‘American Idol’ Reboot Coming Back For Second Season On ABC With All Judges On Board
The American Idol reboot turned out to be a hit. A second season of ABC’s reboot of the TV singing competition has already been announced by the network several weeks before the first season is set to end, according to the Hollywood Reporter. The American Idol renewal also includes the return of freshman judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie, as well as the show’s original host Ryan Seacrest. The upcoming new season of American Idol will be the 17th overall for the long-running series which started out on Fox back in 2002.
Solid ratings for the current season’s first live Sunday night show helped the franchise net a green light ahead of ABC’s May 16 upfront presentation. ABC Entertainment president Channing Dungey said the network never doubted the American Idol’s mission to find “singers from all walks of life to realize their dreams,” with “America rooting for their success.” It didn’t hurt that ABC landed high-profile judges like Katy Perry and country superstar Luke Bryan, who brought their own fanbases to the show.
“I am thrilled that Katy, Luke, Lionel, and Ryan will be back to once again embark on this Idol journey with us to discover the next crop of inspiring talent,” Dungey said.
American Idol castmates Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, and Ryan Seacrest all took to Twitter to post reaction to American Idol’s early renewal. Perry posted a video and captioned it with the following.
“Y’ALL! I’m having TWO much fun to stop now… so why don’t we keep it going!? EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE that @lukebryanofficial, @Lionelrichie, @tyanseacrest and yours truly will be BACK with another season of #AmericanIdol on @ABCNetwork.”
After a nationwide vote … #AmericanIdol will be back for S2 on ABC! Can’t wait to do it again with @katyperry, @lionelrichie, and @lukebryanonline!
— Ryan Seacrest (@RyanSeacrest) May 4, 2018
YES! Let’s do it again! ? Excited for this journey to continue… https://t.co/BDWbKk1tVI
— Lionel Richie (@LionelRichie) May 4, 2018
Y’ALL! I’m having TWO ?? much fun to stop now… so why don’t we keep it going!? ? ?EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE that @lukebryanofficial, @lionelrichie, @ryanseacrest and yours truly will be BACK with another season of #AmericanIdol on @ABCnetwork ???? pic.twitter.com/WyhCHgYtDC
— KATY PERRY (@katyperry) May 4, 2018
The reboot of American Idol has worked out for ABC, airing for two nights a week for most of its season and not taking taken up as much space on the network’s packed schedule as Fox’s incarnation did. The Idol revival also featured ABC- friendly themes, including a Disney Night, which, incidentally, is a recurring theme on ABC’s Dancing With the Stars, too.
Variety reported that American Idol’s March 11 premiere earned a respectable 10.5 million viewers. Ratings declined a bit before spiking with the Disney themed episode that was heavily promoted by ABC. A live, nationwide voting twist, the first of its kind on any reality TV competition, has also helped to keep viewers engaged in the show.
Sunday’s live episode of American Idol will feature a Prince theme. The Top 7 contestants will perform Prince classics like “When Doves Cry” and “Kiss,” but with the renewal news, the Idol judges and Seacrest should be partying like it’s “1999.”
For more on American Idol, check out the video below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e51atfuOwNs
The next episode of American Idol airs Sunday, May 6 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
