EP 001 - Idol America

Idol Memories with Nigel Lythgoe

In the premiere episode of Idol Memories, American Idol Executive Producer, Nigel Lythgoe, reminisces about his decision to bring the UK’s Pop Idol across the pond to America and the chaos that ensued. From naming the show to building the judging panel, every decision had to be perfect to allow this reality television competition show to take off, and with the perfect personalities in place - it did! As successful as it was, there were times, like during the initial auditions, where it seemed they wouldn’t be able to find the right talent. It even looked as though they were going to lose a judge before live shows even started, but it all worked out for the best as American Idol went on to become America’s iconic eight-time Emmy-winning performance show that started a reality TV boom!
ABOUT THIS EPISODE'S GUESTS:
Ken Warwick is a British television executive producer and director, most noted for producing the reality television series American Idol, and Pop Idol. In this episode he joins Nigel Lythgoe to reminisce about transforming Pop Idol into a show for American audiences and convincing Simon Cowell to join the show.
Justin Guarini, American Idol Season 1 finalist and runner-up, joins Nigel as they look back on his first audition.