Simon Cowell was a ratings force to be reckoned with when he first hit U.S. TV for the debut of American Idol, and his return to this side of the pond as a host for the latest season of America's Got Talent was met with a somewhat similar response, making it the show's most successful season yet. And it sounds like the objectivity-fueled Cowell couldn't have been more pleased with the new gig. He said this about why he loves it so much.
You never get bored. Sometimes, when you've got singer after singer, it can get a little bit monotonous depending on who you have that particular season. With this show -- particularly the new edition -- literally, a box can walk on and you're thinking, 'What's in the box?' I haven't got a clue who's auditioning. They never tell us. It reminds you of being a kid again. It's sort of fun, magical, weird, but all the things I like.
Man, just hearing Simon Cowell describe it that way makes me want to go back in time to alter my path so that I could one day become a judge on America's Got Talent. Who doesn't want to experience fun, magical and weird situations as a regular requirement of a job? It's like being a really well-paid teacher who only has to worry about Show and Tell, and none of the students are dipshits. They're just...different.
I am fully in understanding the appreciation of having a job that allows for such a random string of entertainers to cross one's path. And America's Got Talent also accounts for listening to the best amateur singers out there - with the angel-voiced Grace Vanderwaal getting the most recent crown - so that makes it automatically equal-to-better in comparison with American Idol. I have a calculator that helps me with such things.
Simon Cowell partly credits the success of America's Got Talent to the show being one that can not only be watched by an entire family, but one in which everyone within a family can find someone to get behind, according to THR. And it has indeed been enjoyed by TV audiences of all ages. The reality competition brought in ratings as big as its seen in years, particularly in its final episodes, even though the TV sub-genre has not been all that viewer-friendly in recent years. Even American Idol, which Cowell returned to for its finale, couldn't outlast drooping ratings.
America's Got Talent has already been renewed for Season 12, thankfully, so there's no worrying there. While it's not absolutely certain whether or not Simon Cowell return to the judges' table next year, his positive vibes seemingly imply it's more likely than not. As one of the co-creators of America's Got Talent, Cowell does have a bigger stake in it than just as a critic, so hopefully the big ratings will be enough to convince him to stick around for another batch of jugglers, singers and magicians.
For all the talented people you can watch for the rest of the year, our fall TV schedule is here to help you out.
