‘American Idol’ Moves Production From Los Angeles to Georgia
Los Angeles has long been the place where television dreams come to life, but lately, some of those dreams have been packing their bags. One of the biggest music competition…
Los Angeles has long been the place where television dreams come to life, but lately, some of those dreams have been packing their bags.
One of the biggest music competition shows on television is the latest production to leave the city. According to Deadline, American Idol is moving production from Los Angeles to the Atlanta area in Georgia for its upcoming 25th season.
Fremantle, which produces the ABC series with Sony Pictures Television-backed 19 Entertainment, confirmed the move to Deadline. The upcoming season is scheduled to premiere in the new year.
The move is another blow to Los Angeles, where reality TV production has been declining over the past five years. It also comes as another major unscripted series, The Masked Singer, is leaving the city within the same twelve-month period.
Georgia Gets Another Big Production
According to Deadline, Fremantle is in final talks with a studio complex in the Atlanta area, although the deal has not yet been signed.
Georgia has become one of the biggest production locations in the United States outside Los Angeles and New York. The state has hosted major Marvel projects, including Captain America: Brave New World and Wandavision, along with unscripted shows such as Fox’s The 1% Club and ABC’s Press Your Luck, hosted by Elizabeth Banks.
Now, American Idol is joining that growing list.
The move is especially significant because Idol is one of television’s most recognizable music competition shows. For years, Hollywood has been the backdrop for the series, making the decision to relocate production another sign of how much the television business has changed.
California Tried to Bring Unscripted Shows Back
California has been trying to make the state more attractive to television productions.
Last year, California expanded its film and television tax credit after state legislators passed AB 1138. For the first time, the expanded system included tax credits for certain unscripted productions.
There was a catch, though.
Only “large-scale competition shows” with a minimum budget of $1M per episode were eligible.
On paper, American Idol appeared to fit those requirements. However, Deadline reported that the show did not qualify for the California tax credit.
The publication also reported that a number of other shows have failed to qualify. That has frustrated producers, particularly because the bill does not allow credits for “traditional reality, game shows, talk shows, or docufollow television programming”.
That leaves California in a tricky position. The state expanded its tax incentives to attract more unscripted productions, but some producers say the rules still leave out many of the shows that could benefit from them.
And now, American Idol is headed to Georgia.
Idol Has Already Been Changing Things Up
The move is the latest change for American Idol, which was renewed for Season 25, its tenth season on ABC, in July.
The show has also been experimenting with its format.
Last season, Idol introduced social voting for the first time, giving viewers another way to participate in the competition. Hollywood Week also moved to Nashville, Tennessee, while the series switched its premiere night from Sunday to Monday.
The show also began streaming live on Disney+, giving fans another way to watch contestants compete in real time.
So, while the upcoming move to Georgia is a major change, Idol has already been testing new ways to keep things fresh.
The most recent season of the Ryan Seacrest-hosted series featured Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie and Carrie Underwood as judges. According to Deadline, the trio is expected to return for Season 25, although their deals are still being worked out.
Megan Michaels Wolflick serves as showrunner.
For Los Angeles, however, the biggest question is what happens next.
With major productions such as American Idol and The Masked Singer leaving the city, the competition for television jobs and production dollars is getting tougher. California may have expanded its tax credit system, but producers' concerns about which shows actually qualify could continue to shape where television gets made.
And for American Idol, the next round of auditions, performances and hopeful singers will have a new Hollywood backdrop. This time, the spotlight is heading south.
