I think it would be much better if the show went on a five year hiatus, and when it came back, there would be much more interest. The idol alum field is beyond crowded right now. I think people are weary of this crowning a winner every year, usually the same type of winner. Give this show a rest and come back fresh in 2018, with a group of fresh-faced hopefuls. Otherwise the show will continue its slow slide into obscurity.

I could not agree more. (Although since my life has becoem so busy, I don’t know if I would go back after 5 years.)

I don’t believe for one second that the supposed lack of cute WGWGs this season is to blame for the decline in ratings. The show is old. Aside from three different faces at the judges’ table, Idol isn’t bringing anything new to the table. I’m not sure that there’s anything the producers can do at this point. As much as I’d love to see the sausage fest in the Idol winners circle broken up this season, a female winner isn’t going to bring in more viewers either.

Besides statistics and bragging rights, total viewers don’t matter. A show could be getting 15 million viewers, but if the demo is a 1, then it’s gone.

Most of them are older women complaining about her.

That’s not true. Many of the complaints are coming from males and younger women.

Of course, a good amount of comments about AI always come from older women, because that is the largest demographic group who watches the show in the first place.

people are bored–mainly because the talent is mediocre and the judges are annoying… The magic is gone..

It is true, maybe the talent is mediocre and the magic is gone or lost somehow with the help of bad editing. I think the show as talent is almost the same S1-S12 to select from, but the show itself has had some crucial mistakes made though, it has been trapped in its own grittiness running for the audience or to keep the audience, experimenting  distracting elements to keep the show away from the main meaning as competition and transforming it to a cheap entertainment show. Ellen as judge, sob stories moved from audition, Hollywood roads to the main live shows(remember the pregnant wife on S9 almost to give birth, after the top 10 I think?), fashion segments like the contenders are unable to decide for themselves, too many personal points made in video-presentations than “I’m here to fight for my future, I’m not an instant star I’m working on it” clear vibe, to enumerate some amongst others. AI has created its shell some years ago that now is getting thinner and
thinner time passing, numerous changes on format, selecting contestants
following an ideal image of the year that has proved to be good more to get rid of good competitors in the selection parts, questionable editing, those have made no
favors for the course of the show in MO. It is sad because the music industry itself is full of mediocre talents but frickin supported by the industry’s reps. at the rank of super talents with some good material for the conveniences of both parts. Yeah, AI has mediocre talents too, but the show has done no favors to introduce its alumni to the industry as potential artists other than “vocal enemies”  to the auto-tunes ones, it’s what I think.

I would hate to think this is the last season of the show.

Its definitely not, not even close.

Season 11 had the lowest ratings yet, yet Phillip ended up successful. Idol is still a great platform to launch a career-it still has more viewers than all the other singing shows out there.

The average this season isn’t well over 15 million. It’s less than 15, closer to 14.7 million and sliding downward.

 Not a guilty party in naming a “special snowflake” scenario in this ratings discussion but just like the not-so-wonderful smell of garbage-it piles up & is hard to eliminate as a reason over the yrs. why maybe people aren’t happy w/it so much any more.  I’ve read comment sections–it’s there & is a factor for some.  Won’t throw it out there as THE REASON, but manipulation to an end I believe many people think exists after yrs. of viewing the show.
 

Actually Idol was #6 and #8 in total viewers last week (and #3 and #5 in 18 -49 demo).  I don’t think they will maintain it this week.

The main ranking is the 18-49 number, but either way that you look at it, being top ten in both categories is anything but “bad”.  There are nearly 100 shows on the air, so American Idol being in the top 10 is pretty good.

We also really don’t have to wait to find out if they maintain these rankings this week.  The week will be over on Sunday, but there are not a lot of shows that scored more than a 4.3 or 3.7 yet, so both episodes should still be in the top 10 in both categories.

18-16 million people have watched the show this season, but the amount of people who comment online about the show pales in comparison to that number.  I doubt that it even comes up to 1% of the total number of viewers.  So, leaping to the conclusion that these people represent the views of all of the viewers isn’t logical.  We saw that last year with Phillip, who was not popular with those who comment online, but he won anyway.

Lastly, as I’ve asked before, since the ratings drop was much bigger last season, it would seem that using Nicki as a scapegoat for the ratings drop doesn’t make a lot of sense, especially since the average percentage drop for the first three weeks was actually in line with what we saw from seasons 6-10.