American Idol is a reality-based singing competition that airs on Fox, seeking for the best singer in the United States through a series of nationwide auditions and weeks of live performances.  The winner is determined solely on popularity votes by phone.  Formerly bearing the full title American Idol:  The Search for a Superstar, it is the United States' franchise of British series Pop Idol. 

How the programs work?

The program begins with scenes from its nationwide auditions, wherein aspirants face the judges and perform a song in a cappella.  The judges would then decide whether or not they are through to the next round.  The auditions feature a mix of good singers, who usually get the golden ticket to the Theater Round, and awful performers who are usually rejected. 

Those who passed will gather in Hollywood for a second round of auditions and eliminations, usually referred to as "Hell Week."  The contestants are trimmed down after every elimination stage until a group of semi-finalists (usually 24) is determined.

The semi-finalists perform live onstage, which ends with a critique from the judges.  The viewers then vote for their favorite through toll-free phone number or text messaging as many as possible at the end of the show. 

The results are determined days later, with the semi-finalist (or semi-finalists) with the lowest number of votes is eliminated.  This process continues until the Final 12 is determined.

The finals

During the Finals, each performance is based on a specific theme every week (such as Beatles Week, 1980s Week, Billboard No.1 Hits).  The finalists still receive critique from the judges, while the viewers continue to vote in order to keep their favorite Idols in competition.  The finalist with the lowest number of votes is eliminated the next day. 

The show caps with the Finale wherein the final two contestants sing three songs, one of which is their "victory song" (their first single if in case they win the competition).  The winner of the competition is announced a day later amid performances from the top names in the music industry, and receives the title "American Idol." 

The winner receives a recording contract with a major label, as well as a management contract from the show's producers.  As an added treat to the viewers, the finalists go on a nationwide concert tour called "American Idols Live Tour," which goes on until the end of summer.

The judges

The current judges consist of record producer Randy Jackson, pop singer and choreographer Paula Abdul, music executive and manager Simon Cowell, and singer/ songwriter Kara DioGuardi.  The show is hosted by television personality Ryan Seacrest and formerly with comedian Brian Dunkleman during the first season. 

The winners

Past winners include Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Fantasia Barrino, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Hicks, Jordin Sparks, and David Cook.

For more information about American Idol, go to http://www.americanidol.com/