"American Idol" Premieres To Its Lowest Ratings In Four Years

AP:

Fox's "American Idol" returned as the nation's most popular TV series, but with 4 million fewer viewers than the 2007 season premiere.

Tuesday's debut was seen by an estimated 33.2 million viewers, down 11 percent from the 37.4 million who watched the first show, according to preliminary ratings by Nielsen Media Research.

That still ranks as the most-watched show of the TV season, excluding sports. The previous high was the 25.4 million who saw the season premiere of "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" on CBS in the fall. More people were watching Fox in those two hours than the combined audience for ABC, CBS, NBC and the CW.

Read the whole story: AP

Comments

[javaman]

09:42 AM on 01/17/2008

idol jumped the shark seasons ago, it's been on nothing but impulse power since.

Just like the tsunami that washes all the trash ashore. Well the tide is receeding and we are now left with the detris.

When the failures are more glorified than the winners, it's time to close shop.

[LeftLeaner]

07:24 PM on 01/16/2008

Just wanted to CHIME in.

I'm one FORMER IDOL ADDICT that they've lost.

It's OVER (YAWN)

[StevenHyde]

05:09 PM on 01/16/2008

.

Hollywood execs: "Oh we don't need the writers. Let's bust their uppity union by going all 'reality' all the time."

Maybe we're learning a little lesson today, hmm? Even if you had Casablanca and Citizen Kane in your back pocket, people simply couldn't watch them day in, day out, particularly when what you are putting on is mindless drivel like American Idol.

Do yourselves a favor: give the writers what they want. Otherwise, before you know it, people will suddenly remember that they can get by just fine without any TV at all.

--Hyde
.

[NotaBeliever]

03:09 PM on 01/16/2008

I've only ever watched the audition shows because the fun goes out of it when they start competing for real ... but it seems that they're passing people through who shouldn't be. This doesn't bode well for the actual competition.