American Idol 2.0: Music Competition Series Are Coming to Netflix Soon — With a Few Twists

Photo Credit: Mollie Sivaram

Netflix is dipping its toe into new entertainment formats with a music competition series to vie with the likes of The Voice or American Idol. Here’s what we know so far.Netflix has ordered a new music competition series, tentatively titled “Building the Band.” The series marks a shift of focus for the movie and television streaming giant as it flexes its entertainment muscle in the same realm as major broadcast networks with programs like “American Idol” or “The Voice.”

The new series aims to discover the next great music group, similar to South Korean shows about creating the hottest new K-pop group, but without band members initially meeting face-to-face. “Building the Band” brings together 50 of the most talented singers to compete for a chance to form their own band — but they’ll have to decide based on their musical compatibility, chemistry, and merit before they ever meet. What happens once looks, style, and choreography come into play, once the bands finally meet all their members?

“Building the Band,” the title of which may yet change, comes from the producer of “The Wall,” Remarkable Entertainment, a subsidiary of Banijay UK. Cat Lawson, Alison Holloway, Katrina Morrison, and Clara Elliot executive produce.

Netflix is also gathering a slew of stars from other Netflix reality shows for “Battle Camp,” a physical and mental competition with a giant spinning wheel deciding at random who stays and who goes. Reality stars will need to compete in various challenges, punishments, and more, to become the ultimate Netflix reality competitor and take home the $250,000 prize money.“Battle Camp” comes from “Britain’s Got Talent” producer Thames, part of Fremantle. Louise Peet, Ashley Whitehouse, Hannah Ganio, and Rebecca McLaughlin executive produce.

Netflix plans to introduce more music and reality-based competition shows in the vein of long-running broadcast hits as it works to expand the reach of its programming and continue appealing to its near-270 million subscribers.