America’s Got Talent is taking a breather before the live shows begin.
The NBC reality competition series concluded its auditions on Tuesday evening, and now it will be off the air for a while.
The reason?
NBC’s coverage of the Paris Olympics.
Instead of bouncing the series around the schedule, the series will take an extended hiatus until coverage is over.
New episodes will premiere on Tuesday, August 13, at 8/7c.
America’s Got Talent is headed for a shakeup
They will feature the competitors facing off in the live shows.
There’s another format revamp on the way, which will switch the series up like never before.
“For the first time ever in America’s Got Talent history, the Golden Buzzer is about to go live,” Crews revealed at the end of Tuesday’s episode.
“One more from each judge will send acts straight to the finals. This summer, anything can happen.”
It sounds very Julie Chen coded with what sounds like a nod to her famous “Expect the unexpected,” which we hear on Big Brother often.
Golden Buzzers are coming back in a big way
Giving the judges another Golden Buzzer each to send an act straight to the finals is a major twist, but it’s actually pretty good because many great acts don’t land as well with the viewing public, meaning their time on the show is cut short.
Giving them a fast track to the finale and additional time to garner fans is a great way to help these performers, who usually slip under the radar, reach more recognition.
The format shake-up could be a sign of things to come for the series because fans have revolted this season after believing that the show was a shell of its former self.
Longtime judge Howie Mandel recently expressed his desire for the judges to receive an additional Golden Buzzer during the auditions stage, which may become a thing next season.
The live Golden Buzzer came out of the left field, but it’s a smart way for NBC to promote a very different season during what is sure to be well-watched Olympics coverage.
Despite the downturn in viewership across broadcast networks, sporting events remain dominant forces, meaning they present the opportunity to expose struggling shows to bigger audiences through marketing.
America’s Got Talent is currently on hiatus. The series returns Tuesday, August 13, at 8/7c on NBC. Catch up on full episodes on Peacock.