Fox announced Monday that the 15th season of American Idol, which will air in January 2016, will be the show’s last hurrah. Since its debut in 2002, the reality singing competition has been a TV staple and launched the careers of many singers, including Jennifer Hudson and Carrie Underwood—but now ratings have slumped. Deadline points out the network, with shows like Empire, Gotham, and The Last Man on Earth, seems to be betting on scripted fare.
Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban, and Harry Connick, Jr. will return as judges, and needless to say, Ryan Seacrest will host. Fox executives told Entertainment Weekly that the season would be “a true season-long celebration”—which in Idol-speak most likely means a season-long retrospective montage.
