1. American Idol (2002-present)
The long-running singing competition show, American Idol, appears to be a 21st century variation on the American Dream, down to the "American" part of its title. At first glance, the show's concept is incredibly democratic and spiritually Americaninvite the American populace to vote for the next big music star from the scores of up-and-coming unknowns. Many American Idol alumniwinners and runner-upshave gone on to great success, like Kelly Clarkson, Clay Aiken, Jennifer Hudson, Jordin Sparks, and Taylor Hicks. There are international versions of "Idol" and rival shows like The X Factor and The Voice propping up to challenge American Idol's television dominance. The show's unprecedented successachieving the number 1 ratings slot for eight consecutive seasonshas led to international versions of "Idol" and a slew of shows vying to copy its format, like The X Factor and The Voice. American Idol, however, is not the first show of this genre. The grandfather of the singing reality show genre is actually a 2001 British program called Pop Idol. It would be pointless to make comparisons between Pop Idol and American Idol because they are essentially the same show, with the added bonus of sharing the same judge, Simon Cowell. The hosts, however, are the one main difference between the shows. Pop Idol was hosted by a comedy duo called Ant & Dec (real names Anthony McParlin and Declan Donnelly, respectfully) and they made commentary on the audition and show process, made fun of the bad singers, and cheered on the talented ones. American Idol originally had two hosts for its first seasonradio personality Ryan Seacrest and comedian Brian Dunklemanand they did the same things as Ant & Dec, In fact, American Idol frequently referenced its British predecessor throughout its first season, until it could stand on its own. By the first season's end, however Bunkleman quit the show, and Ryan Seacrest became the sole host and face of American Idol.
With American Idol lasting over a decade and counting (along with eight consecutive seasons as the number one show in America), you would assume Pop Idol would have the same longevity as its successor. Unfortunately, Pop Idol only lasted for two seasons, from 2001 to 2003, though it was never officially canceled (just put on an "indefinite hiatus" by its home channel, ITV). Still, American Idol owes a great deal to Pop Idol, because without that show, the staple of 21st century television would have never existed. Conclusion: So what do you think of my choices? Were you as surprised as I was? Did I did forget some shows? Let's continue this conversation in the comments section. I am always open to other people's thoughts.