The music-from-home idea is getting another TV boost:
Buoyed by strong ratings for the first one, ABC will have a second “Disney Family Singalong.” That will be 7 p.m. May 10 – yes, that’s Mother’s Day – with details pending.
The first few at-home specials were fairly primitive, with people simply singing into a stationary camera. Since then, however, shows have kept adding extra editing touches.
“Singalong” had plenty of stars – Ariana Grande, Michael Buble, Beyonce, etc. – and bounced between homes: Donny Osmond sang with his grandkids (shown here); the casts of “High School Musical” and “Descendants” merged.
The result finished No. 2 in the weekly Nielsen ratings (trailing only “NCIS”) and No. 1 for ages 18-49. Now the at-home trend includes:
– “American Idol.” Its first try – with 20 contestants singing from home – reruns from 9-11 p.m. Saturday (May 2). The next day, a new episode will be 8-10 p.m. That pattern – new shows Sundays, reruns Saturdays – will continue.
– “The Voice.” It has its first at-home episode from 8-10 p.m. Monday (May 4), with the results at 8 p.m. Tuesday.
– More. At 8 p.m. Saturday (May 2), Nickelodeon will have a social-distancing version of its Kids’ Choice Awards, with Victoria Jackson hosting and music from Asher Angel. On May 10, the second “Singalong” leads into “Idol.”
Also, the latenight shows have switched to at-home and one has even expanded. This week, Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show” (11 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays) went from 30 minutes to 45. In addition, the upcoming “All Rise” (9 p.m.Monday) will be shot in a social-distancing style, as the judge has her first virtual trial.