Jason Merritt/Getty ImagesIt's the end of an era.
After 14 seasons, American Idol is coming to an end. Fox announced on Monday that the reality series will return, with judges Jennifer Lopez, Harry Connick Jr. and Keith Urban, as well as host Ryan Seacrest, for its 15th and final season in January. And despite the decline in ratings in recent seasons, it was hard for the network to say goodbye to the iconic series.
"It was not an easy decision," Gary Newman, Fox's chairman and CEO, said on Monday while on a call with reporters. "Idol has even such vital part of Fox for its run. And we spent a lot of time talking with producers about the future of American Idol and collectively all of us arrived at the conclusion that it was time to bring the show to an end."
Newman promised that the final season will be "special and celebratory...it is going to be a true, season-long celebration."
Which means we'll most likely be seeing the return of the series' original judges for the "nostalgic" final season, including Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson, with Fox's chairman and CEO Dana Walden saying they are "already talking about surprised we can have for the fans to make it feel special...we would welcome any of them back."
Walden then went on to say she recently spent some time with former judges, saying, "There' a lot of enthusiasm about coming back and paying tribute."
As for Seacrest's season one co-host, Brian Dunkleman? "That is a really good question," Walden said with a laugh. "Where is Brian Dunkleman?"
Walden and Newman also talked about some of their other series, including Empire, 24 and New Girl...
Empire: Praise Cookie Lyon, we're getting more Empire in season two! Fox has ordered 18 episodes for the drama's sophomore season, which will be split into two cycles, meaning we'll get Empire in the fall AND spring. And fans can expect the music to be even better, with Ne-Yo coming on to work alongside Timbaland on original music.
While Walden and Newman wouldn't say much about what's in store for Empire's highly anticipated second season, Walden teased, "Amazing guest stars that have lined up to be on this show." Fingers crossed for Oprah Winfrey!
New Girl: Though the Fox sitcom won't return until January, fans will still be getting a full 22 episodes, that will air mostly uninterrupted. So yes, it'll be worth the wait!
24: After the success of the series' recent revival, fans are clamoring for another mission with Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland). But Newman said Fox has "nothing immediate" to share about 24's future, but he would confirm that it does have one. "We have been developing another version of 24, but it is still fairly early in the development process," he revealed. "There's nothing we can tell at this time, other than that we are working on something."