Some Top 24 contestants will be unveiled tonight

Idol seems to be up to its old tricks of trying to boost ratings by razzle-dazzling viewers with gimmicks. Apparently, there will be some Top 24 contestants revealed tonight instead of unveiling them all in tomorrow's traditional "chair" episode. Per the press release:

On Tuesday evening, the remaining contestants will take the stage to perform their final solo number in front of Simon, Ellen, Kara and Randy in hopes of singing their way into the Top 24. Following these performances, the judges will deliberate, and for the first time in IDOL history, will announce some of the Top 24 semifinalists.

This seems like a strange idea, even for this show. Why would anyone be excited to watch tomorrow's two-hour episode when we will most likely see the front runners receive their spots in the Top 24 tonight? Who knows, but odds are it will work out for the show in the short term. Getting viewers to stick around in the next few weeks is a different matter, though.