14 DAY TRIAL // It is truly the end of a (TV) era. Fox has confirmed that American Idol, one of the biggest singing televised competitions of all time, the template for other shows like The Voice or The X Factor, has been canceled.
AI is now towards the end of its 14th season, and amidst ever-declining ratings, network bosses have reached the decision to pull the plug on it altogether. However, it won’t happen just now.
One more round before we leave
American Idol has seen much, much better days: at its height, it averaged 30 million viewers, but these days, it seems like no one really cares about what happens in the competition. In one way, the cancelation was long overdue, but it’s still surprising because a veteran is bowing out.
The final season, which will also be the show’s 15th, will start on Fox in January and will be “a season-long celebratory event,” the network says in the statement linked in the tweet available below.
That’s probably TV-speak for “expect surprise appearances from previous winners or even previous hosts, and plenty of melancholic moments that will make you turn on the waterworks.”
“American Idol XV will feature host Ryan Seacrest and judges Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban and Harry Connick, Jr., as they search for the final Idol superstar and pay tribute to the past 14 seasons of amazingly talented contestants and the millions of fans who tweeted, texted and championed their Idols,” the network further says.
At least we know that the panel of judges remains unchanged for this last season, after years of going back and forth with new judges.
A tumultuous history
Throughout the years, American Idol wasn’t just one of the most popular TV shows of the kind, it was also the most controversial at times.
This was the show that introduced meanie Simon Cowell to US audiences, pitting him against goody-two-shoes Paula Abdul. When she left, fans thought this would be the end.
It wasn’t. Judges included Randy Jackson, Kara DioGuardi, Ellen DeGeneres, Steven Tyler, Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj. These last 2 divas had one of the most difficult seasons in the show’s history, often getting into fights and not being able to see eye to eye no matter what.
The only constant in this was Ryan Seacrest, the host. American Idol launched his career and made him confident enough to try to make it in television on his own: today, Seacrest is one of the most successful and busiest producers / entrepreneurs, sitting at the helm of his very own TV empire.
As for the singers who won American Idol, they had success outside the show to varying degrees. Those who made it big include first-edition winner Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson, Jordin Sparks and Fantasia Barrino.
Are you sad that America Idol is ending, or do you think the decision to axe it should have come a long time ago?
Just announced! @AmericanIdol will begin its 15th – and FINAL – season this JAN on @FOXTV! http://t.co/DLJmi9U3Ff pic.twitter.com/KQffQPjMvn
— American Idol (@AmericanIdol) May 11, 2015