American Idol

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search

For the current season, see American Idol (season 11).

American Idol
Genre	Reality television
Format	Interactive singing competition
Created by	Simon Fuller
Directed by	Bruce Gowers Ken Warwick (2005–present) Gregg Gelfand (2007–present) Andrew Scheer (2002) John Pritchett (2006–08, 2010) Nigel Lythgoe (2008)
Presented by	Ryan Seacrest Brian Dunkleman (2002)
Judges	Randy Jackson Jennifer Lopez (2011–present) Steven Tyler (2011–present) Paula Abdul (2002–09) Simon Cowell (2002–10) Kara DioGuardi (2009–10) Ellen DeGeneres (2010)
Theme music composer	Julian Gingell Barry Stone Cathy Dennis
Country of origin	United States
Language(s)	English
No. of seasons	11
No. of episodes	434 (as of May 10, 2012) (List of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)	Ken Warwick Cecile Frot-Coutaz Simon Fuller Nigel Lythgoe (2002–08, 2011–present)
Running time	22–104 minutes
Production company(s)	FremantleMedia North America 19 Entertainment
Distributor	FremantleMedia Enterprises
Broadcast
Original channel	Fox
Picture format	720p (HDTV) (2005–present) 480i (NTSC) (2002–04)
Original run	June 11, 2002 – present
External links
Website

American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment. It began airing on Fox on June 11, 2002, as an addition to the Idol franchise based on the UK show Pop Idol, and became one of the most popular shows in the history of American television. As of 2011, it was the most watched TV series in the Nielsen ratings and the only program to have been number one for eight consecutive seasons.^[1]
The concept of the series is to find new solo recording artists where the winner is determined by the viewers. Winners chosen by viewers through telephone, Internet, and SMS text voting were Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Fantasia Barrino, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Hicks, Jordin Sparks, David Cook, Kris Allen, Lee DeWyze, and Scotty McCreery.
The series employs a panel of judges who critique the contestants' performances. The original three judges were record producer and music manager Randy Jackson, pop singer and choreographer Paula Abdul and music executive and manager Simon Cowell. The judging panel currently consists of Jackson, singer/actress and record producer Jennifer Lopez and Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler. Other judges who have been a part of the show are songwriter Kara DioGuardi and talk show personality and comedian Ellen DeGeneres. The series is emceed by radio personality Ryan Seacrest and originally co-hosted with stand-up comedian Brian Dunkleman (for the first season).
The series was described by rival TV executives as "the most impactful show in the history of television."^[2] It has also become a recognized springboard for launching the career of many artists as bona fide stars. As Entertainment Weekly puts it, "It's given us Kelly, Carrie, Daughtry, and J. Hud. Idol rules the reality roost because the winners of Fox's ratings juggernaut actually do go on to greatness. And Taylor Hicks? He's the exception that proves the rule."^[3]

Contents

• 1 History
• 2 Judges and hosts
• 3 Selection process
  • 3.1 Contestant eligibility
  • 3.2 Initial auditions
  • 3.3 Hollywood week and Las Vegas round
  • 3.4 Audience voting
  • 3.5 Semi-finals
  • 3.6 Finals
  • 3.7 Rewards for winner and finalists
• 4 Season synopsis
  • 4.1 Show overview
  • 4.2 Season 1
  • 4.3 Season 2
  • 4.4 Season 3
  • 4.5 Season 4
  • 4.6 Season 5
  • 4.7 Season 6
  • 4.8 Season 7
  • 4.9 Season 8
  • 4.10 Season 9
  • 4.11 Season 10
  • 4.12 Season 11
• 5 Geographical bias
• 6 Controversy
• 7 Idol Gives Back
• 8 Television ratings
• 9 Cultural impact
  • 9.1 Television
  • 9.2 Music
  • 9.3 Film and theater
  • 9.4 American Idol alumni accolades
• 10 Critical reception
• 11 Revenue and commercial ventures
  • 11.1 Advertising revenue
  • 11.2 Media sponsorship
  • 11.3 American Idol tour
  • 11.4 Music releases
  • 11.5 Tie-ins
• 12 Theme park attraction
• 13 International broadcast
• 14 Spin-offs
• 15 See also
• 16 References
• 17 External links