Few television shows have enjoyed the level of success that American Idol has, but everything must come to an end eventually, and many people think American Idol’s death is long overdue. That could be why, after 15 years, Fox has announced that next year’s American Idol will be its final season, after which viewers will be able to decide what happens to it afterwards.
After 15 years, one of the biggest shows in the history of American television is closing up shop. Fox announced today at its annual upfront presentation that American Idol will end after its 15th season in 2016 (paywall), after which it will either descend into television heaven, or be banished to the depths of TV hell, depending on your opinion of the influential singing program. Launched in 2002, based on the British singing show Pop Idol, American Idol instantly became a phenomenon. It turned many of its winners (Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Phillip Phillips) and some of its non-winners (Chris Daughtry, Katharine McPhee, Jennifer Hudson) into global superstars. It also revived the careers of judges Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson, turned the fan favorite Simon Cowell, an abrasive, sardonic Brit who had worked on Pop Idol, into a celebrity in the US, and transformed host Ryan Seacrest into an entertainment icon. For much of its 15-year existence, it was by far the most watched series on television in the US, averaging 30 million viewers for multiple seasons during the middle of its run.