The once-mighty "American Idol" has fallen to "a new ratings low Thursday night, one that would have seemed incomprehensible even two years ago," with a 1.9 for viewers 18 and 49 and "the smallest
overall audience — 8.4 million viewers — since a night in July in its first year," writes Bill Carter. Those numbers are "surely a psychological blow to the series, which once routinely
hit a double-figure rating in that 18-49 category."
Read the whole story at The New York Times »
I've been a big fan for many years -started watching in year 3, and still watch. I love that it makes people's dreams come true - it's that simple. But what bores the heck out of me now, and ruins my engagement with the contestants, is that they tore out so much of the early entertainment factor - the really really bad, weird contestants. It was fun to watch the screechers. And the show's pace was slower - you got to really know the contestants as they evolved from clumsy to professional entertainer. Now, it seems like one day they struggle, the next day they struggle a bit less and then the third time they're out there ready for the Vegas stage. Where did all the growth go? It's as if about 4 or 5 stages of evolution disappeared. And this "We're going to fly you to Hollywood and oh, whoops, you're not doing anything now except flying back home. Bye" - well that's just mean.