Is American Idol Getting Revived Already?

A new report suggests NBC is looking at the singing competition

By Chris Harnick Feb 09, 2017 6:16 PMTags
Keith Urban, Jennifer Lopez, Harry Connick, Jr., Ryan Seacrest, American IdolMichael Becker/FOX

Well, that didn't take long. American Idol's revival could be nigh. NBC is in talks to bring the long-running singing competition back with a deal with Fremantle Media, according to Variety.

Variety reports NBC has pitched a revival and producer Fremantle is mulling options. But what about The Voice? That could go from two cycles to one, the report says.

NBC declined to comment on the story.

American Idol ran for 15 seasons on Fox starting in 2002. During its heyday, it was the highest rated show on TV. The final season, which aired in 2016, averaged just above 9 million viewers, down starkly from the 36 million it peaked at.

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Ranking Every American Idol Winner

Ryan Seacrest served as host for the reality singing competition and the panel of judges over the years included Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson, Ellen DeGeneres, Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj, Jennifer Lopez, Harry Connick Jr., Keith Urban and Steven Tyler, among others. The reality series launched the careers of Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson, Adam Lambert and more pop stars.

TV revivals are nothing out of the ordinary. Fox brought back The X-Files and has Prison Break returning, as well as a 24 offshoot. Gilmore Girls returned on Netflix and Full House became Fuller House. In terms of reality revivals, VH1 brought back America's Next Top Model after it ended its run on The CW and replaced the panel. Tyra Banks, the executive producer and host of ANTM, remained onboard behind the scenes.

Do you think it's too soon for American Idol to return? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.

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