'American Idol' Joins 'Dancing With The Stars', 'The Bachelor' On ABC Lineup; Will Simon, Paula Or Randy Return As Judge?
"American Idol" is making a comeback after a nearly two-year break but it will be moving to its new home in ABC. The network recently won the rights to one of the most successful singing competitions that aired for 15 seasons before ending its run last year.
"'American Idol' is a pop-culture staple that left the air too soon," ABC Entertainment president Channing Dungey said in an interview with the Los Angeles Times. "We are thrilled viewers will once again share in these inspiring stories of people realizing their dreams."
Based on the same report, ABC won the rights to revive the show for its 2017-2018 season. ABC did not announce who will be taking on the judges' seat or of if original judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson will be making a comeback along with the show. In its final seasons, Aerosmith's Steven Tyler, Jennifer Lopez, Harry Connick Jr. and country crooner Keith Urban also took a turn on the judges' chair.
Ryan Seacrest seemed interested in returning as a host but admitted that he might be too busy to do it. He explained that "American Idol" was not just a live show but it entailed a lot of preparation before going on air on its regular schedule.
The folks at ABC are thrilled to have "American Idol" on board their line up and promised that its return will be bigger, bolder and better than ever. Along with their roster of shows like "Dancing with the Stars" and "The Bachelor," the Disney-owned network could very well tap into their current fanbase and get them hooked to the pop culture phenomenon again, just like Idol did for its millions of viewers at the height of its popularity, Deadline reported.
Some of the most popular American Idol winners to have come out of the show were Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, David Cook and Jordin Sparks. Runners up and live show contenders Clay Aiken, David Archuleta, Adam Lambert and Chris Daughtry also made a name for themselves in the music business without winning the top prize.
