'American Idol' ratings drop 26% from last season
The ratings are in for "American Idol's" premiere and it looks as if some are tiring of the reality juggernaut 11 seasons in.
'American Idol' ratings drop 26% from last season
Molly Eichel, Daily News Staff Writer
The ratings are in for "American Idol's" premiere and it looks as if some are tiring of the reality juggernaut 11 seasons in. Last night's premiere drew 21.6 million, dropping 26% in viewers 18-49 from last year's premiere and 18% in overall viewers. The premieres reached the height of its popularity during season six -- the year Jordin Sparks took home the AI crown -- when it drew 37.44 million people.
Don't let these numbers fool you into thinking "Idol" could be canceled anytime soon. It's "by far the highest-rated entertainment program on TV and dominated primetime last night," according to Deadline.
Is 11 seasons simply too much? As a devoted viewer of "American Idol" since its Kelly Clarkson days, I was one of those who failed to tune in beyond the first 20 minutes. I just couldn't stomach another two hours of watching canned auditions with little suspense as to who would make it to Hollywood. Even the addition of point-of-view footage from the contestants wasn't enough to keep me going.
Could it be the judges? Randy, J. Lo and Steven Tyler were toothless last year in their judging, praising even the poorest performance. Yet, they were forgiven in my mind because the addition of two new judges was still a novelty. Has the lack of a Big Bad, formerly in the form of Simon Cowell, taken the suspense out of the show?
Or could the ratings drop be ascribed to the countless teens coming before the cameras and recounting how they'd been watching the show since they were babies, making this particular viewer feel way older than she should?
Did you watch last night or did you skip it? Will you plan on watching this year at all? Have at it in the comments.
what is the attraction with that old shriveled junkie steve tyler. Aerosmith hasn't put out a decent album since 1976.— MilesLong1- Very simply, they don't chose the best singers. On a regular basis, I hear better singing in church.
- American Idol is past it's time. Even the really bad auditions that they show in the 1st round are not good anymore and without Simon they have really gone soft.— SKYMAN
- Been watching since the very first show 11 years ago. I don't even bother watching until they quit the clowining with the (cruel) audition process and the real competition begins.— pres
- Canceled/cancelled can be spelled either way. Maybe you should cancel your post.— slidesor
- I have never watched it.— deb2
- i am proud to say that i have never watched american idol, america's got talent, the x-factor, the voice, nor any of these supposed (lack of) talent contests. apart from anything else, ryan seacrest's ridiculous salary and involvement with the kardashians speaks volumes about intelligence levels across america.— the_chief
- i as well am proud to admit i have never seen a full episode, but have had to bear a few minutes here or there cause of the GF— raynesrock
- J-Lo looks like she's got the saddle thing going on.....— Anthony1957
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- No 'slidesor', canceled can only be spelled one way in American English. The British spell it with 2 l's. Know of what you speak before you say it.— Ted Crawford
- Can Randy Jackson's teeth get any whiter? Can Steven Tyler's face get pulled back any further? Is there more Botox in Ryan Seacrest's face than actual muscle tissue?— gilligan
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- Maybe it's because none of the winners - or the rare contestant - actually ever amounts to anything. After a while, the bs becomes evident.
I actually like the human interest side of the stories early on. When they get down to the final group it really starts to suck, by that time it's more about selling fords and cokes than aything.....— Owatagoofiam
