This could be the last year for American Idol if producers don't provide viewers with more talented contestants.
Has it really been seven years since American Idol invaded our living rooms? Season after season experts have speculated whether the show will have enough staying power to keep going and so far it looks like it does.
Season six of American Idol featured a lackluster cast of characters and no one really stood out. But, this year producers are promising something new and different. They vow that Americans will continue to watch the show and the ratings will continue to climb.
Last year according to reports, American Idol experienced some of its lowest ratings, but those ratings were still huge compared to other television programs that aired at the same time.
According to the Associated Press, 2008's audition episode saw an 11 percent drop in viewers since the show first aired in 2002. The Associated press report says that means only 33.4 million viewers watched the first episode of the season this year compared to the 37.4 million that viewed American Idol when it first debuted.
Many people find the audition episodes to be the highlight of American Idol because they can watch judges make fun of local yokels for their lack of talent. Sometimes, it’s a good thing. In the case of William Hung, although he didn’t make it past the judges, he lived out his 15 minutes of fame for two albums because audiences loved him despite his lack of talent.
Once auditions are done, contestants are not guaranteed a spot on American Idol. They still have to make it past more auditions in Hollywood.
Despite all the numbers, this year could prove to be the best year ever for American Idol producers if they make sure not to cut out some of the stellar performers. If audiences remember last year, many great singers didn’t make it past the Hollywood round, and instead wound up scratching their heads along with the rest of us watching at home.
Maybe the judges (Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson) had a rough time deciding, or maybe producers encouraged them to pick kids that seemed a little odd (think Sanjaya Malakar) in order to get more people to watch.
Whatever decisions were made last year should not be repeated because the program almost mocked itself. Even controversial radio host Howard Stern got in on the game and was pushing for listeners to vote for the worst performer.
For fans of the show who really want to see this program bring out the most talented individuals and give them a chance at realizing their dream, American Idol will continue to shine. But for those of you who haven’t kept up with the talent show for the last few years it may be hard to create a new following.
