FOX cancels ‘American Idol’
By Tony Tran
After fifteen seasons, the hit singing contest show is finally cancelled.
One of the most innovative and successful reality TV shows is finally coming to an end. The network FOX has announced recently that their show American Idol will be taking its final bow after its fifteenth season next spring.
The show has been known for being a heavy hitter on American television in the early 2000s and spawned many big names including Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood, as well as lesser known names like Ruben Studdard and Lee DeWyze.
Ironically, one of their most famous (or should I say infamous) contestants was a laughably awkward, yet endearing man named William Hung known for his novelty cover of She Bangs.
The show will celebrate the legacy and history of American Idol in its last season. With that we can expect a reprise from the show’s hosts Jennifer Lopez, Harry Connick Jr., and Keith Urban.
From AP:
"“It was not an easy decision.’ American Idol’ has been such a vital part of Fox for its run,” said Gary Newman, Fox Television Group co-chairman and CEO. He promised a season-long celebration that matches the show’s significance, with the suggestion that its big-name contestants and past judges may be involved."
The other co-chairman and CEO of Fox, Dana Walden, also reportedly called it a “pretty emotional decision” to give the show the axe.
Once the most popular show on television, American Idol has been suffering from low ratings for years now. And with competition from shows like The Voice, it would seem that the show will be singing its own swan song.
Though they changed the line up of the show–bidding adieu to the old judges and bringing in the likes of Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez–they couldn’t change the fact that people simply stopped watching American Idol.
From AP:
"Fox and the show’s producers were discussing how the series would continue, but ultimately “we all arrived at the conclusion that it was time to bring the show to an end,” said Newman. “But we wanted to do it in a way that was special and celebratory.”"
When the show began, the judge lineup included the infamously direct Simon Cowell as well as Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson.
Host Ryan Seacrest spoke to reporters about the cancellation saying, “‘American Idol’ has been a big part of my life for so long, it’s frankly hard to imagine it without it.”
“It’s been a remarkable journey,” he continued, “and I feel very fortunate to have been part of a show that made television history in countless ways. It’s a show about chasing and fulfilling dreams and, truth be told, it helped some of my own dreams come true, too.”
As of this year, the show had been averaging 9.15 million viewers an episode, according to the Nielsen ratings. This is nothing when compared to the 30 million viewers it was garnering in its heyday in 2006.
Though no news has been released yet on what we can expect from the next season, Newman plans to make it good saying,”We’re going to deliver a really special season next year.”
Let’s hope they do.
For now, I have my fingers crossed that they play the only appropriate song as they sign off on the last episode.