By Chuck Barney / East Bay Times
In the early moments of last week’s “American Idol” season opener — shortly after a Disney-ish, when-you-wish-upon-a-star voiceover cameo by Carrie Underwood — the familiar mug of Ryan Seacrest appears on screen and declares, “It’s the dawn of a new era!”
Yes, have you heard the news? “American Idol” is back and ready to resume the search for chart-topping superstars. OK, but a big, nagging question looms over ABC’s high-risk reboot:
Do we actually want “American Idol” back?
To recap: “Idol” aired for 15 seasons on Fox. During much of that run, the singing competition dominated the Nielsens, crushing everything in its path. But toward the end, the ratings plunged and the cost to make the show dramatically rose. Fox — with the cooperation of “Idol” producers — decided to send it off with a “farewell season.”
The thinking at the time was that “Idol” surely would return some day, as so many shows now do. It just needed a break.
But less than two years after its swan song — and before many of us really had a chance to miss it — ABC is doing a very pricey revival. How pricey? It reportedly paid $25 million alone to secure pop superstar Katy Perry as a judge, and then recruited Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan (for leaner paychecks) to join her on the panel. They also brought back Seacrest as host.
Is there, though, any gas left in the “Idol” tank? Will this revival blow up in ABC’s face? There certainly are some scary red flags.
Let’s begin with Seacrest, who recently has been dogged by sexual harassment allegations. He vehemently denies the claims and has continued to work through the turbulence.
However, if the controversy gains momentum, it would present a messy dilemma for family-friendly ABC. Yes, the network could dump him, but the early episodes of “Idol” are already in the can and Seacrest is woven throughout them. Even if he stays, will his very presence be a turnoff for some viewers in the #MeToo era?
Meanwhile, well before “Idol” left the air, it had been eclipsed by “The Voice” as television’s most popular singing contest. “The Voice” recently launched a new season on NBC and, to add insult to injury, boasts the first “Idol” winner Kelly Clarkson as one of its four judges/coaches. Is there still room in prime time for two singing shows? (A third show, Fox’s “The Four,” ended last month).
And now a personal observation: Last summer I attended the “Idol” auditions in Oakland, California, where only 2,000 wannabe pop stars — give or take a few — bothered to show up.
That number might sound impressive, but I’ve covered “Idol” tryouts in the Bay Area for years and I can recall massive throngs that dwarfed the Oakland turnout.
Clearly, the amount of people who attend a weekend audition at Jack London Square isn’t the best gauge as to whether a show will work or not. On the other hand, it’s not exactly encouraging.
But enough with the naysaying. Believe it or not, there are signs of hope — mostly pegged to the judges panel. I’ve only seen the opener, but Perry, Richie and Bryan appear to have great chemistry. More importantly, they bring a real passion and energy to their new roles. They’re genuinely excited to have the chance to make someone’s dreams come true.
Perry, especially, is a force. She’s got warmth and charisma, and she’s not afraid to have some spontaneous fun. At one point, she playfully offers a smooch to a shy male contestant who admits he has never kissed a girl. She dances with another hopeful (“Dip me”) and then tells a standout vocalist she’ll have to shave her legs because the performance was so amazing that she sprouted new hairs.
When ABC landed Perry, it provoked immediate flashbacks of the year when Fox recruited another female superstar — Mariah Carey — to be a judge. That hire turned out to be a major bust. Mariah openly feuded with Nicki Minaj and had all the charisma of coffee grounds. No such worries with Perry. ABC has struck gold with her.
Of course, it will all come down to the contestants, as it usually does. Will their talent, their personalities and their stories be enough to lure back the faithful? In recent seasons, the judges didn’t always succeed at rounding up the best bunch. Let’s hope Perry and company have better luck.
If they do, maybe “Idol” will have America singing its praises once again.
‘AMERICAN IDOL’
When: 8 p.m. Sunday
Where: ABC, Channel 4
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