Don't expect 'rebirth' of 'American Idol', says Fox chief

Season 13 premiered to the series’ lowest rating ever in the United States. 

(From left) Judges Keith Urban and Jennifer Lopez, host Ryan Seacrest and judge Harry Connick Jr arrive at the premiere of ‘American Idol XIII’ at UCLA’s Royce Hall in Los Angeles, California

CHASE Carey had a blunt message for Wall Street – American Idol is fading and it may never recapture its glory days.

The 21st Century Fox chief operating officer told analysts on Thursday that the decision to bring back Jennifer Lopez as a judge and add Harry Connick Jr to the mix had resulted in a show that was “much better than it was a year ago”, but one that is also showing its age. (The third is returning judge Keith Urban.)

“(American Idol) is not a show that drives the whole network in the way it did in years past,” Carey said.

The Fox musical competition series has been on the air for 13 seasons, but it is no longer a franchise that transcends its medium. On Jan 15, it premiered to its weakest TV rating ever and has lost a portion of its audience.

It continues to be a strong series despite the declines, Carey argued, and said he hopes the show continues on for more seasons. He simply cautioned not to expect “a rebirth” for either American Idol or ratings-plagued The X-Factor.

“Ratings for American Idol and X-Factor fell faster than we’d hoped,” Carey said, noting that in the future the shows will be “... part of a broader, diversified line-up.”

Among the programmes he credited with picking up the slack were Sleep Hollow and Brooklyn Nine Nine, although he noted that the next ratings juggernaut has yet to be discovered.

“We’re going to try to find and build that next hit franchise ... we expect to be aggressive,” Carey said