'American Idol' Renewed for Second Season on ABC

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The long-running show is in its second season on ABC and will return with its judges next season.

American Idol will return for its second season on ABC as the series continues its nationwide search to discover new singing talent.

ABC announced the news on Friday and confirmed that Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie will return as judges and Ryan Seacrest will return to host the show.

“I am thrilled that Katy, Luke, Lionel and Ryan will be back to once again embark on this Idol journey with us to discover the next crop of inspiring talent,” said Channing Dungey, president, ABC Entertainment, in a statement to ET.

The series began in 2002 on Fox and ran for 15 seasons, before being revived on ABC for its current season. The series had been losing viewers since its high in season five, with particularly steep drops in its final few seasons on Fox.

ABC's first season has already seen major changes, including who is judging the competition. The show also did away with the cringeworthy bad auditions that dominated early episodes of past seasons. 

"We want the humor, but we don’t want the exploitation," series executive producer Trish Kinane said as this season ramped up.

For more on the judges on the first season of American Idol on ABC, watch the video below.

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