FoxThe end of American Idol isn't just near—it's pretty much here. It might be hard to believe, but this week marks the series finale of the reality singing competition after 15 seasons. In honor of the show's end, Fox is airing a 90-minute special tonight looking back at the show's legacy.
Even if you stopped watching years ago, you're going to want to tune in as the show's producers, judges and biggest stars look back at the show that paved the way for not only many of your favorite music artists, but many of your favorite shows.
If you watched for one season or ten, you will probably cry as you watch Ryan Seacrest, Simon Cowell, Kelly Clarkson, Justin Guarini, Ruben Studdard, Carrie Underwood, Chris Daughtry, Jennifer Hudson and more recall their Idol memories—from the early days when they had to flip coins for songs because not enough artists would clear them to Kelly's emotional performance of "Piece By Piece" in the 15th season.
Here's a taste of what you'll learn—some of which you might've known (by now in this Farewell Season press tour we're aware they initially asked Seacrest to be a judge, right?) and some you definitely didn't (any clue how the results cards are made? Didn't think so!).
1. They didn't necessarily know Kelly was a star right away.
Says executive producer Nigel Lythgoe, "The very first time I heard Kelly Clarkson sing, I thought she was OK. Just OK. But when we had the top 10, she just grew week on week on week, and anything that she was challenged with she just shone and shone."
Says Cowell, "It was only when we got to the middle stages where she really brought it for the first time, and it was like god, I wasn't expecting that."
2. It ain't no thang for Kelly Clarkson.
Her highness Clarkson knows this industry is full of grumps. "If you can't handle Simon Cowell then you're screwed in this industry. Yeah, he's nothing. He was just being honest and a lot of times I agreed. If you can't handle that level of criticism—it gets worse," she says.
3. Season one was more of a disaster behind the scenes than you thought.
Everyone got laryngitis. They had to flip coins for songs because no one would clear them. There was like zero budget. They didn't even rehearse some of the songs they sang in the finale.
4. Once Paula Abdul left, everyone knew the show wouldn't be the same.
Says Randy Jackson, "When you start dismantling the winning team, all bets are off."
5. The producers hated Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey's beef almost as much as the viewers.
"It was a confrontational year," Lythgoe says of the "exceptionally challenging" dynamic. "Nothing would stop them once they got going, which I don't think the public enjoyed. We certainly didn't."
Those tidbits and more—including a look at the actual audition process from producers to judges, a clip of the time Seacrest had to teach America how to text, and bonus footage of Keith Urban competing on an Australian talent show as a kid.
Check it out tonight at 8 p.m. on Fox, then cry with America tomorrow and Thursday as the final American Idol winner is crowned.