America's Got Talent Almost Didn't Air? Simon Cowell Explains Why
America's Got Talent (AGT) is one of the longest-running reality shows in television history. It became a stage where people from around the world could showcase their unique and sometimes unbelievable talents. Now, the show has kicked off its 20th season on NBC from May 27. But did you know it almost didn't make it to television at all?
In a conversation with People to mark the show's milestone, Simon Cowell, who created and launched the show in 2006 and is also one of its judges, shared how AGT was close to being shelved before it even began. 'It was a very difficult show to sell actually, to be honest with you. Because we made a pilot and the pilot was dreadful, I mean really, really bad. So, it was dead," Cowell admitted.
At the time, NBC called Cowell to ask about the new show. He had only seven minutes of footage which he described as 'just about watchable." Still, he took a chance. 'They called me and they said, 'What's this new show like?' And I went, 'Oh, it's brilliant.'" When they asked to see it, he invited them over.
'I just showed two minutes or three minutes of this show. And they loved it. They bought it. And that was it," Cowell said. He added, 'If they hadn't made that call or come to my house that day, we wouldn't be having this conversation today because the show, honestly, it was over."
Since its debut in 2006, AGT has grown into a global brand. NBC went on to produce 20 seasons in the US while several spin-offs were launched in different parts of the world.
For Cowell, AGT was more than just another show, it was something he had dreamt of for years. Growing up in the UK, he used to watch early versions of talent competitions.
After being a judge on American Idol in the early 2000s, Cowell started thinking about something bigger. He enjoyed the experience but felt there could be a show that featured not just singers but all kinds of performers.
'It was a light bulb moment… and it evolved into what it is now," he said of AGT. Since then, AGT has gone through many changes. Golden Buzzers were introduced, and social media became a key part of the show. Most recently, season 20 will focus more on what happens behind the scenes.
'I've seen this sort of evolution over the years of how things have just gotten bigger and better, more creative. And that is a really, really good feeling when you see that. We always say it is the best job in the world doing this," Cowell said.
America's Got Talent Season 20 airs every Tuesday at 8 PM ET/PT on NBC.
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