showcase their contestants:

• In recent seasons, Idol has tended to shun details about its singers to instead focus on the big-name stars who come to the show to perform and work with the contestants, especially in later episodes. Dance, however, spends quite a bit of its airtime featuring the back-stories of its dancers and their struggles to get on the show.

"We're all attached to them a little more,'' Lythgoe said about Dance's focus on its contestants' lives. ''I think that's affected us all a little bit more. There are little emotional hooks that come out.'' As for an Idol tune-up plan for season 7, Lythgoe revealed the production team is always looking to ''tinker with the program,'' adding that ultimately he'd like to see the Idol contestants be as strong as his prized top 10 on So You Think You Can Dance.

And what of Sanjaya Malaker? Speaking about the top 10 dancers seated behind him on stage, Lythgoe said:

''There isn't a Sanjaya here, although I do think Sanjaya helped the last season of Idol. I think there's enough talent with enough great stories to warrant the fact that we are basing it on their talent. No one needs to alter their hair on this program.''

Matt Richenthal is the Editor in Chief of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter and on Google+.