American Idol,” the most popular music reality show in U.S. television history, will return to the screen on ABC in 2018.
Ryan Seacrest addressed how ABC’s version of “American Idol” would be different than the original Fox version during a panel for the show at ABC’s day of the Television Critics Association winter press tour on Monday.
“It’s different obviously because of these personalities but the show, at its core, works,” Seacrest said. “The format works in practice. We go out, we look for young talented people, they see the judges, they come back to Hollywood, and they’ll have to step up. There’s been a lot of talk about how is the show different. You’ve got three different faces, you’ve got different contestants, but to change the show drastically in terms of format would be a big mistake.”
The new show will feature judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie. Seacrest also said that it was important that the judging panel was more than just big names.
ABC did not name a host or reveal the judges, leading many people to question whether long-time host Ryan Seacrest might make a comeback on the new version. However, for the judges, the new American Idol represents a chance to put their stamp on a job held by a succession of celebrity panelists.
