ABC To Revive ‘American Idol’
ABC is expected to make an announcement about its upcoming series during a presentation scheduled this month in New York City, with the reboot happening in March 2018.
American Idol may have a little life left to live as reports show that major network ABC has signed on to bring the reality singing competition back from extinction.
In a new report from Variety, the publication reveals that ABC executives and producers at FremantleMedia and Core Media Group, who own the rights to Idol, have reached a deal to bring back the series. While there has been no official announcement from any of the parties involved, Variety reports that the agreement is near completion.
Previously, reports circled of the show getting a reboot on NBC to replace one of the seasons of The Voice. FOX was also in talks to bring back its longtime series.
If the show is set to be revived, several questions come into play: who will host? Who will judge? All are questions that are still up in the air. Recently, American Idol’s longtime host Ryan Seacrest signed on to be Kelly Ripa’s new co-host on Live with Kelly, after Michael Strahan’s surprise departure last year. The morning talk show tapes in New York City each morning, while Idol is shot on the opposite coast in Los Angeles.
Additionally, former judge Simon Cowell would be ineligible from returning to his former seat at the judges table as he is a producer on America’s Got Talent and has an exclusive agreement with NBC. The most recent Idol judges, Keith Urban, Jennifer Lopez and Harry Connick, Jr., have been mostly out of conversations about returning, having heard about a reboot when the news hit the mainstream. Variety reports, however, that the first Idol winner Kelly Clarkson has had her name tossed around with the possible reboot-rumors.
American Idol first launched on FOX back in 2002 and ran for 15 seasons when it said “so long for now” with its series finale in 2016. Seacrest teased at the time that it was goodbye “for now,” thus fueling rumors of a re-launch since.
ABC is expected to make an announcement about its upcoming series during a presentation scheduled this month in New York City, with the reboot happening in March 2018.
