‘American Idol’ will return, but this time on ABC

Apparently, you can’t keep a good singing competition down.

Ending days of rumors and speculation, ABC announced Monday morning on “Good Morning America� that it has struck a deal to bring “American Idol� back for the 2017-18 season, which is not far removed from the end of its 15-season run on Fox last year.

“’American Idol’ is a pop-culture staple that left the air too soon,� said ABC Entertainment president Channing Dungey. “We are thrilled viewers will once again share in these inspiring stories of people realizing their dreams.�

“American Idol� premiered on Fox in 2002 and grew to become a ratings machine for the network, which rode its popularity to a No. 1 ranking among viewers aged 18 to 49. At the height of its popularity, the series dominated television with an average of roughly 30 million viewers a week, earning the nickname “the Death Star� from rival programmers. The show also made household names of contestants such as Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson and Clay Aiken and served as a career launching pad for many others, including Katharine McPhee, Fantasia Barrino and Lauren Alaina.

But in its later years, “Idol� winners and contestants made less of an impression on the pop music landscape, and in its final season in 2016 the show had dipped to drawing, on average, just over 9 million viewers per episode.

While that constitutes a steep drop by “American Idol� standards, those numbers aren’t far from the top among ABC’s current lineup. On Monday, the network’s unscripted hit “Dancing With the Stars� earned 9.9 million viewers, enough to be the most viewed show of the night.

Still unclear is who will else will be on hand for a reboot. Longtime host Ryan Seacrest recently joined the ABC fold with his new morning gig on “Live With Kelly and Ryan,� which is produced in New York. (“Idol� was primarily filmed in Los Angeles.) But when asked by co-host Kelly Ripa — an “Idol� superfan — he sounded uncertain of his ability to juggle his new duties as well as his morning radio show with “Idol.� “Do you know the preparation I have to do for this show [‘Live’] every night?� Seacrest said.

Equally uncertain is who will sit at the judges’ table, which in seasons past included Simon Cowell — who is likely not an option since he currently toils for NBC on “America’s Got Talent� — Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and, in its final year, Keith Urban, Jennifer Lopez and Harry Connick Jr.

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