NEW YORK — Fox is lowering the curtain on American Idol, ending a series that dominated television throughout the 2000s and made stars of the likes of Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood.
The network announced Monday that American Idol will go off the air after its 15th season next spring. The cast from the past seasons, with Ryan Seacrest as host and Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban and Harry Connick Jr. as judges, will return for a season-long celebration of the show’s history.
American Idol faded over the past few years and was eclipsed by new music competition shows. Personnel changes didn’t help, and neither did tinkering with the format, as the show fell victim to what usually kills off most television series – old age. Still, it was a solid performer for a network that struggles in the ratings.
Dana Walden, co-chairman and CEO of the Fox Television Group, described it as a “pretty emotional decision” to end American Idol.
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 Gary Newman, co-chairman and CEO. “But we wanted to do it in a way that was special and celebratory.”
Idol was a quick hit, with fans following contestants who sought the prized “yellow ticket” to Hollywood and a chance at stardom. In the early years, American Idol also showed many of the cringe-worthy auditions of contestants with no hope of winning, but has generally resisted those recently.
Simon Cowell, the Brit with a tart tongue and honest assessments, became a star as judge, along with his fellow originals, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson.
The big-voiced Clarkson became a major pop star after winning Idol, and Underwood is a solid performer on the country charts. Personalities like Adam Lambert and Clay Aiken also became household names after competing on Idol.
Walden said there are no specific plans yet, but that several former contestants and judges have already expressed “a lot of enthusiasm” for coming back and celebrating the show’s legacy in its final year.
“We’re going to deliver a really special season next year,” Newman said.
– with files by Lynn Elber of The Associated Press
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