Fox may be considering a new project with Simon Cowell after ‘American Idol’ comes to an end after its 15th season.
According to TheWrap, the network is considering its plans of reteaming with the former judge a year after ‘Idol’ airs its final season. An insider reportedly claimed that Fox aims to launch the first season of the new TV show in 2017.
“Word all over the lot is that they’re going to take a year after ‘Idol,’ let the time slot breathe, and then they’re going with another Cowell reality project,” the insider stated.
While Fox has declined to comment on the reports, Cowell’s SYCO Entertainment has not made any official announcements as well.
In 2001, ‘American Idol’ was brought to North America by 19 Entertainment and Fremantle Media, who have been able to repeat the successful format across the globe. Through Fox, the singing competition series made its debut in 2002 and, since then, continuously gained momentum to become a flagship series.
Cowell also gained considerable fame in the U.S. as the boldest in the original judges panel, which included Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson as well. Evidently, the mega-producer’s blunt comments and cheeky one-liners boosted the popularity of the series.
In 2010, Cowell left the show to collaborate once again with Fox on another competition series, ‘The X Factor.’ Making its debut in 2011, ‘The X Factor’ was positioned to become the successor of ‘American Idol’, which was already struggling with a declining number of viewers.
However, ‘The X Factor’ was cancelled after only three seasons due to waning audiences and low ratings. The news of the network cancelling the competition series came at the same day that Cowell announced his return to the UK version of ‘The X Factor.’
The news of ‘American Idol’ getting axed immediately made the headlines across the entertainment industry and became a trending topic across the world.
“We really wanted to do it in a way that felt special and celebratory,” Fox TV Group co-chairman and CEO Gary Newman said last Monday
Meanwhile, Cowell is further kept busy as he has come up with an online competition show titled ‘Ultimate DJ’, an international electronic music series to be aired on Yahoo! Live. The champion will be honored with the ‘Ultimate DJ’ title and receive an offer to become a headliner at a major Electronic Music festival. A record contract with Sony Music and Ultra Records also awaits the winner.
