Although FOX has yet to confirm, The Hollywood Reporter says that this season, the final season, of American Idol, will be four weeks shorter than last year.
THR reports that Trish Kinane, who shares showrunning duties with Fox executive vp David Hill, acknowledges, “The storytelling works better in [fewer] weeks.” The problem, surmises Kinane, is that during its heyday, “Idol was so successful [that the season] got too extended too much. There are only so many hours that viewers will devote to watching these shows, so if it is shorter this year, it will be a good thing.”
Despite the declining ratings, American Idol‘s numbers are still good, when compared to other non-scripted entertainment. I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if we see a re-boot at some point.
