SEASON PREMIERE: This is cycle 14 for this long-running music competition series, which is far past its prime, but seems determined this season to weather the storms and surge ahead. It’s tough going, because what’s surged ahead lately is NBC competitor The Voice, which now draws significantly more viewers than the once-dominant Idol. At its peak in Season 2, American Idol pulled more than 38 million viewers. Last year, it managed only 10.5 million. But there are some positive signs for the new season, which starts tonight. The judging panel from last year, with good chemistry and no look-at-me self-obsessiveness, is back: Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban and Harry Connick, Jr. The former judge turned mentor, Randy Jackson, is not back, which means an automatic 40 percent drop in the number of useless clichés. Hours and evenings in prime time are shortened, which means less filler. And finally, there’s a determined emphasis, according to the producers, on finding the best singers and performers, not just the oddest and most visually appealing ones. They’re looking for the next big musical talent – the one place this show still can claim bragging rights over The Voice, which, at this point, has a more dynamic judging panel, a bigger audience, but no winners who have become stars, much less idols.