The AGT: All-Stars “superfan” judging panel that chooses which acts go through to the next round weekly were chosen by a research team.
America’s Got Talent (AGT) has always been one of the most popular competition shows on television, because of the variety of the acts on the show.
The America’s Got Talent: All-Stars show differs slightly from the original show in that it has a judging panel of 50 “superfans” that was selected by a research team to represent the votes of all the fans at home.
Why is AGT so popular?
With the wide variety of content available, it is natural to wonder why some shows just seem to be more well-liked and successful than others.
AGT is one such show, which has managed to stand out above the rest and has been ranked as the most popular summer competition series every year since its premiere in 2006.
The show’s mass appeal seems to lie in the fact that there is a wide variety of acts that perform weekly and that the contestants seem like ordinary people who are just trying to chase their dreams.
How are AGT “superfans” chosen?
As a result of the continued popularity and success of AGT, a new spin-off entry into the franchise, called America’s Got Talent: All-Stars was recently released on 2 January 2023.
There are a few things about the America’s Got Talent: All-Stars show that vary from the original AGT format.
Most notably, the America’s Got Talent: All-Stars show does not feature amateur performers who are looking for their chance at fame the way that AGT does, but rather, 60 winners, finalists, fan favourites, and other acts that have returned to the show after being featured in some of the previous seasons.
Another one of the elements on America’s Got Talent: All-Stars that first-time viewers will immediately notice when they watch the show is that this show uses a unique system to judge the acts.
The judging panel comprises the usual celebrity judging panel which consists of Simon Cowell, Howie Mandel, and Heidi Klum, as well as a special panel of 50 AGT “superfans”.
This is not the first time that the AGT franchise has instated this type of voting format.
Previously, America’s Got Talent: The Champions required the superfans to apply for the position through an application form on the AGT website, whereas this new show reportedly found its panel of superfans through a research team that selected long-term and dedicated viewers of the show from each state.
Since this show is pre-taped, it gives the superfans an immense amount of power over the outcome of each episode, since at-home viewers will not have the opportunity to vote for their favourite acts at all.
Why did they decide to use this judging method for the show?
Although it may seem counterintuitive for a spin-off of such a popular show to change one of its most critical elements, the creators of the show have explained that this superfan voting format has actually allowed them to keep the people’s vote in mind, even when the show is not airing live.
This way, the panel of superfans represents the figurative collective voice of all the fans watching from home. This ensures that the final judging does not fall solely on the celebrity judges.
How have fans reacted to this new format?
As well-intentioned as the superfan judging panel may be, fans are already complaining about this new format on social media even though only two “Preliminary round” episodes have been released so far.
Most fans feel like the superfan judging panel is choosing the wrong acts to go through each round and some fans have even called for them to be “fired”.
How do the superfans cast their votes?
The new America’s Got Talent: All-Stars format with the superfan judging panel may seem confusing, but really, the panel is only effectively replacing the at-home fan votes that feature in other iterations of the show.
In other words, instead of fans phoning in with their votes from their homes, this superfan panel uses electronic keypads to vote for their favourite acts, once all 10 acts have performed on each episode and the celebrity judging panel has given their feedback.
The top act is then selected to go through to the next round.
Once the finale episode airs, the superfan panel will vote for the winner of the season from the final 11 acts that perform.
Although the celebrity judges do not have a direct “vote”, they do still have the chance to press the golden buzzer, which will allow their chosen act to advance straight to the finals.
