After American Idol, What? Simon Sez

With the hugely successful TV reality show American Idol moving to the grand finale of the seventh season, one wonders what else series creator Simon Fuller has on his mind now. Plenty, apparently, going by the shows he has lined up.

On the anvil is a new series for NBC, to be developed by 19 Entertainment. The series would help Fuller bring his music TV concept to audiences yet again. Besides, another series about the first year that former Dutch football international Ruud Gullit spent with the LA Galaxy is already done and sold to 32 international markets. The show would be broadcast on either Fox TV or ESPN later in the year.

Another pilot, for a real-time medical drama series that Fuller has developed is under consideration by the CW currently. This series, to be called Austin Golden Hour, would be a mix of the drama that ER brings to the screen and the edge-of-the-seat entertainment value that 24 provides. Another work in progress, to be aired on HBO later, is the American adaptation of the British series Little Britain.

Fuller is also open to doing shows for a specific client or for a cause or charity close to his heart. One such show, which is hugely popular, is the show Idol Gives Back, which 19 Entertainment says has been able to collect over $160 million. He has also used the success of 'Idol' to launch other shows like 'So You Think You Can Dance', which is currently into its fourth season, 'American Girl', and 'The Next Great American Band'.

However, when he first made the pitch for American Idol to the U.S. networks, all of them rejected it two times over initially, according to Jeff Frasco, Fuller’s agent at the Creative Artists Agency. It has since then gone on to become a phenomenal success right from its first season. It is currently one of the main reasons why Fox TV is spiraling up the ratings today.

On the night of Super Tuesday, when the presidential primaries happened, the show boasted of an audience of 27.8 million viewers. Over 33 million viewers tuned into the finals of the 2007 season, with the winner Jordin Sparks collecting more than 74 million votes. Today, American Idol is a global phenomenon, with a presence in over 100 territories worldwide.

The show has also been good news for the recording industry itself. A survey by Nielsen SoundScan shows that by partnering with Fuller’s 19 Recordings, Sony BMG has been able to reel off a number of albums by winners and finalists of American Idol, all of which have gone platinum plus.

Some Hearts by Carrie Underwood (6.4 million units), Daughtry by Chris Daughtry (4 million), Breakaway by Kelly Clarkson (4 million), Measure of a Man by Clay Aiken (2.8 million) and Free Yourself by Fantasia (1.8 million) are some of the albums, that the 19 Recordings-Sony BMG combo have churned out in the past.

Speaking about American Idol, Fremantle North America CEO Cecile Frot-Coutaz said, “The beauty of the show is it is truly the American dream. The recording companies are looking for a pop star and the viewers are looking for a pop star. Everything has been reinforced; everything was aligned. Some of that is great execution and very careful care and some of that is everything came together at the right moment.”

However, Fuller says that he is basically camera-shy himself. Ever since making his TV debut in 199 with the sitcom Miami 7, Fuller has come a long way and the man behind the phenomenon that is American Idol is here to stay.