What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
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T10 WHATS UP! February 14 - 20, 2021 ries. This past August, the vir- tual "Idol Across America" tour kicked off using innovative, custom-built Zoom technology that allowed producers to con- duct live remote auditions in every corner of the country. The unique audition process likely leveled the playing field even further for hopeful sing- ers who might not have had the means to travel to one of the audition cities in previous sea- sons. Even better, aspiring sing- ers had the flexibility to choose from a variety of dates as the virtual auditions meant they could log in to any of the audi- tion sessions. Things may look a bit differ- ent this season, but the heart of the series remains the same as viewers meet and get to know gifted vocalists chasing their dreams. That kind of program- ming has the potential to pro- vide hope for those struggling to find the positive in a some- times bleak situation. "At times like these, it is more important than ever to give fam- ilies wholesome entertainment, packed full of hope, talent and inspiration — where dreams come true," executive producer Eli Holzman said in an official news release. "And that is what 'American Idol' is all about." Although the virtual tour was an innovative solution to find- ing this season's contestants, the new season of "American Idol" is set to forge ahead with some in-person interaction in contrast to the end of last sea- son, which had to be finished remotely for safety reasons. This time around, the show has made some adjustments so that everyone can remain safe as they adhere to local, state, in- dustry and union guidelines. The health and safety protocols were firmly in place when con- testants who made it past the first phase of auditions traveled to California in October to per- form for judges Perry, Richie and Bryan, along with Seacrest. Gone is the iconic long "Ameri- can Idol" judges table; it has now been replaced by separate tables for each judge. Of course, talent search pro- grams have been around for ages, but "American Idol" took the genre to a whole new level by honing in on young singers from all walks of life. Based on the British series "Pop Idol," the show first premiered in June 2002 on Fox, where it stayed until April 2016. It re- mained on hiatus until March 2018, when it was revived on ABC. The intense singing com- petition series has garnered a reputation for creating stars, kicking off the careers of such celebrities as Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Jordin Sparks and Ruben Studdard. Now, hope is on the horizon for a whole new batch of con- testants. Watch as hopeful young singers pursue their dreams in the Season 19 pre- miere of "American Idol," air- ing Sunday, Feb. 14, on ABC. Ryan Seacrest hosts "American Idol" continued from page T2 For the love of music: 'American Idol' returns on Valentine's Day TV FEATURE Celebrations 5 x 5