The reboot of ‘Star Search’ on Netflix has not made the impact that many hoped for, and this news may come as a relief to traditional broadcast networks. In its debut week, the talent competition show failed to secure a spot in Netflix’s global top 10 rankings, accumulating fewer than 2.3 million views across its first two episodes. However, it did manage to enter the U.S. top 10, landing at No. 5, trailing behind shows like His & Hers, Skyscraper Live, Free Bert, and Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials, while surpassing WWE’s Raw. Interestingly, South Africa was the only other country where it made the top 10, coming in at No. 9.
This outcome is undoubtedly disappointing for Netflix, which had high hopes that ‘Star Search’ would serve as a vibrant entry into the realm of broadcast-style entertainment, positioning itself alongside heavyweights like NBC’s The Voice, Fox’s The Masked Singer, and ABC’s American Idol. Despite boasting a lineup of star power including host Anthony Anderson and judges Sarah Michelle Gellar, Chrissy Teigen, and Jelly Roll, the show struggled to garner significant viewership.
‘Star Search’ premiered on Tuesday, January 20, and the second episode aired the following day, with the competition scheduled to span over five weeks. The opening episode featured an array of musical talents: child performer Eric Adrien Williams delivered a rendition of The Jackson 5’s classic "I’ll Be There," while Blair Kudelka took on the 1958 hit "Blue," famously covered by LeAnn Rimes. Additionally, boy band 2BYG performed *NSYNC’s "It’s Gonna Be Me" against the Australian girl group H3rizon’s cover of Sabrina Carpenter’s "Espresso." The dance segment showcased the French troupe, Ladymetry, performing against Movement55.
A standout moment from the second episode was Bear Bailey’s emotional interpretation of “Hard Fought Hallelujah” by Brandon Lake, which moved Jelly Roll to tears, confirming the show's potential for emotional engagement. Jesse Collins, the executive producer behind the project and head of the production company bearing his name, had a premonition about Jelly Roll’s reaction, stating in an interview with Deadline, "If I had to wager, I think Jelly Roll cries first."
The live format of the show allowed viewers to engage directly by voting from their remote controls or mobile devices, but surprisingly, this interactive element did not boost its ratings. For comparison, Netflix’s other live event, Skyscraper Live, where climber Alex Honnold scaled Taipei 101, achieved a commendable No. 3 on the streaming service’s charts with 6.2 million views.
The latest version of ‘Star Search’ was conceptualized by Taraji P. Henson, known for her role in Empire, who collaborated with Village Roadshow prior to its bankruptcy filing. Henson served as an executive producer alongside former Village Roadshow head Steve Mosko and had previously been involved with a reboot of Candid Camera with the company.
In light of these developments, what do you think? Is it fair to say that the nostalgia of such shows can’t compete with modern entertainment formats? Or do you believe that Netflix's approach might still yield success in future iterations? Let us know your thoughts!
