• by Ed Martin , April 12, 2013

To date, the most interesting television story of the year is the extent to which Fox’s long-running juggernaut “American Idol” is hemorrhaging viewers on a weekly basis. We’ve all known this day was coming. Media observers have been talking about the inevitable decline of “Idol” as far back as its fourth season. Indeed, executives inside Fox were quite public at the time about their collective expectations that “Idol” would start to slide before the premiere of its third season. As it happened, ratings for “Idol” went up that year.

No doubt about it, the once-mighty “Idol” has finally begun circling the drain. This leaves Fox in a position of intense vulnerability, especially as the long-time No. 1 network among the prized 18-34 and 18-49 demographic groups. What in the world will Fox do without a super-strong “Idol” -- or without “Idol” at all?

Ratings for “Idol” were so far above every other series on television for so long that even though it had been on a slow decline for a few years it still remained comfortably at the top. That’s no longer the case, but even with its current problems both “Idol” shows are still among the sacred top ten. Further, the effectiveness with which it has launched the careers of so many of its contestants over the years cannot be understated. No other reality competition series so readily turns its players into household names, at least not on broadcast.

But this really does seem to be the beginning of the end for Fox’s most formidable franchise. Personally, I find it hard to believe that “Idol” is deteriorating so quickly, but that has more to do with skepticism about the accuracy of audience measurement than anything else. I still find the show entertaining, and I think the five female finalists may be the most talented quintet of performers that any season of “Idol” has ever produced.

It is a well-known fact that millions of young female viewers have propelled many a young male contestant to “Idol” victory, several of whom probably didn’t deserve the ultimate distinction. Can it be that girls don’t want to watch girls have fun? Regardless, it is clear that there is something huge that the audience really dislikes about the show this season. What could it be? (Some might ask, where to begin?)

I’d like to suggest that one of the biggest problems with “Idol” is that its producers continue to put too much emphasis on entertaining the audience in the studio rather than the viewers at home. The bigger, flashier “Idol” stage and other aspects of the show’s ever-more high-tech production values actually detract from the talent on camera, even if they make things more dazzling for people in the room. Filling the front of the stage area with squealing young people, which “Idol” producers began doing several years ago, doesn’t help, either. They add nothing to the home viewing experience.

And another thing: When “Idol” revealed its top-10 contestants a few weeks back, the top-20 hopefuls were confined to a quiet little room backstage. Who thought it would make for good television to simply have host Ryan Seacrest stroll into that dull little room and announce the name of each finalist? The real excitement was reserved for the studio audience, which was kept in the dark until each finalist popped out on stage amid much fanfare.

Then there are issues surrounding the new judges. Nicki Minaj has lit up this show like no judge since the much-loved Simon Cowell, but many people seem to be put off by her often blunt commentary. Why is it okay for a man to be so brusque and opinionated, but not a woman? Unfortunately, Minaj sometimes seems to be put off by the other judges, or certain contestants, or perhaps by the demands of the gig itself. A few weeks ago she didn’t even show up until 15 minutes into the live telecast!

Meanwhile, with only a few weeks left this season, Mariah Carey has yet to figure out how to consistently make clear and concise critiques. That’s a shame, because she often has interesting technical observations about the singers, and she certainly brightens up the judges' table. But she frequently struggles to find the right words and takes far too much time making her points. She took so long to express her disappointment with Lazaro Arbos’ airless performance of “Close to You” this week that Minaj had to forego her own remarks just to keep the show on schedule.

And so it seems that the contributions of Minaj and Carey aren’t doing much to help the show. Keith Urban and “Idol” veteran Randy Jackson, on the other hand, appear to be very popular with viewers, and they are both quite good at saying whatever they have to say in a timely manner. Of course, nothing slows down the judging segments on a competition show like having four judges comment on everything, and “Idol” this season has certainly suffered its share of dragging moments. Looking ahead to next season, it would definitely be faster-paced were one of the four judges removed. Whether that judge should be Minaj or Carey remains a question. Arguments can be made for keeping or cutting either one of them.