American Juniors was a reality television series broadcast on the Fox Network as a spin-off of American Idol, created by Simon Fuller and 19 Television, FremantleMedia, directed by Bruce Gowers and produced by Nigel Lythgoe and Ken Warwick. It was very similar to the adult American Idol, much like the British series S Club Search (producing the S Club Juniors) was to British band S Club 7. The only season of American Juniors aired in the summer of 2003. It was taped in Hollywood, California.
Personalities
2,000 children and teenagers auditioned for the show. From there a selected group of kids and their parents were flown out to Hollywood to participate in "Hollywood Week." During "Hollywood Week", several cuts took place, eliminating all but 20 of the children and teens who originally auditioned. These kids were shown on TV during 2 top-20 episodes, which each showcased 10 kids. For each top-20 episode, America voted for the 5 kids they wanted to see in the top-10. Once the top-10 was formed, America voted each week for the one contestant they wanted to put into the group. The results were aired the following evening with the next round beginning the following week. Taylor Thompson was the first contestant voted into the group. She was eventually followed by her younger sister, Tori Thompson, Chauncey Mathews, Lucy Hale and Danielle White.
Ratings and aborted second season
American Juniors became one of the highest rated television shows of the summer season, with approximately 11.9 million viewers on June 3, though the numbers dropped 40% toward the end of July. Nonetheless, the producers were satisfied of the strong teen demographic. A second edition was planned for fall 2003, later postponed to the summer after American Idol (season 3), then called off.
Following the show
The American Juniors made a brief appearance on the December 2003 American Idol Christmas special, An American Idol Christmas. Their debut album America Juniors was released on October 26, 2004 after a year's delay from its original scheduled date.
The American Juniors group disbanded in 2005. The members seem to be pursuing individual efforts and there is little publicity about them as a group. The show website became inactive in April 2005, but the music website remains intact as an archive.
Radio stations that play children's music (e.g., Disney, or digital radio) still occasionally play the music of American Juniors.