American Idol will be back for another season on ABC, the network announced Tuesday. This will mark the show’s seventh season on ABC, and its 22nd overall since launching on Fox in 2002. The news comes ahead of this weekend’s three-hour Season 21 finale, in which Colin Stough, Iam Tongi, and Megan Danielle will compete to be the next Idol champion.
The season finale kicks off at 8 p.m. EDT and will include final performances from the Top 3, as well as performances from judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie. Former Idol contestants Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard will take the stage as well.TLC, Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard, James Blunt, Jelly Roll, REO Speedwagon’s Kevin Cronin, Kylie Minogue, Lainey Wilson, and Lauren Daigle will also perform. Keith Urban, who served as a judge from Seasons 12 to 15, will mentor the remaining finalists before his own performance.
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ABC picked up American Idol in 2018, two years after Fox canceled the series. Since then, it has anchored ABC’s Sunday night lineup, and also featured Monday night episodes. Season 21 averaged 5.2 million viewers on Sundays and 4.7 million viewers on Mondays, notes Deadline. The show also pulled in a 0.67 rating in the 18-49 demographic on Sundays and a 0.56 rating on Mondays. That was down marginally from Season 20, but still a remarkable hold from year-to-year for a broadcast show.
It’s unclear if Perry, Bryan, and Richie will return as judges. The stars typically do not sign on until the summer, just before the auditions begin. The three have served as the judges since ABC revived the series. Ryan Seacrest returned as host. The series is produced by Fremantle and 19 Entertainment.
Perry and Richie were recently in the U.K. to perform at King Charles III’s coronation concert. They missed the May 7 live episode, but they did appear in a pre-taped segment with King Charles III and Queen Camilla. The monarch praised the singers for their performances. Richie sang “Easy” and “All Night Long,” while Perry led the crowd with “Roar” and “Firework.”
Before ABC’s upfront presentation to advertisers in New York City began, the Disney-owned network renewed a slew of other unscripted shows. The Bachelor and Bachelor in Paradise were both renewed, while Celebrity Jeopardy! and Celebrity Wheel of Fortune booked their returns for the 2023-2024 TV season. Shark Tank and America’s Funniest Home Videos were renewed as well. On the scripted side, Not Dead Yet, The Conners, Abbott Elementary, Grey’s Anatomy, Station 19, The Rookie, The Good Doctor, and Will Trent have all been renewed.ย
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NEW YORK CITY – DECEMBER 19: "Toil and Trouble" – Elsbeth is thrown into the world of television after the showrunner of a long-running police procedural is brutally murdered in his office, and although it appears to be the act of a disgruntled fan, she begins to suspect the show's longtime star Regina Coburn (Laurie Metcalf) who yearns for artistic fulfillment. Meanwhile, Judge Crawford (Michael Emerson) continues to be a thorn in Elsbeth's side, on the CBS original series ELSBETH, Thursday, Dec. 19 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and streaming on Paramount+ (live and on demand for Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers, or on demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the episode airs). Pictured (L-R): Carrie Preston as Elsbeth Tascioni and Carra Patterson as Kaya Blanke. (Photo by Michael Parmelee/CBS via Getty Images)
