American Idol is finally being put out of its misery. Fox said that the long-running singing competition, which changed the face of television at the height of its popularity, will end with a 15th season in January 2016.
Ahead of its upfront presentation for advertisers, Fox promised a “season-long celebratory event” to mark Idol’s last season. Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban and Harry Connick Jr. will return as judges.
Idol produced several hit recording artists during its run. Kelly Clarkson, who won the show’s first season, is still producing hit after hit, while Carrie Underwood is among the top-selling country music stars. Jennifer Hudson, a runner-up, won an Oscar. Even more recent winners like Phillip Phillips have scored radio hits.
However, it’s been a long time since Idol was the top-rated show on television, striking fear into rival network schedulers. The show has never really been the same since Simon Cowell left back in 2010. Even the 2013 with Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey at each others’ throats every week failed to get audiences back.
Fox didn’t say how many episodes the final season will have or if it will even be a traditional Idol season. The show’s 14th season ends this Wednesday.
You can check out the full Fox 2015 schedule right here.
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image of Jennifer Lopez courtesy of INFphoto.com