'America's Got Talent' Will Kick Off on May 26 and Judge Auditions Remotely
Get excited, folks: The summer edition of America's Got Talent is here.
Just like in past seasons, the talent series welcomes all sorts of amazing acts from around the globe who will compete for a $1 million prize and the opportunity to headline a show in Las Vegas, Nevada. Unlike past seasons, however, the judging panel will be different and the show's format will be adjusted in light of the coronavirus pandemic.
Scroll down to read what we know about the 2020 season of AGT so far:
AGT is coming back to NBC on Tuesday, May 26, 2020 at 8 p.m. ET.
Likewise, this means that the show will air throughout the entire summer and wrap up in mid-September. It just so happens that NBC will also welcome back World of Dance the same night at 10 p.m. ET.
There are many ways to watch and stream AGT.
AGT is expected to air on Tuesday nights at 8 p.m. ET throughout the summertime on NBC.
Otherwise, Hulu subscribers can watch AGT on the streaming service. If you're not already a Hulu user, you can sign up now for a free month trial. After that, plans start at $5.99 per month.
If that doesn't work for you, there's always the option to download the free NBC app and stream the series on your Apple, Amazon, Samsung, Android, or Xbox device, or via Roku or Vizio.
Finally, full episodes are available on NBC.com the following day.
Sofia Vergara will join as a judge for the AGT 2020 season.
As announced last November, Julianne Hough and Gabrielle Union will not be coming back to judge the talent show. Months later, reports verified that Modern Family's Sofia Vergara is joining the competition series.
“I think I am going to have a lot of fun. I’ve been watching the show for a long time, and it looks like the judges have so much fun — like the contestants," she told Extra.
Aside from Sofia, Heidi Klum will return after a season-long hiatus. Finally, longtime judges Simon Cowell and Howie Mandel will round out the panel.
The format of AGT will change due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Like so many TV shows, AGT was forced to pivot in light of the COVID-19 outbreak. Though AGT filmed audition rounds before halting production in mid-March, the show decided to reopen online submissions and allow performers in quarantine a shot at the 2020 title. As a result, the auditions for season 15 are still ongoing and the judges will critique their acts remotely.
"We're all in new territory," Simon said, while donning pajamas in a preview clip obtained by Entertainment Weekly."We've never done this before. We're at home doing this, so I love trying things for the first time."
What's more, Simon told People that he is determined to have the live shows go on later this summer ... even if changes have to be made in the name of safety.
"We've worked out about three different scenarios for how we can shoot the live shows with or without an audience, or a limited audience. And each one of them creatively works," Simon explained to the outlet. "The most important thing is that we have to ensure that since people have auditioned, that they do get the chance safely to be able to compete as they normally do and get that chance to win a million dollars, or at least appear in the final."
The former American Idol judge added that he doesn't think the AGT team's solutions will "make the production or the show suffer." He also promised that "there will be finals, and there will be a winner."
How the show gets to that point, of course, is something we'll all discover while tuning in this summer.
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