'America's Got Talent': Who won, how it finds success during the summer
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Molly Driscoll Staff writer
Singer Grace VanderWaal took the title of 鈥淎merica鈥檚 Got Talent鈥� winner on the recent season finale of the program. Meanwhile, the show itself continues to be a summer success by embracing a TV trend.
Ms. VanderWaal, who sang for her skill on the show, was declared the winner in a Sept. 14 finale. Other competitors on this season of the program include Jon Dorenbos, who performed magic tricks.聽
The show aired its 11th season this year on NBC. Judges on the program include Simon Cowell, formerly of 鈥淎merican Idol,鈥� as well as Howie Mandel, Spice Girls singer Mel B, and Heidi Klum of 鈥淧roject Runway.鈥澛�
鈥淭alent鈥� was a ratings success during the warm days of summer, with the program coming in again as the highest-rated show of the season.
The TV calendar is changing in many ways. The fall-to-spring broadcast season is mostly being eschewed by cable networks and streaming services, who premiere high-profile programming at any time of the year. (For example, Netflix鈥檚 鈥淥range Is the New Black鈥� has debuted during the summer in the past and HBO鈥檚 鈥淕ame of Thrones鈥� usually runs into the summer after premiering during the spring).
Yet airing reality shows during the summer has been a staple for broadcast networks over the past years, with noting in 2014 that reality programming like CBS鈥檚 鈥淏ig Brother鈥� and 鈥淎merica鈥檚 Got Talent鈥� were particularly popular that summer.聽
Future successes 鈥淎merican Idol鈥� and 鈥淒ancing With the Stars鈥� both started out as summer programs before their respective networks switched them to the fall-to-spring schedule.
By camping out in the summer (鈥淭alent鈥� has aired during the summer for all of its 11 seasons), 鈥淭alent鈥� has apparently hit on a winning ratings strategy.聽
鈥溾�橝GT鈥� has been a summer ratings leader for years,鈥� writes, while notes that 鈥淭alent鈥� airing during the summer is a staple of programming now. Perhaps the familiarity is part of what makes viewers return again and again.聽
鈥淭he return of 鈥楢merica鈥檚 Got Talent鈥� to television screens, along with a liberal dose of reality shows and reruns, are just as reliable as thermometers,鈥� AP staff writes.
