It’s barely been a week since FOX announced the network’s new singing show, The Four at the Television Critics Association tour, and already the judges panel rumors have begun to fly.
Variety is reporting that Scooter Braun, talent manager responsible for Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, Kanye West and more is negotiating with FOX to join the show’s judging panel. Talks between Braun and Fox are preliminary, says a source, and no deal has been set. Braun “is also being courted by another network for a show format he is interested in,” according to a source close to the manager.
And that network is likely CBS. According to The Wrap, the network is developing a singing show network is developing a singing show specifically with Braun.
As far as FOX and The Four is concerned: Reality chief, Rob Wade told Variety at TCA, that the show would last no longer than four to eight episodes. “It’s very different,” Wade said. “I know that the natural instinct would be to go all Idol’ or Voice [in season length], but this is … an event that’s going to go on for a short amount of time.”
Perfect timing would be for FOX to run the The Four in January and February, with the finale airing before The Voice and American Idol begin in late February/March. I could live with that.
As far as paying talent the big bucks, Wade said a $25-million payday, like Katy Perry is receiving to sit on the American Idol judges panel, is too much for The Four’s short run. “That figure is extremely high, but also over a very long run,” said Wade. “This is truncated. So we’re not going to get anywhere near that total figure.”
However, he added, “We want to be competitive. If it’s someone we feel has a great profile and could be a team leader and could really take a star to the next level, and we like them and they want to do the show, then we’re not just going to be paying small potatoes. We’re in this for real. If it’s the right name, we’ll have to go to negotiations.”
