American Idol has claimed its place in reality television history as the most-watched series that is a reality television competition based on the most recent Nielsen ratings.
The originally aired in 2002 as American Idol: The Search for a Superstar on the Fox network. The Idol franchise was created by Simon Fuller and is managed by 19 Entertainment, a CKX, Inc. company. It’s a spin-off from the British version Pop Idol which since has expanded its franchise into 42 territories.
A Few New Twists for American Idol
While the 2011 American Idol tries to renew its image by putting a few twists on the same old, same old, the biggest surprise so far seems to be the new panel shape up and with it one member, Steven Tyler. Initially many fans and bloggers commented that he resembled more of a living corpse than icon.
But Tyler has surprised viewers with funny remarks, a colorful personality and even empathy. Jennifer Lopez, a pretty face and a superstar, is a refreshing change from wacky Paula Abdul and narcissistic Kara DioGuardi. If nothing else, she brings a bit more class to the panel than her predecessors.
Success of the Idol Franchise
But what makes the idol franchise so successful compared to other talent competitions? The formula seems simple. Hopeful artists entering a talent competition and the panel and audience voting them down to the finalists. It’s the quintessential American dream and a format viewers seem can not get tired of. The show ratings lives and die on the talent of that season. If the talent is great, more people will watch; the better the singers, the better the numbers. Plus the show has proven that it is not a fluke. Some of the discovered talent have become major forces in the entertainment industry.
Besides the talent, producers also heavily focus on the personalities and stories behind the voices. For example, during one of the first few episodes, Ryan Seacrest followed Carrie Underwood home, establishing her as the small-town girl with big dreams. And it was Simon Cowell who early on predicted that she may sell more records than anyone else on Idol…and he was right!
Then there is this season’s Chris Medina. Medina’s audition aired on January 26, 2011 on the FOX network. American viewers want to fall in love with contestants and it is hard to keep a dry eye when watching his journey. Just a few months after he proposed to the love of his life, she was in a car accident and suffered a brain injury and he has since taken care of her with love and a strength that many probably admit they did not have at his age.
How can America not cheer for him? And it was meeting Medina’s fiancée that brought out a surprising empathetic and caring side of Steven Tyler who was visibly touched by the story, reaching out to her and kissing her on the cheek. Anything but a corpse, he's a rock icon with a lot of heart!
The franchise is successful because viewers love watching the transformation of ordinary people becoming superstars and the feeling that they had something to do with it by voting for them. In the end then, it doesn’t matter who sits on the panel. It is the stories behind the singers that really matter. The producers of the show know what they are doing and each year they seem to get better, not worse, at selling their franchise.
Britta Stromeyer Esmail - Britta is a bilingual business management professional and executive coach with extensive domestic and international experience in the ...
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