‘American Idol’ Canceled By Fox, Will Get Final Season

American Idol will air its final season next year after being officially cancelled by Fox.

Fox Cancels American Idol

Fox announced on Monday that the singing competition would be coming to an end following a final 15th season to air in 2016. Current Idol judges Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban and Harry Connick Jr. will return to judge the final Idol season, to begin airing in January.

The revolutionary show that launched the careers of longtime host Ryan Seacrest, superstars Jennifer Hudson, Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood, among others, has been steadily declining in the ratings for years, since hitting a peak 36 million viewers in 2006. Adding to the poor ratings, on and off screen drama between judges (Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj famously feuded during Season 12) made the show even less appealing. According to reports, this season has seen Idol’s lowest viewership yet – 11.6 million viewers including DVR playback. While those ratings are impressive, American Idol is an increasingly expensive show to produce and Fox is on the hunt for higher numbers.

“You know, it wasn’t an easy decision. American Idol has been such a vital part of Fox for its run, and we spent a lot of time talking with producers about the future of American Idol and collectively we arrived at the conclusion that it was time to bring the show to an end. But we wanted to do it in a way that felt special and celebratory and treated the show the way it deserved to be treated,” said Fox Chairman and CEO Gary Newman.

The final season will honor seasons past, and CEOs Newman and Dana Walden mentioned the possible return of past judges and contestants. Many fans are hoping to see original judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson return to the Idol stage.

“Next year, it’s going to be a true season-long celebration. We’re already talking about surprises we can have for the fans to make it feel special and send it off [in a way] that makes it as significant as the run it’s had on our network,” Newman teased.

American Idol is currently nearing the end of its 14th season, and recently celebrated the return of Season 1 champion, and arguably one of the most successful and influential Idol alums, Kelly Clarkson.

American Idol isn’t the only Fox show getting the axe. Fan favorite, The Mindy Project was also canceled, as was The Following, Weird Loners and Backstrom.