The concept of America's Got Talent was devised by X Factor creator and Sony Music executive, Simon Cowell, who sought to create a talent competition far grander than those of other televised talent contests.
His proposal, first made to British television network ITV in 2005, was for a competition in which participants of any age and location could enter with any form of talent they choose to perform.
The network favored the concept, and green-lit production of a pilot episode to test out the format, with Cowell forming a panel consisting of himself and two other judges, including tabloid journalist Piers Morgan.
The pilot proved a success, and the original plan for the program was for a British edition to be produced and broadcast between 2005-2006, hosted by British television personality Paul O'Grady, who had assisted with the pilot, before Cowell would propose the format for American television.
However, O'Grady became involved in a dispute with ITV during work on the new program, ultimately terminating his contract with them and defecting to another British network.

As a direct result, Cowell suspended work on the British edition, and hastened his efforts on launching the format in America.
Approaching several networks, Cowell received an offer from NBC to produce his televised competition for their network, owing to feedback given to the pilot made for ITV, and agreed to a contract to produce fifteen episodes for the 2006 summer schedule.
Cowell worked heavily with production of America's Got Talent, working alongside Freemantle with his company Syco Entertainment, but decided against becoming a judge for the new program, relegating himself as an executive producer instead.
Cowell and his producers recruited assistance from Regis Philbin as host for the new program, with David Hasselhoff, Brandy Norwood, and Morgan agreeing to be judges for the first season.
The first season proved a success, not only leading NBC to commission additional seasons, but also prompting ITV to later contact Cowell with the intention of resuming production on the British edition for 2007.
The success of Britain's Got Talent, alongside the American original's own further success, effectively led Cowell to accepting offers for the rights to the competition and its format, creating the Got Talent franchise as a result.
The concept of America's Got Talent was devised by X Factor creator and Sony Music executive, Simon Cowell, who sought to create a talent competition far grander than those of other televised talent contests. His proposal, first made to British television network ITV in 2005, was for a competition in which participants of any age and location could enter with any form of talent they choose to perform. The network favored the concept, and green-lit production of a pilot episode to test out the format, with Cowell forming a panel consisting of himself and two other judges, including tabloid journalist Piers Morgan. The pilot proved a success, and the original plan for the program was for a British edition to be produced and broadcast between 2005-2006, hosted by British television personality Paul O'Grady, who had assisted with the pilot, before Cowell would propose the format for American television. However, O'Grady became involved in a dispute with ITV during work on the new program, ultimately terminating his contract with them and defecting to another British network.
As a direct result, Cowell suspended work on the British edition, and hastened his efforts on launching the format in America. Approaching several networks, Cowell received an offer from NBC to produce his televised competition for their network, owing to feedback given to the pilot made for ITV, and agreed to a contract to produce fifteen episodes for the 2006 summer schedule. Cowell worked heavily with production of America's Got Talent, working alongside Freemantle with his company Syco Entertainment, but decided against becoming a judge for the new program, relegating himself as an executive producer instead. Cowell and his producers recruited assistance from Regis Philbin as host for the new program, with David Hasselhoff, Brandy Norwood, and Morgan agreeing to be judges for the first season. The first season proved a success, not only leading NBC to commission additional seasons, but also prompting ITV to later contact Cowell with the intention of resuming production on the British edition for 2007. The success of Britain's Got Talent, alongside the American original's own further success, effectively led Cowell to accepting offers for the rights to the competition and its format, creating the Got Talent franchise as a result.
America's Got Talent