American Juniors

American Juniors is an American reality television singing competition series that was broadcast for one season, in 2003, on the Fox Network. The series was a spin-off of American Idol, but with younger contestants, and had the same production team as American Idol: it was created by Simon Fuller and 19 Entertainment, along with FremantleMedia, and directed by Bruce Gowers, and produced by Nigel Lythgoe and Ken Warwick. However, unlike American Idol, the goal of the competition was not to find a single winner, but rather to create a singing group of five of the contestants. In this way, American Juniors more closely resembled the British series S Club Search, which had produced the group S Club Juniors. The only season of American Juniors aired in the summer of 2003. It was taped in Hollywood, California.

Directed by Simon Fuller, American Juniors leans on a strong ensemble — Gladys Knight, Ryan Seacrest, Debbie Gibson — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The series landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about screen titles of 2003.