From Ed McMahon to Anthony Anderson, Star Search gets a modern, interactive revival.
Netflix is rebooting Star Search with a star-studded judging panel and a live, interactive format. Grammy Award-nominated artist Jelly Roll joins Golden Globe-nominated, Emmy-winning actor Sarah Michelle Gellar as judges. Television personality and cookbook author Chrissy Teigen rounds out the panel.
The five-week live event begins Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. Anthony Anderson will host. New episodes will stream live Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET and 6 p.m. PT.
A live format that puts viewers in the driver’s seat
Netflix is leaning into interactivity by making real-time voting the show’s main hook. Viewers watching live can help decide who advances each week, either with their TV remote or by tapping on the Netflix mobile app.
Each episode will spotlight rising talent across multiple categories, including music, dance, variety, comedy, magic, and juniors. The competition will unfold on a season-long arc, with weekly eliminations that build stakes and momentum across the five-week run.
The judging trio also covers a wide range of entertainment. Jelly Roll brings current chart power and a performer’s eye for what lands onstage. Sarah Michelle Gellar adds decades of TV and film experience. Chrissy Teigen delivers pop culture instincts and a direct line to the modern mainstream audience.
The original Star Search still looms large.
Long before today’s talent-show boom, Star Search helped set the blueprint. The original series launched in the 1980s with Ed McMahon as host and became a staple of syndicated TV, built around head-to-head performances and score-based judging across multiple entertainment categories.
The brand also carries real nostalgia. Over the years, performers who later became household names appeared on the show early in their careers, helping cement its reputation as a true proving ground.
Now Netflix wants that history to do double duty. The streamer is pitching the reboot as both a throwback and a next-gen discovery platform, with live episodes and global voting baked into every week.
Star Search Premieres Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, and is LIVE Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT
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