The eighth season of the popular show “American Idol” did not quite kick off as previously expected, since it registered the lowest ratings for an opening show since 2004, down 3.3 million from last year and 7.3 million from two years ago.
When the latest series began, only 30.1 million viewers in the United States tuned in, which translates as a decrease by 10 percent from last year.
Four years ago, the opening show only drew 28.2 million people in front of their TVs.
Nevertheless, despite the low ratings, „American Idol” still has attracted the largest number of viewers this year up to date.
Tuesday night, when the new season premiered, Fox’s ratings for the two-hour time-slot during which the show was broadcast, exceeded the ones registered by CBS, NBC, ABC and CW combined.
But producers should not take that as such a good sign, since they are now facing a 14 percent drop in the 18 to 49 years old audience, which is the one that most advertisers target.
A spokesman for „American Idol” stated that a decrease in audience was not a surprising fact for a show that had reached its eighth season, adding that many people had started recording the programme.
This latest season has brought forth a fourth judge, singer-songwriter Kara DioGuardi having joined the panel already consisting of Paula Abdul, Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson.
The show presented the auditions that were held in Phoenix, Arizona, in which a contestant wearing only a swimsuit took part, who was nicknamed Bikini Girl.
Back in December, “American Idol” producers announced that when the show was to be resumed in January 2009, it would pay much more attention to performers who managed to make their mark in Hollywood, focusing less on early auditions and they also revealed who the new judge was.
Furthermore, they said that the eighth season would bring back the famous „wild car” round for the contestants striving to make it among the final twelve singers who are set to compete with each other afterwards.
In addition, producers stated that the series was to offer an extra week to the „Hollywood Round,” during which the participants in the talent television show were to be given more time to convince the judges they deserved a spot among the 36 to remain after the round.
The round is set to begin on February 3 and it will last over a period of four weeks, with the final 36 contestants being scheduled to be announced on February 11, while the audience will be able to vote starting February 17.
The show launched back in 2002 and since then, it has put now-stars such as Kelly Clarkson, country singer Carrie Underwood and Oscar-winning singer-actress Jennifer Hudson on the map and established them as notable performers.
