Though fans might have expected American Idol to be taking a longer hiatus in the midst of Hollywood's shutdown, given the reality series' reliance on live in-studio performances to win over the viewers and judges, the show must go on! American Idol will be testing out remote episodes with its next installment, but don't go thinking stars like Ryan Seacrest will be slumming it while at home. The longtime host actually found a way to bring in a stellar callback to Idol's original run on Fox.
Taking to Twitter as everything is getting set up and ready to go for the weekend broadcast, Ryan Seacrest scored some big Wow Factor points by revealing he'll be sitting at the original American Idol judge's table, which he'd taken home after Fox pulled the plug. Check out the video below!
For those who aren't able to watch the video, or couldn't check it out with audio, here's what Ryan Seacrest had to say:
So we’re rehearsing for American Idol, and this desk right there – we’re gonna do the show on Sunday for everyone to be able to vote – but this desk is the original desk that Randy, Paula and Simon had. So it was in my garage in storage, but I never thought we’d use it again. But it’s coming in handy for this Sunday.
As hyperbolic as it might sound, the original American Idol judge's table should probably be in some kind of TV museum at this point. It's one of the most popular unscripted series of all time, even if its current numbers are deep in the shadows of the peaks of the original Fox run. Even if it was only used in the early years solely by Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson, it would be a cherished piece of TV history, but let's not forget all the other judges who sat there during Idol's original run.
In any case, the American Idol desk will once again show up in the spotlight for the upcoming live episode. It's no coincidence, either, that the fanciful furniture will be utilized by the one O.G. Idol star to have transitioned from the Fox iteration to the current ABC version. Good on Ryan Seacrest for knowing when to hold on to keepsakes, even when the only place they can properly fit is the garage.
Now, who else thinks the set-up at Katy Perry's house is going to be one of the most watchable elements of the entire American Idol episode? In any case, I can't wait to see how well everything plays out, and am hopeful that all of the homebound hopefuls get a fair shot at sounding good enough for audiences. The show revealed that the current Top 20 will get cut down to the Top 10 for the May 3 episode, so a lot of talented people will be saying goodbye.
American Idol will more forward with Season 18 by airing "Top 20 Sing for America" on ABC on Sunday, April 26, at 8:00 p.m. ET. Though Idol isn't wrapping up just yet, there are several other shows ending soon that can be found in our TV finale rundown, and take note of all the big premieres on the way with our Summer 2020 TV schedule.
