Forget Hollywood. “American Idol” is heading to Georgia, dawg.
In news that felt all too depressingly common in production-starved Los Angeles, word emerged Tuesday that “American Idol” — which has been broadcast live from Los Angeles since it originated in 2002 — would move production to Georgia.
ABC, as well as producers Fremantle and 19 Entertainment (via owner Sony Pictures TV), didn’t respond to requests for comment about the news. But it makes “American Idol” the latest studio-based reality competition series to pull up stakes and leave Los Angeles in search of tax incentives and lower costs.
Fox’s “The Masked Singer,” for example, has moved to New Jersey, having most recently shot on the Fox lot in Century City. Also, ABC’s “Shark Tank,” which had been produced on the Sony lot in Culver City, has moved to Atlanta, as has Fox’s “Lego Masters,” formerly shot in Van Nuys. And game shows like “Family Feud” and “Celebrity Family Feud” have also relocated to the Atlanta area.
The loss of more reality and game series production in California comes even as the state’s film and television tax credit program has expanded to include unscripted fare. But there’s a catch: Those competition shows must have a budget of more than $1 million per episode. That makes it difficult to qualify, even for major shows like “American Idol.”
The California incentives still don’t include docuseries, talk shows or game shows. States like New Jersey and Georgia, on the other hand, don’t limit their incentives. Georgia’s tax incentives require a total production spend of $500,000, making it more attractive for shows like “American Idol.”
“Reality and unscripted television remain excluded (with the exception of competition shows), despite being one of California’s most productive, scalable, and culturally influential sectors. At a time when producers are navigating shrinking license fees, shorter episode orders, and tighter margins, the ongoing omission of this entire category raises real questions about the long-term viability of keeping these productions in-state,” Weinstein Senior owner Todd Weinstein, Esq., wrote in a post on LinkedIn last year.
Reality television has been a foundational part of California’s production economy for decades,” he added. “These shows generate thousands of jobs, support local vendors, keep post facilities running, and increasingly require the same physical infrastructure as scripted content. They might look different with faster schedules, leaner teams, and alternative storytelling structures but they are no less real in terms of economic impact. Still, they continue to sit outside the framework of the tax credit.”
“American Idol” was broadcast from Television City in the Fairfax district for most of its run; it later shifted to Red Studios Hollywood.
Deadline was first with the news about “American Idol’s” move to Georgia.