Editing American Idol (section)

{{short description|American singing competition}}
{{About||the most recent season|American Idol season 23{{!}}''American Idol'' season 23}}
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{{Use American English|date=January 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox television
| image                = American Idol ABC logo.png
| alt_name             = ''American Idol: The Search for a Superstar''
| genre                = [[Reality competition]]
| creator              = [[Simon Fuller]]
| director             = {{Plainlist |
* Andy Scheer (2002)
* [[Bruce Gowers]] (2002–2010)
* [[Ken Warwick]] (2003–2013)
* [[Nigel Lythgoe]] (2003–2008, 2012)
* [[Paul Miller (TV director)|Paul Miller]] (2003)
* John Pritchett (2008)
* Bill DeRonde (2009, 2014–2016)
* Gregg Gelfand (2008–2013)
* Russell Norman (2013, 2015–2016, 2019)
* [[Louis J. Horvitz]] (2014)
* Glenn Weiss (2015)
* Phil Heyes (2015–2016, 2018–present)
* Ben Thursby-Palmer (2018, 2020–present, Auditions only)
* Ryan Goble (2019)
* Sam Wrench (2020, 2025)
* Julia Knowles (2022)
}}
| based_on             = ''[[Pop Idol]]''
| presenter            = {{Plainlist |
* [[Ryan Seacrest]]<!--- Per [[Template:Infobox television]], do NOT include years for the hosts ---> 
* [[Brian Dunkleman]]
}}
| judges               = {{Plainlist |
* [[Paula Abdul]]<!--- Per [[Template:Infobox television]], do NOT include years for all the judges ---> 
* [[Simon Cowell]]
* [[Randy Jackson]]
* [[Kara DioGuardi]]
* [[Ellen DeGeneres]]
* [[Jennifer Lopez]]
* [[Steven Tyler]]
* [[Mariah Carey]]
* [[Nicki Minaj]]
* [[Keith Urban]]
* [[Harry Connick Jr.]]
* [[Luke Bryan]]
* [[Katy Perry]]
* [[Lionel Richie]]
* [[Carrie Underwood]] 
}}
| theme_music_composer = {{Plainlist |
* Julian Gingell
* Barry Stone
* [[Cathy Dennis]]
}}
| country              = United States
| language             = English
| num_seasons          = 23
| num_episodes         = 718<!-- as of May 18, 2025 -->
| list_episodes        = List of American Idol episodes
| executive_producer   = {{Plainlist |
* Simon Fuller (2002–2016)
* Cecile Frot-Coutaz (2002–2016, 2018)
* Simon Jones (2002–2003)
* Nigel Lythgoe (2002–2008, 2011–13, 2016 finale)
* Ken Warwick (2002–2013)
* [[J. Brian Gadinsky]] (2002)
* Charles Boyd (2009–2016)
* Trish Kinane (2013–2016, 2018–2022)
* Jesse Ignjatovic (2014)
* Evan Prager (2014)
* [[w:sv:Per Blankens|Per Blankens]] (2014–2015)
* [[David Hill (producer)|David Hill]] (2015–2016)
* Megan Wolflick (2015–2016, 2018–present)
* Jessica Castro (2016)
* Jennifer Mullin (2018–present)
* Phil McIntyre (2018)
* Caroline Abaecheta (2018–2020)
* Daniel Martin (2018–2020)
* [[Chris Anokute]] (2019)
* Robert McLoed (2019, 2023)
* [[Eli Holzman]] (2020–present)
* [[Aaron Saidman]] (2020–present)
* Brian Burke (2021–present)
* Brian Updyke (2021–2022)
* Nikki Varhely Gillingham (2021)
* Theodore Dimitriou (2022–present)
* Matt Banks (2022–present)
* Mike Deffina (2023–present)
* Katie Fennelly Watkins (2024–present)
* Arinze Ikemefuna (2025–present)
}}
| runtime              = 22–104 minutes
| company              = {{Plainlist |
* [[Fremantle (company)|Fremantle]]{{efn|Credited as FremantleMedia North America from 2002–2018.}} 
* [[19 Entertainment]]
}}
| network              = [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]]
| network2             = [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]
| first_aired          = {{Start date|2002|6|11}}
| last_aired           = {{End date|2016|4|7}}
| first_aired2         = {{Start date|2018|3|11}}
| last_aired2          = present
}}

'''''American Idol''''' is an American [[Music competition|singing competition]] television series created by [[Simon Fuller]], produced by [[Fremantle (company)|Fremantle North America]] and [[19 Entertainment]], and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] from June 11, 2002, to April 7, 2016, for 15 seasons. It was on hiatus until March 11, 2018, when a revival of the series began airing on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]].

It started as an addition to the ''[[Idol (franchise)|Idol]]'' format that was based on ''[[Pop Idol]]'' from British television, in which the programme's [[Pop Idol series 1|first series]], which was won by [[Will Young]], ended over four months before the show began, as it later became one of the most successful shows in the history of [[Television in the United States|American television]]. The concept of the series involves discovering recording stars from unsigned singing talents, with the winner determined by American viewers using phones, Internet platforms, and SMS text voting. The winners of the first twenty-three seasons, as chosen by viewers, are [[Kelly Clarkson]], [[Ruben Studdard]], [[Fantasia (singer)|Fantasia Barrino]], [[Carrie Underwood]], [[Taylor Hicks]], [[Jordin Sparks]], [[David Cook (singer)|David Cook]], [[Kris Allen]], [[Lee DeWyze]], [[Scotty McCreery]], [[Phillip Phillips]], [[Candice Glover]], [[Caleb Johnson]], [[Nick Fradiani]], [[Trent Harmon]], [[Maddie Poppe]], [[Laine Hardy]], [[Just Sam]], [[Chayce Beckham]], [[Noah Thompson]], [[Iam Tongi]], [[Abi Carter]], and [[Jamal Roberts]].

''American Idol'' employs a select panel of judges who critique the contestants' performances. The original judges, for seasons one through eight, were record producer and music manager [[Randy Jackson]], singer and choreographer [[Paula Abdul]], and music executive and manager [[Simon Cowell]]. The judging panel for the last three seasons on Fox consisted of singers [[Keith Urban]], [[Jennifer Lopez]], and [[Harry Connick Jr.]]<ref name="J-Lo&Connick">[https://ew.com/article/2013/09/03/american-idol-jennifer-lopez-harry-connick-jr/ 'American Idol' officially adds J.Lo and Harry Connick Jr. as judges] ''Entertainment Weekly'', Retrieved November 23, 2019</ref> Season sixteen brought three new judges: singers [[Luke Bryan]], [[Katy Perry]], and [[Lionel Richie]]. Beginning in the twenty-third season, Underwood replaced Perry, alongside returning judges Bryan and Richie. The show has been [[master of ceremonies|hosted]] by [[television presenter]] [[Ryan Seacrest]] throughout its run, apart from the show's inaugural season when comedian [[Brian Dunkleman]] joined Seacrest as co-host.

The success of ''American Idol'' has been described as "unparalleled in broadcasting history".<ref>{{cite book |last=Doris Baltruschat |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tqt_nxRY7xIC&pg=PA106 |title=Global Media Ecologies: Networked Production in Film and Television |publisher=Routledge |year=2010 |isbn=978-0415874786 |page=106}}</ref> A rival TV executive said the series was "the most impactful show in the history of television".<ref name="carter">{{cite news |last=Carter |first=Bill |date=February 20, 2007 |title=For Fox's Rivals, 'American Idol' Remains a 'Schoolyard Bully' |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/20/arts/television/20idol.html |url-status=live |access-date=March 13, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090416211241/http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/20/arts/television/20idol.html |archive-date=April 16, 2009}}</ref> It became a recognized springboard for launching the career of many artists as bona fide stars. According to [[Billboard (magazine)|''Billboard'' magazine]], in its first ten years, "''Idol'' has spawned 345 ''Billboard'' chart-toppers and a platoon of pop idols, including Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, [[Chris Daughtry]], Fantasia, Ruben Studdard, [[Jennifer Hudson]], [[Clay Aiken]], [[Adam Lambert]], and Jordin Sparks while remaining a TV ratings juggernaut."<ref name="Billboard2012">{{cite magazine |date=June 11, 2012 |title=Ten Years of 'American Idol' Chart Dominance: Clarkson, Underwood, Daughtry, Fantasia, More |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |url=http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/industry/record-labels/ten-years-of-american-idol-chart-dominance-1007290752.story |url-status=dead |access-date=September 4, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130127153206/http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/industry/record-labels/ten-years-of-american-idol-chart-dominance-1007290752.story |archive-date=January 27, 2013}}</ref> For an unprecedented eight consecutive years, from the [[2003–04 United States network television schedule|2003–04 television season]] through the [[2010–11 United States network television schedule|2010–11 season]], either its performance show or result show was [[List of most watched television broadcasts in the United States#Most watched by year|ranked number one]] in U.S. [[Nielsen ratings|television ratings]].<ref name="ratings">{{cite magazine |date=June 1, 2011 |title=Full 2010–11 Ratings: CBS Tops Viewership, Fox Is No. 1 in Demo and Idol Remains Most-Watched |url=https://www.tvguide.com/News/2010-11-Ratings-1033838.aspx |magazine=TV Guide |access-date=February 11, 2013}}</ref>
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