‘American Idol’ reboot: Court cleared 19 Entertainment for a series revival

A reboot for the singing competition TV series “American Idol” is on the cards. Per reports, the show has been on a hiatus due to bankruptcy issues. However, recent reports state the makers have finally secured an agreement in court for a revival season. It seems the show will finally make a comeback but with a new broadcaster, perhaps.

“American Idol” first premiered on June 11, 2002 on Fox network. From there, it went on to run a total of 15 consecutive seasons before ending in 2016. The new season will be an NBC broadcast, it has been alleged, as the crew is currently in talks with the network for its revival season. A new license agreement and broadcaster have since been chalked out. 19 Entertainment and FremantleMedia also agreed before court to launch a new season of the show with a new media entity.

For FremantleMedia to make a reboot of the show, a deal was made with 19 Entertainment to be allowed to air again. As learnt from the Hollywood Reporter, the court has passed its approval. This means a reboot for the series can be expected to launch soon.

It was previously reported that 19 Entertainment has filed for bankruptcy, allegedly the reason behind shutting down the show after its fifteenth season. A massive financial loss was incurred by the company during season 15 eventually, leaving it no choice but to interrupt operation.

Report from Movie News Guide state that the debtors managed to reach a deal five months later, consequently lowering the debt down to US$385 million (AU$508 million). This further facilitated 19 Entertainment to make a re-organisation. As a result, the company continues to exist. Finally, “American Idol” is making a comeback, but with new agreeing parties known as NEG Operations, Inc. It has been said the reboot series will now give credits to the new name.

“American Idol” emerged as the highest-rated show on television after airing eight consecutive seasons since 2003. The talent show peaked in 2006, with an average rating of 12.4 among viewers in the 18-49 demographic. Up to 36.4 million viewers watched the show, according to Nielsen.

Nevertheless, the reality show failed to leave a similar impression for the second half of its run. The series declined to a point where the ratings could no longer justify huge production costs. NBC’s current concern has been to get the show at a reasonable price. Negations are underway.