‘American Idol’ Reportedly To Be Canceled After This Season For Disastrously Low Ratings
American Idol will be reportedly canceled after the end of this season due to low ratings, an anonymous source tells Radar Online.
The show, once a ratings juggernaut, has been a dud for ABC ever since the network picked it up two seasons ago, after a 15-year stint on Fox. ABC had hoped to revive the show, which, for a few seasons when it was on Fox, was the dominant ratings-grabber on network TV. However, nothing lasts forever, and after the novelty wore off, with an ever-changing series of judges coming and going, Fox handed the show off to ABC.
Unfortunately for the network, changing owners did nothing to revive the once-great competition show. That became apparent on the Disney song night when the show brought in only 5 million viewers, a record low for the show on either Fox or ABC.
Radar Online‘s assessment of the direness of American Idol‘s ratings contrasts with that of TV By The Numbers, which says that American Idol was in second place in its 8 p.m. time slot on Sunday night, with 6.42 million viewers, behind CBS’ Motown special.
Regardless of whose numbers are correct, they’re dismal enough that ABC is planning to wash its hands of the show, says a source.
“The show is dead.”
TV ratings: #AmericanIdol hits all-time lows https://t.co/5he4nOgK1l pic.twitter.com/deJsWCeXno
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) April 23, 2019
What’s more, says the source, the judges are seeing the writing on the wall.
“The producers and crew are already sending out their resumes. Even judge Katy Perry is ready to go back to focusing on her music career.”
It bears noting that, as of this writing, there has been no official confirmation one way or the other from ABC. The most recent accounting of the shows that have been canceled and renewed, as provided two days ago by The Wrap, doesn’t mention American Idol at all.
How The Mighty Have Fallen
Rumors of cancelation aside, it’s clear that American Idol is no longer what it once was.
Back when it debuted on Fox in 2002, the idea of a singing competition on an American network was all but unthinkable. However, the British version of the show, Pop Idol, made producers enough money that they were willing to take the risk and bring it to the States.
For a number of years, the show made superstars. Early contestants such as Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood have gone on to have long and illustrious careers. Recent winners, however, have failed to make a splash in the music industry. Season 16 winner Maddie Poppe, for example, doesn’t have a label, hasn’t released an album since 2016, and her 2018 single “Going Going Gone” failed to crack the Top 10 on the charts.
