American Idol is coming back for good, and is not on Fox! On Tuesday, ABC announced on Good Morning America the show will return via that network.
That’s right ABC will be the home of the competition series, gathering a lineup of addictive fan favorites alongside Dancing with the Stars and The Bachelor.
The return, it’s a wrap!
American Idol became the latest show having revival, with a different network as home.
The Good Morning America confirmed Idol will return during the 2017-2018 season. The show will be aired on Sunday nights and could debut in March 2018.
The network then made official announcements with the huge news. Ben Sherwood co-chairman, Disney Media Networks, and president, Disney|ABC, said in a statement. “Idol is an entertainment icon, and now it will air where it belongs, in ABC’s lineup of addictive fan favorites alongside Dancing with the Stars and The Bachelor. America, get ready for the return of a bigger, bolder and better-than-ever Idol.”
ABC President, Channing Dungey, also shared the news giving a not so subtle jab at Fox for ending the show. “American Idol is a pop-culture staple that left the air too soon,” she said. “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.”
Speculation over Idol returning to the screens was almost immediate after the show ended. Negotiations were closely followed by the media and the fan base.
At first, Fox was in the negotiations for bringing it back. However when the network proposed to bring it back without much reinvention negotiations with NBC started. However, ABC bid the most and certainly won for the best.
Can’t wait!
Incorporating Idol to the lineup is certainly a win for ABC. The network has tried unsuccessfully to launch a music competition series, with shows including Duets and Rising Star.
The show was the highest.rated series on television for nearly a decade. On his final episode, it gathered over 10 million viewers.
ABC will spill more details on the show’s revival during its annual upfront presentation on May 16 in New York City. Host and judges will be announced on that day.
For now, expectations over Ryan Seacrest come back to the show is all over the place. The host addressed rumors on this subject on Monday, “I had said at the end of the series, “Goodbye for now’ — hoping somewhere it would come back,” he admitted.
However, Seacrest later added, “I don’t know if I can host it. Do you know the preparation I have to do for [Live] every night?”
Get ready for something good, because Idol revival will be bigger, bolder and better-than-ever.
Source: Deadline