American Idol Wants To Make Stars
American Idol wants to get back in the business of making stars. The longtime talent show, which is being revived by ABC starting on March 11th, faded in ratings over its last seasons on Fox before ending in 2016.
The memorable talents boosted by the show – like Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood – were all a part of the show’s heyday a decade earlier.
Ryan Seacrest is back as host of Idol, but it will have three new judges in Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie. They say they see themselves as mentors and instructors. Challenged during a Television Critics Association panel to name the three final winners of American Idol, none of the cast members or producers attempted it. Bryan acknowledged that was a weakness of the show’s final years, and judges said wanted to mold some memorable talent.
Katy Perry said the entire goal is to find an Idol – not just a star: “Literally, we are wasting our time if we do not find a star. America doesn’t need a star. . . . They need like a real legit American Idol.”