Just over a year since saying goodbye to fans, "American Idol" could be making a huge comeback on ABC for the upcoming 2017–2018 season.
Deadline reports that ABC is close to finalizing a deal on an "American Idol" reboot. ABC and the show's producers (FremantleMedia North America and CORE Media Group) are allegedly getting closer to an agreement, but contrary to some rumors, there is still no deal in place. Sources claim that the singing competition's producers have also received an offer from Fox, its home station.
The offer is said to be aggressive, and 21st Century Fox management is determined to keep the franchise and not let it go to another network. However, ABC continues to have the upper hand and will likely announce the show during its upfronts presentation to advertisers later this month. Should the new "American Idol" switch to ABC, it will reportedly premiere in March 2018 and air on Sunday nights to compete against football.
The show's return raises the question of whether long-time host Ryan Seacrest could come back. The 43-year old hosted the series for its entire run on Fox, but he recently became the co-host of the newly renamed "Live with Kelly and Ryan." The said daytime show airs on most ABC stations, but "American Idol" has always been based in Los Angeles. This makes Seacrest's involvement quite difficult because "Live" is shot in New York.
Seacrest and his girlfriend was spotted by TMZ in New York on Sunday, and he was asked about a possible "American Idol" return. The TV host appears to be dodging questions about the show, but reports say he is likely to rejoin the hit franchise.
Debuted in 2002, "American Idol" ran for a total of 15 seasons. The program was dubbed as TV's "Death Star" during its run since it completely defeated most of its rival shows.
