‘American Idol’ bosses plan to "push technology to the limits" in order to broadcast the full season.
Production has been halted on the talent show due to the coronavirus pandemic, with ABC airing the audition episodes once a week instead of across one, meaning there would be more time before the live shows, which were originally due to begin on 6 April.
Host Ryan Seacrest has promised the full season will still "make it to air" but producers are still trying to figure out how to execute the live episodes with viewer voting.
Speaking to TMZ Live from his New York home, he said: "I’ve been doing the ‘American Idol’ episodes.
"We have shot the auditions and we put what we call voiceover tracks onto those shows and I’ve been doing those voiceover tracks from home as well.
"So in terms of our productions and our programming, all is still making it to air.
"With safety being the priority, that is number one, we do want to deliver all of this season. We want to put on these performance episodes.
"We want to put on the episodes that allow America to vote for their favourites to get to an ‘American Idol’ winner this season. So, how are we going to do that?
"We haven’t fully decided. I think we see the obvious ways that people are using technology now on the air and on social media.
"I think we’re trying to push the limits of technology and explore any sort of technology that might be available to us to deliver the performance, to deliver the judges comments.
"And to deliver America being able to vote so we can make it through the entire season."
And though it may be a challenge to bring the competition – which is judged by Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan – to air, the 45-year-old presenter is confident the team can pull it off.
He added: "I’m very hopeful we can do that actually."
American Idol plan to air full season
