This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
I am not convinced that tonight's episode of "American Idol" (7 p.m., Fox/Ch. 13) will be the last.
Oh, the show has been canceled. The audience is but a fraction of what it once was, and it's gone from being a pop-culture phenomenon to most people saying, "Is that still on?"
Can you name the two finalists? I had to look it up myself. They are Trent Harmon and La'Porsha Renae, and the most interesting thing about them is that they're both from Mississippi.
They will sing again tonight, and one of them will be chosen to be the 14th and, for now, final "American Idol."
Also scheduled to perform are judges Jennifer Lopez, Harry Connick Jr. and Keith Urban. The first "American Idol," Kelly Clarkson, will return and perform, too.
And "Idol" alumni Carrie Underwood and Fantasia (who won) along with Chris Daughtry and Jennifer Hudson (who did not) are slated to attend.
There will be tears shed and much emotion over a show that once towered over television and now is just another talent competition. A not particularly popular one at that.
But that doesn't necessarily mean we'll never see "American Idol" again. Television does tend to go back to the future a lot, with remakes and reboots abounding.
"You never know with a format like this that can work at any time," said Lopez. "It's possible."
And host Ryan Seacrest agreed, answering a question about whether this is really the end of the show, "I'm not so sure."
And while Connick equivocated about returning to the show at some point, Urban did not.
"I'd do it," he said.
And Lopez didn't rule it out.
"Hypothetically, if that happened, I mean, 'American Idol' has a special place in my heart," she said. "It's something that I would always consider."
And Seacrest made it clear he'd like to return at some point.
"I've obsessed about it," he said. "This show is like a family member to me.... I love the series. I love the promise of this show. I love what this show has done."
Tonight is definitely the end of "American Idol" for now. Whether it's the end of "American Idol" forever … well, we'll see.
Elsewhere on TV ...
• College baseball (6 p.m., BYUtv): San Diego at BYU
• "The Big Bang Theory" (7 p.m., CBS/Ch. 2): Sheldon stirs things up when he reveals a secret about Leonard.
• "Grey's Anatomy" (7 p.m., ABC/Ch. 4): Meredith discovers why Owen is so hostile towards Nathan; Catherine continues to interfere in Jackson and April's lives against Richard's wishes.
• "American Idol" (7 p.m., Fox/Ch. 13): A winner is declared in the series finale..
• "D.C.'s Legends of Tomorrow" (7 p.m., CW/Ch. 30): Rip tells the team they must go to the future to kill an ally that Savage needs in order to conquer the world — but the ally turns out to be a 14-year-old.
• "Project Runway: All-Stars" (7, 8 and 9 p.m., Lifetime): Contestants must produce high-end leisure attire inspired by the "Touch By Alyssa Milano" collection
• "The Odd Couple" (7:30 p.m., CBS/Ch. 2): Oscar and Felix try to help their neighbors save their marriage. (Season premiere)
• "Mom" (8 p.m., CBS/Ch. 2): When the restaurant closes for renovations, Christy takes a job as Jill's personal assistant.
• "Scandal" (8 p.m., ABC/Ch. 4): Backstabbing abounds as election season heats up.
• "The Blacklist" (8 p.m., NBC/Ch. 5): Part 1 of 2. The team races to prevent a nuclear disaster; Tom and Liz's relationship could be changed forever.
• "The 100" (8 p.m., CW/Ch. 30): Jaha finds a terrifying new method to convince Abby to join his cause.
• "2 Broke Girls" (8:30 p.m., CBS/Ch. 2): The girls go to prison to see Caroline's father perform in a musical.
• "Rush Hour" (9 p.m., CBS/Ch. 2):
• "The Catch" (9 p.m., ABC/Ch. 4): Valerie's estranged husband hires the team to look into a big pharmaceutical company after his sister experiences bad side effects from an MS clinical trial..
• "Vikings" (11 p.m., History): Ragnar's leadership is called into question after their defeat, evacuation and retreat down-river.
• "The Real World: Go Big Or Go Home" (11 p.m., MTV): Kailah gets jealous when Dione meets another girl; and an Internet post rocks the house.