American Idol fans prepared to wait a lifetime for a moment like this can now heave a sigh of relief: The reality show has reportedly made a deal to return to TV, according to Variety. The outlet reports that the singing competition will not be revived at its original home at Fox, but by ABC, though the deal has not yet been closed. American Idol has been off the air for just over a year, with its finale airing last April, though there are several reasons its return makes a surprising amount of sense. If ABC’s tentative deal does hold, there remain a number of details to work out. For one, it’s unclear whether host Ryan Seacrest, a figure of stability as the show rotated judges, could return, given his recent move to New York for Live With Kelly And Ryan!. There’s also the question of judges, with Kelly Clarkson being named as one possibility. An official announcement from ABC is considered likely to occur in a couple of weeks at the network’s upfront presentation, so the time to get singing into that hairbrush is now.
Update May 9: Dim the lights … here we go. ABC has confirmed that it is indeed resurrecting American Idol on its network after the show had been off the air for just a year. The news was announced on Good Morning America on Tuesday morning, with no further details about the revival’s judges or who will host. But if anyone knows how to make room in their schedule, it’s ABC’s newest family member Ryan Seacrest.