Editing American Idol (section)

==History==
[[File:American Idol logo.svg|thumb|left|Logo used for the original series]]
''American Idol'' was based on the British show ''[[Pop Idol]]'' created by [[Simon Fuller]], which was in turn inspired by the New Zealand television singing competition ''[[Popstars]]''. Television producer [[Nigel Lythgoe]] saw a version in Australia and helped bring it over to Britain.<ref name="guardin">{{cite news |last=Stephen Armstrong |date=January 11, 2010 |title=Nice work for Nasty Nigel Lythgoe |work=The Guardian |location=UK |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2010/jan/11/nigel-lythgoe-television-dance |access-date=February 24, 2011}}</ref> Fuller was inspired by the idea from ''Popstars'' of employing a panel of judges to select singers in audition. He then added other elements, including [[Televoting|telephone voting]] by the viewing public (which at the time was already in use in shows, such as the ''[[Eurovision Song Contest]]''), the drama of backstories, and real-life soap opera unfolding in real time.<ref name="variety">{{cite news |last=Fuller |first=Simon |date=May 20, 2011 |title=Simon Fuller on how 'Idol' began |work=Variety |url=https://variety.com/2011/tv/news/simon-fuller-on-how-idol-began-2-1118037190/4 |access-date=August 6, 2011}}</ref> ''Pop Idol'' debuted in Britain in 2001 with Lythgoe as [[showrunner]]{{nsmdns}}the executive producer and production leader{{nsmdns}}and [[Simon Cowell]] as one of the judges, and was successful with the viewing public.<ref>{{cite news |date=January 28, 2002 |title=Pop Idol audience reaches 10&nbsp;million |work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/1787135.stm |access-date=February 24, 2011}}</ref>

In 2001, Fuller, Cowell, and TV producer Simon Jones attempted to sell the ''Pop Idol'' format to the United States, but the idea was initially met with poor responses from all the television networks including [[United Paramount Network|UPN]] and [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]].<ref name="NYT – American Idol" /> However, [[Rupert Murdoch]], head of [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]]'s [[News Corporation (1980–2013)|parent company]], was later persuaded to buy the series by his daughter, [[Elisabeth Murdoch (businesswoman)|Elisabeth]], who had seen the British show.<ref name="NYT – American Idol">{{cite news |last=Bill Carter |date=April 30, 2006 |title=How a Hit Almost Failed Its Own Audition |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/30/business/yourmoney/30idol.html}}</ref> Although Fox's executives wanted to change the format, Murdoch insisted that it should remain the same as the British one. One change was nevertheless made due to the presence of multiple time zones in the United States that made it impractical for the country to vote in the same time period, an additional half-hour results show was therefore added the day following the performance show.<ref>{{cite web |date=March 5, 2018 |title=The Masked Scheduler on 'American Idol,' part 1: The origin story |url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/more-tv-news/the-masked-scheduler-on-american-idol-part-1-the-origin-story/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180306002559/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/more-tv-news/the-masked-scheduler-on-american-idol-part-1-the-origin-story/ |archive-date=March 6, 2018 |website=TV by the Number}}</ref> The show was renamed ''[[American Idol: The Search for a Superstar]]'' and debuted in the summer of 2002. Cowell was initially offered the job of showrunner but turned down the offer; Lythgoe then took over that position. Much to the surprise of Cowell and Fox, it became one of the biggest shows of the summer.<ref>{{cite news |date=April 29, 2002 |title=US starts Pop Idol search |work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/1957221.stm}}</ref><ref name="Watching TV: six decades of American television">{{Cite book |last1=Castleman |first1=Harry |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A16TTK0vN7sC&dq=go+pound+sand+2003+kelly+clarkson&pg=PA420 |title=Watching TV: Six Decades of American Television |last2=Podrazik |first2=Walter J. |date=2003 |publisher=Syracuse University Press |isbn=978-0-8156-2988-7 |language=en}}</ref> With its successful launch in the summer, the show was then moved to January and expanded.<ref>{{cite web |date=March 6, 2018 |title=The Masked Scheduler on 'American Idol,' part 2: Managing a megahit |url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/more-tv-news/the-masked-scheduler-on-american-idol-part-2-managing-a-megahit/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180306231844/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/more-tv-news/the-masked-scheduler-on-american-idol-part-2-managing-a-megahit/ |archive-date=March 6, 2018 |website=TV by the Numbers}}</ref>  The show grew into a phenomenon largely due to its personal engagement with the contestants by prompting the viewers to vote, and the presence of the acid-tongued Cowell as a judge. By 2004, it had become the most-watched show on American television, a position it then held for seven consecutive seasons until 2011.<ref name="USA Today2012">{{cite news |date=January 17, 2012 |title=5 reasons 'American Idol' may go on nearly forever—or not |work=USA Today |url=https://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/story/2012-01-14/American-Idol-endurance/52625742/1 |access-date=June 2, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120719211818/https://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/story/2012-01-14/American-Idol-endurance/52625742/1 |archive-date=July 19, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=April 9, 2014 |title='American Idol' Ratings Woes: A Season-by-Season Timeline of the Decline |newspaper=Thewrap |url=https://www.thewrap.com/american-idol-ratings-woes-numbers/ |access-date=December 14, 2022 |language=en-US}}</ref>

However, after a few years of sharp declining ratings starting in 2012, with rating falls of over 20% each season,<ref>{{cite web |date=March 9, 2018 |title=The Masked Scheduler on 'American Idol,' part 4: The decline and end of the FOX run |url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/more-tv-news/the-masked-scheduler-on-american-idol-part-4-the-decline-and-end-of-the-fox-run/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180309233835/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/more-tv-news/the-masked-scheduler-on-american-idol-part-4-the-decline-and-end-of-the-fox-run/ |archive-date=March 9, 2018 |website=TV by the Numbers}}</ref> the [[American Idol season 15|fifteenth season]] would be its last on Fox, ending its run in April 2016.<ref name="Idol Cancellation (May 2015)" /> In May 2017, ABC acquired the rights to the series and the program returned for the 2017–18 television season.<ref name="auto">{{cite magazine |last=Hibberd |first=James |date=May 9, 2017 |title=ABC officially revives American Idol, chides Fox for canceling |url=https://ew.com/tv/2017/05/09/american-idol-abc-2/ |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |access-date=May 9, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Nellie Andreeva and Nancy Tartaglione |date=May 9, 2017 |title='American Idol' Return Set On ABC For 2017–18 Season |url=https://deadline.com/2017/05/american-idol-revival-abc-1202087368/ |access-date=May 9, 2017 |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]}}</ref>  The first season of the revived series, or the [[American Idol season 16|sixteenth season]] overall, started airing in March 2018.<ref name="abc premier">{{cite web |last=Variety Staff |date=November 6, 2017 |title='American Idol' Premiere Date Revealed |url=https://variety.com/2017/music/news/american-idol-abc-premiere-date-1202607674 |access-date=November 6, 2017 |website=Variety}}</ref> Eight seasons have been aired on ABC as of May 2025.<ref>{{Cite web |title='American Idol' Has a New Champion! Abi Carter Wins Season 22 |url=https://people.com/american-idol-winner-abi-carter-crowned-champion-of-season-22-8650641 |access-date=2024-05-20 |website=Peoplemag |language=en}}</ref>