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Wait, why? Reports say NBC wants to bring back 'American Idol'

Well, that was fast. Reports say NBC is interested in bringing back American Idol.

Too soon? Yes. It hasn't even been off the air for a year, not quite long enough for faux-nostalgia to kick in. Nostalgia moves fast these days, but not that fast.

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There was no doubt the show would come back in some form. But this early raises a big question. Why would NBC even want it? Or need it? You pick the verb.

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NBC is already home to The Voice and America's Got Talent. Both superior shows. Opinion. While Idol has been nominated nine times, The Voice has won three Emmys for outstanding reality-competition program. Fact.

Word in these internet streets (well, Variety) has the show's production company, Fremantle Media, instigating this by approaching NBC with a plan to revive the show. The commercial success of Idol would make any executive at least take a meeting. How over-everything it had gotten might make them fall asleep during said meeting unless they brought something else to the table.

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Scripted shows have come back quickly after cancellation. There's Nashville, rescued by CMT; The Game, rescued (some say saved) for five (!) more seasons by BET; and The Mindy Project, rescued by Hulu. These shows had devoted fan bases who clamored for more, through writing the networks and, well, asking. Who's asking for this?

Fremantle might miss the show. I get it. But the viewing public hasn't had time to miss it yet. Winner Trent Harmon and runners-up La'Porsha Renae and Sunnyvale's Dalton Rapattoni haven't even had time to finish being less associated with Idol and more associated with becoming struggling-to-find-an-audience artists.

Now we know what host Ryan Seacrest meant when he ended the very last show with the words, "Good night, America." Wait for it ... "for now."

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