FOX Plots New Singing Competition After Losing ‘American Idol’
American Idol moving to ABC is bound to leave FOX a little green, and they might even spend a little in retaliation. FOX is apparently working on a brand-new singing competition to rival Idol and The Voice with a unique format.
According to Variety, FOX is partnering with Israeli producer and distributor Armoza Formats to develop a new series, the development of which sped up once ABC finalized its deal to revive American Idol. There’s no series order in place just yet, but here’s how the project is described:
The Armoza project is a variation on classic shiny-floor singing competitions, one in which the show’s four finalists are selected in the premiere episode. New contestants then challenge the finalists each week to steal one of the four slots. The winner is named in the season finale.
The new series has been marketed internationally under the title The Final Four, though that would naturally change stateside to avoid confusion with the basketball bracket. It’s plausible that FOX could accelerate development and premiere ahead of Idol’s spring 2018 return, which itself already features buzzy names like Katy Perry as judge.
NBC too has Idol alum Kelly Clarkson and Jennifer Hudson lined up for The Voice, so will FOX manage to steal a bit of the limelight back with a new series?