American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment. It began airing on Fox on June 11, 2002 as an addition to the Idol franchise based on the UK show Pop Idol, and became one of the most popular shows in the history of American television. As of 2011, it is the most watched TV series in the Nielsen ratings and the only program to have been number one for seven consecutive seasons, surpassing All in the Family and The Cosby Show, which were both number one for five consecutive seasons. read more