Just when you thought American Idol had floated back out to sea, ABC may be throwing a lifeline. The Dancing With the Stars network has reportedly made a bid for the 2018 revival where FOX and NBC couldn’t, but Ryan Seacrest might finally be too busy to participate.

According to TMZ, ABC put in a bid with Idol overseers FremantleMedia last week, in hopes of getting the singing competition back on the air by March 2018. ABC even offered to shoot the series in New York to accommodate Ryan Seacrest’s new Live! gig, but Fremantle insisted on keeping it in Los Angeles; likely negating Seacrest’s return.

Last we heard, FOX was reported to be bidding against NBC with FremantleMedia, though co-owners Core Media saw potential conflicts of interest with NBC and Fremantle’s America’s Got Talent, which would rotate with Idol and The Voice. Fremantle will apparently go back to Core to greenlight ABC negotiations, and follow up with NBC and FOX.

Obviously, at least one of the major networks is determined to get Idol back on the air, but is it still too soon?

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