This blog item was posted by Rodney Ho on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog on Friday, February 10, 2017
FremantleMedia Group, which owns "American Idol," is not wasting any time trying to get the show back on air.
Variety has learned that NBC is in talks with Fremantle to revive "Idol." These talks are happening not even a year since the show ended on Fox after 15 seasons.
Why so soon? And why NBC? NBC already has the current top dog in the reality show world with "The Voice."
If NBC added a new version of "Idol," it would have to reduce 'The Voice" to one cycle a year instead of two. That in and of itself is not a bad thing, but it would be strange for NBC to bring on the show it helped kill off. Plus, "The Voice" has been losing steam in and of itself as it enters its 12 cycle this spring.
And honestly, "American Idol" hasn't even been gone long enough for me to get that nostalgic about its absence - and I write about "Idol" alums every week. By 2016, the show was long past its peak back in 2006 when the show averaged more than 30 million viewers a week. By last season, it was down to 9.1 million.
NBC also has top summer variety competition series "America's Got Talent," produced and judged by... Simon Cowell. And the last winner was (surprise!) a singer.
The network is also planning a new dance competition show developed by Jennifer Lopez - another former "American Idol" judge who stars in a scripted drama on NBC "Shades of Blue."
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