LOS ANGELES 鈥� Network TV was supposed to have unplugged the jukebox by now.
Just a few years ago, the oversaturation of talent shows suggested the genre would soon go the way of vaudeville. The X Factor expired after just three seasons, and Fox cancelled American Idol, a show that had been so dominant for a decade that competitors nicknamed it the Death Star. Similar shows 鈥� Duets, Rock Star, Sing Your Face Off 鈥� lasted about as long as a Ramones song.
But the music just keeps playing. Fox has The Four: Battle for Stardom, in which seasoned veterans compete for seats on a sci-fi version of The Dating Game set. CBS is developing an entry of its own with Justin Bieber鈥檚 manager, Scooter Braun. And Idol will return in March, just two weeks after reigning champ The Voice begins its 14th season.
鈥淎s long as there鈥檚 music, this genre can continue to grow,鈥� said veteran starmaker Sean 鈥淒iddy鈥� Combs, who tries to prove he can be more brutal than Simon Cowell as the most high-profile judge on The Four.
The show tied Beat Shazam as the network鈥檚 most successful new unscripted show in three years. 鈥淚n a day and age when everyone is looking for something fresh, we are the new kids on the block, and we are coming with rambunctious, captivating, entertaining energy,鈥� Combs said.
American Idol returns from a two-year hiatus with the same host (Ryan Seacrest), but a different network (ABC instead of Fox).
鈥淚t鈥檚 like Procter & Gamble. Are you tired of soap? No one鈥檚 tired of soap,鈥� said Lionel Richie, who will share airtime with Katy Perry and Luke Bryan on the show鈥檚 all-star panel. 鈥淓very once in a while, you have to step back and refresh it, and it moves forward.鈥�
Some shows in the genre have never needed a timeout, though. America鈥檚 Got Talent has been the top-ranked summer show for its entire 12-season run. The Voice has never averaged fewer than
10 million viewers since its premi猫re in 2011.
鈥淧eople love watching and being part of the career,鈥� said original Idol winner Kelly Clarkson, who will join The Voice when it returns Feb. 26. 鈥淚t鈥檚 that cool moment when I鈥檓 in Target and a woman comes up to me and says: 鈥業鈥檝e been singing my entire life. I watched you and we鈥檙e so similar. I feel like I won that night.鈥� That鈥檚 a cool dream to be a part of.鈥�
Part of the genre鈥檚 appeal is its family-friendly nature, giving fans a chance to root for underdogs with a higher goal than hooking up with The Bachelor.
鈥淭hey鈥檒l feel all those dopamine things they need to feel good,鈥� Perry said. 鈥淭he biggest gift we supply is inspiration. Ten years ago, I was where they are. I had three labels drop me. I was couch-surfing. I was eating Trader Joe鈥檚 frozen chicken
nuggets every day of the week. And we have this ability to give them an incredible journey.鈥�
Tone-deaf contestants, once ridiculed in preliminary rounds of TV talent shows, are no longer a staple. The shows have grown up, just like their audiences.
鈥淎fter 15 years, it just doesn鈥檛 feel comfortable putting borderline unstable people up there and laughing at them,鈥� said Idol executive producer Trish Kinane.
鈥淥ne of the key things I feel about the show is that it shouldn鈥檛 feel manipulated,鈥� she said. 鈥淚n the past, people thought the judges saw everybody, thousands and thousands of people. Now they know there鈥檚 a line before that where the producers sit. We don鈥檛 want them to think producers picked them just for a laugh.鈥�
Putting the emphasis on truly gifted performers gives these shows a stronger shot at producing stars, even though you still might not be able to name a single winner of The Voice.
For the record, the Season 12 champ was Chris Blue and he鈥檚 doing just fine. His first post-TV single, Blue Blood Blues, hit No. 3 on the R&B chart last month, and he鈥檚 now managed by Alicia Keys.
鈥淚ron sharpens iron,鈥� Blue said. 鈥淚 knew if I wanted to be excellent, I had to be around excellent people, and 鈥橳he Voice鈥� did that for me. It wasn鈥檛 about winning a show. It was about winning in life.鈥�
Even a slight boost is welcome these days in a music industry that is struggling to make headway as fans turn to streaming services. Network TV sees reality shows as a way of reaching a broad audience, but artists may need them even more.
鈥淟et鈥檚 face it: In all forms of entertainment, the way we get paid has taken a hit,鈥� Bryan said. 鈥淲hen the music industry has a star born on TV 鈥� when it lands in their lap 鈥� it鈥檚 a win for the label and its ability to promote its artists. What a kick-start.
鈥淚 remember when I got my record deal, 鈥橝merican Idol鈥� was already going. I was like, 鈥橤osh, it would have pretty awesome to have had the opportunity to try out and start on that platform.鈥�?鈥�
It鈥檚 unlikely we鈥檒l return to the days when 鈥淚dol鈥� drew a Super Bowl-sized audience. But creating the next Kelly Clarkson 鈥� or even a Scotty McCreery 鈥� would certainly offer the genre more stability, especially with the competition between these shows heating up.
In some ways, this is a great time for network TV to develop stars.
鈥淭hese days, it鈥檚 so hard to stand out,鈥� Perry said. 鈥淵ou have to, like, light yourself on fire on Instagram while singing. And even then, you might not get enough hits 1/8from online listeners3/8 to make sure a song really sticks. So maybe it has come full circle. Maybe this launching pad will give an advantage to those that need the spotlight.鈥�
Whether these shows exist or not, 鈥渢here鈥檚 new talent that comes out every day and new talent that grows,鈥� said celebrated producer DJ Khaled, a judge on 鈥淭he Four.鈥�
鈥淢usic is forever. You can鈥檛 stop that.鈥�
听
