‘American Idol’ returns with big plans, deals

More evidence of the power of “American Idol” is the stunning “Dreamgirls” film debut of Jennifer Hudson, a 2004 also-ran (to winner Fantasia Barrino) who’s up for a Golden Globe and considered a potential Oscar nominee.

That’s alongside the best-selling CDs and singles churned out by past winners including Underwood and Kelly Clarkson, and the awards they’ve collected that include Grammy and Country Music Association trophies.

All this from a show that the American division of FremantleMedia (the production arm of media conglomerate Bertelsmann AG’s RTL Group) went into “quietly and cautiously optimistic” despite the format’s success in the United Kingdom and elsewhere, Frot-Coutaz said.

“Music hadn’t worked on American TV for a while, so I think we filled a gap,” she said.

And connected with the future. In an interactive, consumer-driven age that prompted Time magazine to declare “You” its person of the year 2006, “American Idol” can claim it had the zeitgeist down cold when it debuted in 2002.

“America’s choosing the idol,” said analyst Shari Anne Brill of ad-buying firm Carat USA. Viewers “have a real way of participating, as opposed to being armchair athletes.”

Frot-Coutaz cites a number of other factors in the show’s popularity, including the chemistry of judges Jackson, Abdul and the acerbic Simon Cowell and the once-yearly run that keeps the program eagerly awaited.

Then there’s the mission.

“You’re really impacting somebody’s life,” said the executive. “The show’s genuinely looking for superstar contestants who really want to be pop stars. It’s not a fake-ish competition just for TV. The show delivers entertainment, but there is a very serious aim to it.”

The “Idol” franchise, which originated with Britain’s “Pop Idol,” represents more than a hit TV series seen worldwide and reproduced in more than 30 international versions. It’s also part of a merchandising empire that may be poised for a leap.

According to Advertising Age magazine, FremantleMedia has deals set or is in negotiations for new products including a theme-park attraction and cell-phone downloads of show performances. Items already sold include clothing, books, toys and an “Idol”-themed Barbie doll, with a Monopoly game coming this season.

The magazine report is a “bit premature” in what it outlined, “but there’s a lot of things in the works,” said Frot-Coutaz. “Some happen, some don’t; it just depends.”

As the sixth season begins, she said, “we’re feeling more confident about our ability to go out and really turn this into a bigger brand than just a TV show. It takes a few years before you can get to” that point.

Abdul — strongly identified with the show, along the other judges who whittle down the initial field of contestants, and host Ryan Seacrest — gives the reported plans a qualified endorsement.

“As long as the taste level and structure is classy, edgy and exemplifies what we do, I’m all for it. You can’t deny the magnitude of this show. But just for them to make money and not care about integrity is ridiculous,” she said.

As for the bulwark of it all, “American Idol” itself, the horizon is limitless if the program does its job right, according to Jackson.

“I think there’s an abundance of talent in America. ... I think the show can continue to be successful as long as we go out and find great talent,” he said.

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