Former “American Idol” Judge Paula Abdul has been signed by CBS to be the lead judge and executive producer of its new dance reality competition series, which may or may not use the title of its British sister, “Got To Dance.” CBS acquired the US rights to the show a month ago.
Not only will Abdul have the exec. Producer title and serve as lead judge, but she’s also being called the “creative partner” and “mentor” for the new series.
”I’ve spent the better part of my life teaching, mentoring, nurturing-working with so many talented people-and I consider myself truly blessed to be able to continue to do something that I hold so dear to my heart,” said Abdul in the CBS announcement. “I am thrilled to be creative partners with Reveille, Shine, and CBS and to present the best new dance talent to American audiences. Each and every week we’ll showcase the challenges and successes of a fantastic group of dancers, as they perform and compete-compelling stories, exciting competition and amazing dance performances are guaranteed,” she added.
Got To Dance is a Shine Group format, created by Princess Productions and Shine TV and is produced by Reveille. Paula Abdul, Elisabeth Murdoch, Howard T. Owens, Mark Koops and Robin Ashbrook are executive producers. Distribution is handled by Shine International.
RBR-TVBR observation: There had been speculation time and time again about which network would land Abdul after she parted company with Fox after eight seasons as fan-favorite judge on “American Idol,” the #1 show on US television. It’s a good bet that her paycheck as a big draw to launch this new show will be a lot more than the $4 million that Fox wouldn’t increase. Could it be as much as the $20 million she’d reportedly sought in those failed negotiations?
