‘American Idol’: ABC Plots Remote Live Shows Following Shutdown

ABC is ploughing ahead with American Idol’s live shows – albeit remotely.

The network revealed that it has scheduled a two-hour show on Sunday April 26 at 8pm that will see judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie coming to audiences remotely with Ryan Seacrest and Bobby Bones. The top 20 contestants will be performing for America’s vote remotely.

Richie and Perry will be judging from their homes in California, while Bryan will be judging from his home in Nashville with contestants performing at their own homes.

This comes after the Coronavirus pandemic halted traditional production for its live shows.

It also follows an update from Katy Perry over the weekend. The judge took to Facebook, dressed in an Easter Bunny costume, to say, “We’re gonna all have to be really creative — I know we are going to be really creative.”

The network bought itself a little time to explore multiple options for these by spreading two episodes set in set in Aulani, across two weeks rather than one. Those eps aired on on Sunday March 29 and Sunday April 5 rather than on March 29 and March 30.

The live shows were set to kick off on Monday April 6 but instead were replaced by two repeats of Celebrity Family Feud, followed by primetime special, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Secrets & Surprises, produced by ABC News.

This weekend, it aired American Idol: This is Me, which looked at the lives of our Top 20 contestants, with unseen footage and performance highlights on Sunday April 12 and the second part of this special will air Sunday April 19.

This comes after prep work on the live shows, including rehearsals with the finalists, was suspended. Contestants went home to be with their families amid the escalating coronavirus outbreak. The decision by American Idol producer Fremantle, which makes the show in association with Industrial Media’s 19 Entertainment, was made following Los Angeles County’s strict guidelines prohibiting large gatherings to slow the spread of COVID-19. Additionally, Fremantle has instituted working remotely as editing on the final pre-taped Idol episodes continues. Because of its scope and number of hours delivered, American Idol has a large producing team and employs a big crew.