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ABC Confirms Return of ‘American Idol’

May 9, 2017  •  Post A Comment

ABC made the official announcement today that it is bringing back the former Fox singing competition “American Idol.” The original series ran for 15 seasons on Fox, wrapping in April 2016.

We reported last week that a deal was being finalized between ABC and producer FremantleMedia to bring the show to the Alphabet Network. Now the deal has closed, with ABC, FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment all signed on.

Channing Dungey, president of ABC Entertainment, said in today’s announcement: “‘American Idol’ is a pop-culture staple that left the air too soon. ABC is the right home to reignite the fan base. We are thrilled viewers will once again share in these inspiring stories of people realizing their dreams.”

The network said it will bring the show back during the 2017-2018 TV season.

The show had a phenomenal run on Fox, including being the highest-rated show on TV for almost 10 years, pioneering the reality competition genre and breaking ground in second-screen audience participation. The series earned 67 Emmy nominations and nine wins, including the prestigious Governors Award in 2016.

Meanwhile, the artists discovered on “American Idol” have won 14 Grammys, two Golden Globes and an Academy Award, among other accolades. The show launched the careers of Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson, Katharine McPhee, Adam Lambert and Chris Daughtry, among many others. ”American Idol” contestants have sold more than 60 million albums.

Please click here for additional quotes and details in the full announcement from ABC.

2 Comments

  1. The fact that list of successful performers ends with Daughtry is the answer as to why Fox gave up. Good luck ABC, the talent pool has been spread too thin to support so many singing reality shows. I will just watch football.

  2. Fox gave up because they couldn’t afford to continue. The combined salaries of Seacrest, Connick, Lopez and Urban was more than the revenue the show generated. It will be interesting to see what the production model will be as well as who’s hosting and judging.

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