Season 1 Rewind

Monday, January 07, 2008

Simon Fuller created the reality series Pop Idol in 2001 for ITV in Britain, and the rest is history. The series quickly became a mega-hit and was franchised out around the world. Fuller himself took the reins of the US-incarnation American Idol with fellow Brit Nigel Lythgoe in the Summer of 2002, bringing over Pop Idol judge and heretofore unknown commodity Simon Cowell with him. Randy Jackson, record producer and bass player who'd performed with Bon Jovi and Journey (among others) was brought in as a judge, as was former Laker Girl and late eighties/early nineties pop star Paula Abdul. Ryan Seacrest, an up and coming Radio DJ, previously best known as the host of various crappy game shows, was given the job as lead host. Comedian Brian Dunkleman was hired on as Seacrest's co-host, though the partnership would not last – season one was Dunkleman's last. American Idol made its debut on June 11, 2001 without much fanfare, receiving less than 10 million viewers in its first episode. Little did those first audiences know that what appeared to be just a souped-up and exhaustively covered talent show would soon become the most popular and profitable television series this country has ever known.

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