The hit singing competition American Idol is returning. According to Variety, the series has a deal in place with ABC, a network currently hurting for a singing show.
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As most know, American Idol became a cultural phenomenon in the 2000s. The show aired on FOX for 15 seasons beginning in 2002. In addition to dominating its time slot, the show launched the careers for people like host Ryan Seacrest and judge Simon Cowell.
Speaking of Seacrest, he's also in talks to host the reboot. He just joined the ABC family as a co-host of the morning show Live! with Kelly Ripa. But he's also moving to New York City for the gig, which doesn't jive with American Idol's presumed shooting location, Los Angeles.
Reports indicate the show could return as early as March 2018 and air on Sunday nights. ABC struggles against its competition on Sundays, since NBC, CBS and FOX all have National Football League programming but ABC doesn't.
Truth be told, most winners of the hit reality show didn't amount to much. But it did give country some of its biggest stars, including Kelly Clarkson early in her career and Carrie Underwood, who still dominates her market. Other country artists who launched careers after appearing on Idol include Scotty McCreery and Kellie Pickler.
Should the show return? The success of American Idol led to several other similar talent shows, including X Factor, The Voice and America's Got Talent, all of which started overseas (like Idol) before coming to the United States.
From a marketing standpoint, it makes sense. Even in its lowest-rated season, the show outperformed most of ABC's lineup. So for a struggling network, adopting the legacy of that show seems like an obvious choice.
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But will it attract any new fans? Or more importantly, add any musical value? That's a tougher question. After all, Idol won over fans as much for the train wreck auditions as the successes.
Though one thing won't change: the number of hopeful kids lining up to audition, believing the TV show is their literal golden ticket.
