If you turn on your TV and find yourself watching a new episode of Making the Band, don't worry. You haven't time traveled back to 1999. It could be the pandemic, it could be general '90s and '00s nostalgia, but it seems like everything is getting a reboot these days, and now Making the Band is in that number.
If you didn't catch Making the Band the first time around, here's the gist: Lou Pearlman, infamous boy band manager and con artist, goes on a nationwide talent search, holding auditions in every major city, to find eight finalists that will compete for five spots in a brand new singing group signed to his record label. The show spawned O-Town, Da Band, Danity Kane, Day26, and Donnie Klang. Somewhere along the line, P. Diddy got involved...it was a whole thing. And now, for the modern audience's viewing pleasure, it's gonna be a whole thing again. Here's everything we know about the Making the Band reboot.
10 P. Diddy is Still at the Helm
Lou Pearlman held the boss seat for all 3 seasons of the original Making the Band, and Diddy got involved during Making the Band 2, pivoting the concept from a boy band to a R&B and hip-hop group. They'll be competing for a spot in the group and a contract with his record label Bad Boy Records. He became more synonymous with the show than Pearlman ever was, and the reboot is coming back under his mentorship.
9 Diddy Crowdsourced the Decision to Reboot
Apparently back in July 2019, Diddy posted to Twitter to ask fans if they thought he should pursue a reboot. After a week of alleged "deliberation," he posted again to announce the news that the show would indeed be coming back. Seems mighty quick to seal a deal with MTV and lock it all in, if you ask us, but Diddy knows his fans appreciate feeling like they're involved in the show's revitalization.
8 Diddy's Sons Are Involved
That's right, this time it's gonna be a family affair. Diddy's three sons, Christian Combs, Justin Combs, and Quincy Brown are joining the show as judges. This isn't all nepotism: the three are movers and shakers in their own right too. Christian performs as a musical artist under the name "King Combs." Justin played football at UCLA and Brown is an actor with a blossoming career, and they both also have music careers.
7 The Pandemic Delayed Production
Like so many projects, COVID-19 has postponed production of the Making the Band reboot. Auditions had begun in Atlanta in February of 2020 and the plan was to move on to Houston, Charlotte, and New York the following month. Plans got halted when the world shut down in March, and now it's unclear when the show will begin production.
6 Auditions Went Virtual
Christian, Justin, and Quincy took to YouTube after in-person auditions were canceled to let everyone know that the show is for sure still happening. They noted that they were going through submissions every day and still accepting tapes. This could bode well for hopefuls who may come from smaller cities not on the audition route, as they may get a chance to be seen that they'd otherwise not have had.
5 DaBaby Will Be Judging
Diddy posted an update last year letting fans know that Charlotte rapper Da Baby, whose own career was launched on the show, will be judging the competition. Diddy is lucky Da Baby is making time to come - the rapper has been pretty busy recently, holding voting drives and doing charity work, not to mention running his own record label. It's gotta be pretty intimidating auditioning for one of the hottest stars in the game, so this will really put contestants to the test.
4 Laurianne Gibson Will Be in the Mix
The famed choreographer is a veteran of the show, having previously been involved beginning in 2005. If you don't know Laurianne Gibson, you probably know her choreography: she's the genius responsible for some of the most iconic choreography from artists like Britney Spears, Nicki Minaj, Lady Gaga, and Missy Elliott. She was also famously seen on Dancing With the Stars.
3 We'll See More of Dawn Richard
Dawn Richard will judge auditions as well. It's been a long time since she was on the other side of Making the Band auditions in 2003, when she ultimately landed a spot in Danity Kane. Her life has changed a lot since then, especially given that Hurricane Katrina struck her hometown of New Orleans shortly after her first big success. Now a pop experimentalist and indie star, she'll bring a certain grounded gravitas to the show that she may not have had her first time around.
2 R&B Is Where It's At
Diddy has said that the reboot will return to R&B and hip-hop and that they are looking for a guy group of singers and rappers. He has emphasized that he and his sons intend for this reboot to be bigger, bolder, and better than ever. "Expect nothing but the best to be showing up," Quincy Brown said.
1 Day26 Wants In
Four of the five members of Day26, an R&B group that was formed on Making the Band 4, have collectively let Diddy know they want to be a part of the reboot. Members insist that Day26 is still active and making big moves, making them great mentors for this new season's contestants. They make a compelling case, but it's unclear if Diddy will honor the request and welcome them back.
