Who will be the next American Idol?
The reality singing competition that helped launch the careers of Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson, Arizona's own Jordin Sparks, and Phillip Phillips, will make its re-debut on Sunday -- this time on ABC. You can watch the first auditions on Sunday at 7 p.m. on ABC15.
Photo gallery: Every "American Idol" winner from the first 15 seasons
Check out three reasons why you're going to want to watch:
NEW JUDGES
With a new season, comes a new trio of judges to help guide the singers through the competition.
Who will be the nice one? The pushover? Will someone take on the direct-and-blunt persona of Simon Cowell, one of the original judges when the show debuted in 2002?
We'll have to wait and see. Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie have all been tapped to helm the judges' desk.
"Personally, I’m a straight shooter,” Perry told People magazine in an article published March 8. “I’m very cut-and-dry sometimes."
Bryan told People that judging others is a bit "out of my comfort zone." On Good Morning America, he described Richie as the father figure.
.@LukeBryanOnline dishes on his fellow @AmericanIdol judges and says @LionelRichie "is like our dad" and reveals @katyperry "keeps snacks stashed" 🍿🥐 pic.twitter.com/rOj4jUDsv1
— Good Morning America (@GMA) March 6, 2018
CRAZY CONTESTANTS?
The first few episodes of American Idol will showcase the thousands of people who auditioned to be on the show. In years past, one of the show's staples has been the bad auditions. Off key. Lack of pitch. Eccentric personalities.
Will those make a comeback?
Producer Trish Kinane told reporters during the Television Critics Association press tour, according to the Hollywood Reporter, "[i]t doesn't feel comfortable to put borderline unstable people up on stage and laugh at them." That doesn't mean, however, a few eccentric or humorous auditions won't make the final cut.
ARIZONA GETS TO WATCH IT LIVE!
Well for three of the broadcasts anyway.
American Idol will air live coast-to-coast on at least three nights between April and May. That means no more having to avoid spoilers from the East Coast on Facebook and Twitter because you'll be able to watch the show when it counts -- right along with them!
The three live nights are Sunday, April 29, Sunday, May 6 and Sunday, May 13.
On those days, American Idol will air live on ABC15 from 5 p.m. - 7 p.m. ABC15 News will follow from 7 p.m. - 8 p.m., and again at 10 p.m.
Watch the American Idol premiere on Sunday, March 4 at 7 p.m. on ABC15.
