In this age of reboots and remakes, Star Search has just become a part of this trend. Star Search is a television program that started airing in 1983 and became an integral part of the landscape of star-finding television. Under the hosting of Ed McMahon, the show became known for featuring fresh talent in the areas of singing, dancing, comedy, and spokesmodels, paving the way for talent such as Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, Drew Carey, and Usher (among others) to get their starts in the industry.
After a brief resurgence of the show in the early 2000s that did not quite capture the same magic as before, many believed that we would never see Star Search again on our screens, until now. Netflix ended up rebooting the show on January 20, 2026, with a more modern twist by incorporating a live weekly show with voting enabled in real-time through Netflix.
What’s New—and What Stayed True
The Star Search reboot retains the core framework that fans remembered, with performers competing head-to-head for advancement each week, but made some slight adjustments for today’s era of streaming, such as allowing fans to vote through Netflix in real time.
There is also a whole new panel on the show. Now the show is hosted by actor Anthony Anderson, most known for his role as Andre on Black-ish, with guest judges model Chrissy Teigen, rapper and singer Jelly Roll, and actress Sarah Michelle Gellar.
The Likes and Dislikes
What many fans seemed to appreciate about the reboot was the ability to participate in real time. Many also loved the vast diversity of talent that was presented during the first episode, which showcased soulful young musicians, dance crews, and a variety of other creative acts.
However, despite some of the positives, there have also been some complaints about the reboot. A major complaint was the poor picture and sound quality during the premiere broadcast, with many struggling to properly hear and see some of the acts. Another common criticism was many feeling as though the judges did not have good chemistry and believing that the scoring system favors the judges over audience votes.
Nostalgia with a Modern Twist
All in all, the Star Search reboot represents a bold effort to combine modern competition television with nostalgia. Although there are still many things to be seen in the remaining five weeks, Star Search is bound to change according to feedback received, and this will, of course, only serve to refine the show as time goes on to help recapture some of the magic it had in the past.
