Nigel Lythgoe is shocked The Voice walked away with the Emmy Awards' best reality competition honor on Sunday night and suggested it's an injustice given American Idol has been snubbed year after year.
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American Idol had been nominated for the same honor nine years in a row from 2003-2011 without ever winning, and Lythgoe -- who has executive produced Idol for 10 of its 12 seasons, excluding a two-year departure during the 2009 and 2010 editions -- is clearly not thrilled about it.
"Shocked that The Voice won. Not so much for #SYTYCD but for #AmericanIdol. The first, the best and the program that changed the face of TV," Lythgoe, who also executive produces So You Think You Can Dance, tweeted Sunday night.
"I'm talking about over the 11 years American Idol changed the face of television across the World it didn't win an Emmy. Not just lately."
American Idol will debut its thirteenth season (without Lythgoe, ironically) in January on Fox. The Voice, set to premiere its fifth season tonight on NBC, is the only show to win the Outstanding Reality-Competition Program award besides The Amazing Race and Top Chef since the category was created in 2003.
The Amazing Race had an initial seven-year Emmy winning streak until Top Chef ended it in 2010. The Amazing Race then regained the honor in 2011 and held onto it in 2012 before The Voice snapped the new streak last night.
Added Lythgoe on Twitter, "Over the years so many shows deserved Emmys. #Survivor, the best format of all. #American Idol, changed the face of television viewing, DWTS."
Fox announced in June that Lythgoe and fellow executive producer Ken Warwick were being fired from American Idol. Both men launched the show during its inaugural season in 2002. Lythgoe left American Idol after the 2008 edition but returned for the 2011 season.
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
