American Idol is back for season 20, with a fresh new cast and a lot of new expectations. The show was off the air for 2 years after being canceled in 2016, but now it’s finally returning to ABC this March. American Idol has always been one of the most-watched shows on TV, and even though they lost some ratings over the years, there are still plenty of people looking forward to seeing what happens when it comes back! In this blog post, we’ll take a look at everything that you need to know about American Idol Season 20 so far: who’s coming back, who’s not coming back, and what to expect from the season premiere.
ABOUT AMERICAN IDOL:
American Idol is an American reality singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It was based on the British show Pop Idol, which aired on ITV from 2001 to 2003. The program became successful in its first season with a record number of viewers (111 million) due to its unique take on the singing competition genre, where contestants were selected by an audition process rather than a preliminary open call.
RELEASE DATE:
The series first aired as a summer show in 2002 and was then broadcast every year from 2003 to 2006 until its cancellation following the ninth season. It returned for one more season with new host Ryan Seacrest (2007) as a spring show in 2021.
THE STARRING CAST:
The initial judging panel consisted of record executive Simon Cowell, Piers Morgan, and Paula Abdul, with Randy Jackson as the drummer. The success of American Idol has been attributed to its format, which is seen to be able to produce a star from an unknown artist; when asked by his wife how they would financially support themselves, Cowell replied, “I don’t know, but we’ll find out.”
There are going to be some changes in the cast this year, with two former winners (Ruben Studdard and Taylor Hicks) not coming back to the show. However, there are still plenty of people returning from years past!
THE PLOT:
American Idol is one of those shows that has not only failed to adapt as cable television has taken over the ratings, but also it has never been in a better position to do so. The plot of the show will be about finding a new superstar. With Ryan Seacrest and Katy Perry joining as judges, there is already plenty of excitement for what’s to come this season!
This season is going to be about finding a new superstar! There are already plenty of people returning from years past, but there will also be some changes in this year’s cast as well. You’ll have to tune in and see!
PRODUCTION:
The production will be filmed in Los Angeles over a three-month period by British director Nigel Lythgoe (who also directed all 20 seasons). Musical supervision for this season is going to come from songwriter/producer Adam Anders.
RATINGS:
The series has never been a major rating success in the United States. The most successful season is 2003, with an average viewer rating of 15.84 million viewers for all weekly shows, and was considered to be one of Fox’s tent-pole events along with American Idol, Cops, and America’s Most Wanted. In 2010, the show was averaging about 12 million viewers per night—about half of what it had been attracting in its glory days (and a casualty of all the other choices on TV now).
EXPECTATIONS:
Fans of the show will be quick to point out that there are some things they want or expect from American Idol this year. The biggest question is how much can change while still being the same? How many new judges, contestants, and twists do we need to keep the same show?
