American Idol. It’s the television equivalent of fast food. It’s satisfying at the first bite, you remember all its familiarities halfway through, but by the end you regret consuming it.
The two-hour reboot of the once inescapable pop culture phenomenon picked up exactly where the last season (2015) left off. Judges go from major city to major city searching for talent. They meet people with amazing stories, and equally amazing voices. They encounter the arrogant hopefuls who really can’t sing. There’s jokes, shenanigans, and of course, lots and lots of tears.
Two things are a bit different this time around, however.
One, we’re spared the requisite dumpster fire performances — the people who are absolutely atrocious and are brought on television for pure, cruel mocking. Sorry, there’s no William Hung this year.
Two, we get a group of judges, who for now, are mostly likable, and have a really solid chemistry. Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie, and Katy Perry work well together, and act like old friends reuniting for a new gig. It’s a refreshing take from the bickering we saw from previous judges. They also have some fairly honest insight — they are not afraid to say people are too raw, or might be too fragile for a tough industry, or don’t have their own identity. There’s no, “Nah dawgs,” or acerbic barbs spewed with a British accent.
However, despite all this the premiere is exactly like every other premiere in the series’ history. Literally. It’s the same jokes, the same pacing and editing, the same “narrative structure.” Nothing has changed but the judges.
This begs the question — is this what audiences really wanted? Because last time I looked at the ratings, American Idol took a precipitous drop in its final years. Remember when it was big news when the series lost sponsors? Or when FOX cut down the number of nights it aired? Or, going back to my original point — when people stopped watching the show?
This isn’t Will & Grace, or Curb Your Enthusiasm. Idol didn’t go out on its own terms — it was cancelled. Idol stopped being relevant. It stopped creating hits. It stopped creating stars. This show went from, on average, being the #1 or #2 most viewed show in the country to outside of the Top 20 (and as low as #41) for its end run.
The ratings will tell if a three year absence made America’s heart grow fonder for this former juggernaut of a series. And in all honesty, the premiere will probably do well as people may tune in out of sheer curiosity. However, after the initial “Hey it’s back” period, I have a strong feeling the ratings will sag and we’ll all remember why this show ended three years ago.
Rating: 5.5 out of 10
American Idol airs Sunday nights on ABC.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w__dRihZlNQ
