‘American Idol’ Season 24 set to shake up voting format for the first time ever and it's great news for Gen Z
Despite claims that long-running competition-based reality television shows are waning, the recently concluded Season 23 of 'American Idol' drew a significant audience, with a mammoth 26 million viewers tuning in to its finale. The popular ABC show is now aiming to capitalize on this tremendous momentum as it prepares for the upcoming Season 24, set to premiere on January 26, exclusively on ABC. The upcoming season is set to be unique, incorporating several changes to the show's established format, including social voting and a revamped Hollywood Week.
As reported by Deadline, 'American Idol' showrunner Megan Michaels Wolflick recently revealed toying with the idea of social voting for about five years now. She then opened up about the reason for the change, "We have to meet the audience where they are. Back in 2002, when the show began, texting was the new hot thing. We also have to meet the technology where it is, as well. We want to make it as easy as possible for people to vote for their favorites, weigh in from their couch with their second screen, in real time."
As an able showrunner who recognizes the importance of attracting a new diaspora of audience members to like the show, Wolflick believes in reaching out to younger audiences in particular. "If we can get Gen Alpha and Gen Z to weigh in a little bit more in the easiest way possible, that’s very exciting," Wolflick said. "It could tip the scale. Trends are always different." The exact logistical details of social voting are still being worked out by ABC, Fremantle, and Sony Pictures Television's 19 Entertainment. For now, the traditional modes of voting, i.e., text and phone, are still in use. However, Wolflick expressed hope that, within about 3 years, a fruitful conversation about social voting as the only voting mode would emerge.
Moreover, the upcoming season of 'American Idol' will feature several changes to the show's format and broadcast schedule. For instance, the show would ditch its traditional Sunday airtime in favour of a Monday broadcast window. This is because several highly anticipated award shows and sports events, such as the Emmys and the Super Bowl, typically air on Sundays. In addition, E! News reported that the singing reality show will change its famous Hollywood Week round, which will no longer be held in Los Angeles but in Nashville, Tennessee, despite the name.
After Hollywood Week, 30 hopeful contestants will be put to the test in a new round called the Ohana Round, according to an ABC press release. A group of industry leaders, including Anthony Gargiula, Kaniyia Brown, Evan Ross Katz, Terry McCaskill, Loren Gray, Cheryl Porter, Shirley Halperin, and Kelly Sutton, shall determine which 20 of the group advance to the next round. The new round will be filmed at Aulani, which is a Disney Resort & Spa in Ko Olina, Hawaii. 'American Idol' is hosted by Ryan Seacrest with Lionel Richie, Carrie Underwood, and Luke Bryan as judges.
