Hats off and multiple huzzahs to Jamal Roberts. I suspect more than a few of you might be thinking “who dat?”. I’ll give you a hint: he had a better Sunday than did Jamal Murray.
Roberts is the latest aspirational superstar to be crowned “American Idol”, having survived a climactic three-hour live showdown with fellow finalists John Foster and Breanna Nix which DEADLINE’s Armando Tinoco practically reported on in real time:
On the final night, the finalists performed one last time in front of the judges and the American public. John performed Toby Keith’s “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)” and John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads.” Jamal performed Teeks’ “First Time” and the Temptations’ “Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me).” Breanna performed Katy Nichole’s “In Jesus Name (God of Possible)” and Miley Cyrus’ “The Climb.”
The American Idol Season 23 finale also had special guest performers like Salt-N-Pepa, Good Charlotte, Kirk Franklin, Goo Goo Dolls, Brandon Lake, Jennifer Holliday, Jelly Roll, Myles Smith, PJ Morton, Patti LaBelle, Cody Johnson, The War and Treat, and Jessica Simpson.
American Idol judges Lionel Richie, Carrie Underwood, and Luke Bryan also performed throughout the night. The trio took the stage to perform together the song “Stuck on You,” which Richie wrote and originally recorded.
Roberts’ efforts and talents should not be diminished. To endure the gauntlet of auditions and challenges that a season-long series of elimination contests produces is no small feat, and he did get compensated nicely for it, as TV SHOWSACE’s Shawn Lealos reeducated his readers when the gauntlet was just beginning to get under way back in March:
(T)hey make $1,571 for a two-hour episode they appear on and $1,303 for a one-hour episode. If they are on a half-hour episode, they make $910. ..they also get $400 as a wardrobe allowance per episode. They get to keep the clothes.
The eventual winner doesn’t just get a record deal. They also win $125,000 and a $300,000 advance for the album, which is paid back in record sales. When they complete the album, they get another $100,000.
All in, that’s right up there with the kind of haul that a champion on, say, JEOPARDY! MASTERS can accumulate, and even in this economy that’s impressive. Not to mention the theoretical upside.
But if I mentioned the names Abi Carter, Iam Tongi, Noah Thompson and Chayce Beckham, it’s more likely than ever you’d be as deer-in-the-headlights with the mention of Roberts’. They happen to be the previous four AMERICAN IDOLs, and they’re not quite household names on the order of, say, Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson. Or even Trent Harmon or Jordin Sparks.
And for as impressive as Roberts’ earnings to date are, it pales in comparison to the level that the show’s earlier winners took home, as Lealos was quick to point out:
When Carrie Underwood won in 2005, she also took home a $1 million recording contract, a Ford Mustang, and the use of a private jet. This means the new winners get a quarter of what Underwood won in her season. Of course, Underwood was guaranteed to sell a ton of albums, and the music world has now changed with streaming services. And now as a judge, Underwood’s pocketing somewhere between $10 and $12.5 million more.
It’s certainly understandable that rewards have dropped given how much more precipitously the show has fallen ratings-wise from the levels that it achieved in its FOX life, peaking in the mid-oughts with regular 30 million-plus viewers for its season finales. If Season 23-to-date form holds, last night will likely land in the mid-5 million range, which will be the least-viewed IDOL finale in history. It’ll likely wind up just about flat on a full-season basis with Season 22, with a slightly more precipitous decline in adults 18-49, just about a 0.5 and under 1 million viewers in the show’s de facto target demo.
On today’s ABC, that does rank as the network’s top non-sports performer and given the diminished overall competition from CBS this week in the 8-11 PM hours it will likely win the night. But in relative terms to what’s going on elsewhere that’s akin to being admiral of the Nebraska navy.
Which may be why SCREENRANT’s Cheri Thompson lived up to her publication’s name by dropping this lament just as last night’s finale was about to kick off:
(I)t’s become clear that the finalists are disappointing after such a spectacular season of talented competitors. While American Idol season 23 has taken a lot of criticism for its newest judge, Carrie Underwood, throughout the season, there hasn’t been as much by way of criticism for the contestants. Though the contestants on American Idol this season have shown tremendous talent throughout the competition, those who made the finals may not be the best of the best from the larger Idol group. Although American Idol season 23’s had some of the best talent that the series has seen in years, the way the results have come to pass during the live shows hasn’t always been popular with fans. Something fundamental about the American Idol format and voting process needs to change in light of the finalists being a trio of artists most fans didn’t anticipate making it to the end of the competition. While Breanna Nix, Jamal Roberts, and John Foster all have talent, it’s clear that other contestants would’ve been better suited for the finale, especially at such a turning point.
That may be a familiar refrain to some of you, given we devoted a musing just about two years ago to the hue and cry about Tongi’s victory. I’m not quite sure what went down this year falls into the same category as what was essentially being alleged then–in essence, how IDOL had become “woke”. But given the demography that almost any show on broadcast TV reaches these days, it may just be that choices like JUST MY IMAGINATION versus IN JESUS’ NAME might resonate with a voting subset but not necessarily with the masses.
Thompson continued to rail through the balance of her piece, paying particular attention to Underwood:
(T)here’s been a growing sense of fan dissatisfaction, especially surrounding Carrie’s performance. Her consistent criticisms of certain contestants’ performances have been called into question, as she’s been appearing to criticize some contestants more than others. On top of her selective criticism, Carrie’s judging style has been called out for being underwhelming, which has been another point of contention for the season. While there have been some highlights to having Carrie in the mix, like her presence seemingly bringing in higher ratings, she’s proven to be quite a tough sell to some longtime American Idol viewers.
It may very well be that she is merely using the standard of performance she and her shows were held to given her history with the program. The hard fact is that even when one ignores anyone who may have been unearthed by the twice-yearly arcs of THE VOICE or any of the more marginal competitions Jamal Roberts is at the moment in the most optimistic merely the 23rd best singer in America we’ve found this century.
Thompson’s calling for format changes and refocusing. Maybe it’s time to borrow some elements from Eurovision, which has snuck into even American zeitgeist this spring as CNN’s Rob Picheta reported with fangs blazing last week:
Did you enjoy the papal conclave for its politicking, its gaudy hats and its general focus on peace and love, but think: “Instead of picking a pope, I wish these cardinals would step into some cheetah-skin body suits and gyrate suggestively on an exercise ball in a debasing appeal for my vote?” Eurovision is catty, competitive and eternally controversial. It’s ridiculous, as seasoned fans will attest. It’s also full of heart, and a showcase of jaw-plunging talent. And it’s long. It’s extremely long. Twenty-six countries will compete in a four-hour grand final.
Maybe we don’t need quite the level of controversy about voting alliances between rival nations, nor the arguable skew towards acts which Picheta would contend have outsized appeal to LGBTQ+, especially if the goal is to bring more eyeballs to IDOL. But perhaps it may be time for something like INTERNATIONAL IDOL which at least can raise the bar of performers, let alone broaden the voting pool. Sure, that would require a pivot to streaming. But as we’ve noted elsewhere something like Disney Plus could use a shot in the arm given the sunsetting of ANDOR. They should at least get first dibs. And since it’s ultimately Fremantle’s (and now, by association, Sony’s) football they can always open up such a format to others.
As my musing from 2023 detailed, I’ve been wrong about this show since the outset. I initially dismissed it as little more than a gimmicky expansion of what I saw as the holy grail of talent competitions, STAR SEARCH. I’m still picking the crow out of my teeth on that call. But hey, didja happen to see one of the lesser-hyped announcements that emerged from last week’s Netflix upfront presentation?. TREVOR DECKER NEWS sure did:
Netflix is bringing back one of television’s most iconic talent competitions with a fresh update for a new era. The streaming giant has announced plans for a live reboot of Star Search, the classic variety series that originally aired from 1983 to 1995 and helped launch the careers of some of today’s biggest names in entertainment. The updated version, simply titled Star Search, will be presented live on the platform. Each week, rising performers across music, dance, comedy, and kids’ acts will compete for the spotlight in what Netflix describes as a “supercharged” format. With eliminations and weekly performances, the new series aims to blend the nostalgia of the original with interactive elements and high-stakes drama designed to engage today’s audiences. Produced by Jesse Collins Entertainment — known for Rhythm + Flow, the Primetime Emmys, and the Super Bowl Halftime Show — the reboot promises big production values and a modern approach to talent discovery. Casting is now open to aspiring stars looking for their big break.
I’d be stunned if at least someone somewhere in Disney Streaming isn’t at least taking note of all of this. And if not them, someone perhaps at Amazon should be texting someone at IDOL reminding them that if their current sich isn’t optimal maybe they can all figure out a way to something more with the show than ABC is currently doing?
Feel free to take my suggestions into your discussions if you wish. It might turn out that I was merely too early rather than too late to suggest that STAR SEARCH was unbeatable. It would be a dern shame–and almost painfully ironic–if idling turned out to kill IDOL’s engines.
Until next time…