by America has talentGoing back to production in the midst of a global pandemic means making some major changes, and some significant cuts.
NBC’s reality competition series has resumed production in its fifteenth season, reports our sister site Deadline, which has only completed six listening episodes before temporarily shutting down by the threat of coronavirus in March.
The first thing viewers will notice is the dramatic change of venue. While AGT Traditionally filmed in a luxurious Hollywood auditorium, the show is now moving to an outdoor facility in Simi Valley that is designed to resemble a drive-in movie theater. The judges, Simon Cowell, Howie Mandel, Heidi Klum and newcomer Sofía Vergara, will also sit at a suitable distance from each other. (“Wait until you see the vehicles the judges arrive in,” the show’s executive producers tell Deadline.)
Another major change is that there will only be one episode of Judge Cuts this season (July 28), as opposed to the usual four. NBC is also spicing up its schedule with a special special (July 21) and an anniversary celebration (August 4) to accommodate the change in production.
This season’s live shows, which will feature 44 acts in four weeks, are slated to begin on August 11. And although the producers hope to return to the Dolby Theater, nothing has yet been clarified. There is also discussion of how to potentially include a physical or virtual audience in the mix.
Cowell says he is excited about the changes, especially because he feels Judge Cuts kills the momentum generated by high-energy auditions. “Personally, now I would stick to this new way that we have done it, not only for the present but also for the future,” he tells Deadline. “I think it is a better show this year than in previous years.”
The last episode of AGT That was filmed before the pandemic airs tonight at 8/7 on NBC. What do you think of the changes mentioned above? Leave a comment with your thoughts on the future of Season 15 below.
