In what no doubt is a welcome news to fans of the singing competition, American Idol is set to return to TV next year on ABC. The network outbid both Fox and NBC for the right to show the talent show.
American Idol debuted in June 2002 on Fox TV where it spent fifteen seasons. The show was very successful and a rating juggernaut during its earliest season, pulling in more than 38 million viewers at its peak for season two’s finale. However, the show could not sustain this amount of viewership as rating dips over the years and only about 14 million people tuned in to watch the grand finale in April 2016. Last, year, Fox announced that it was plugging the show amidst increasing criticism for failing to produce stars on par with some of its earliest — and ultimately best-known — talent: Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood and Jennifer Hudson are some of the talents that were discovered on the American Idol.
Meanwhile, Channing Dungey, the president of ABC Entertainment, said “Idol” “left the air too soon. Dungey no doubt is thinking of rating noting that “ABC is the right home to reignite the fan base,” and that “Viewers will once again share the inspiring stories of people realising their dreams.”
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