‘Idol’ ratings hold up! Kat McPhee sells… 15,000 albums, Fantasia’s VH1 show opens strong
I presume all the advance talk about “Idol” and Simon Cowell leaving helped stem what has been a steady drop in ratings over the past three years. In fact, the 18-to-49 demo numbers are up slightly from a year ago.
Overall viewership, based on what Fox considers close to final figures, was 29.9 million, with an 11.8 share among 18 to 49 year olds.
Last year, 30.4 million people caught the season eight debut with an 11.7 share among 18 to 49 year olds. A year before the opening numbers were 33.4 million and 13.8 share (18-49).
Here are the debut figures from each season
Season 1: 9.9 million (4.8 18-49)
Season 2: 26.5 million (12.4)
Season 3: 28.6 million (12.6)
Season 4: 33.6 million (14.0)
Season 5: 35.5 million (15.3)
Season 6: 37.7 million (15.8)
Season 7: 33.4 million (13.8)
Season 8: 30.4 million (11.7)
Season 9 (early): 29.9 million (11.8)
-The publicist for Kat McPhee says I’m stilll on deck for an interview. I won’t be around next week so who knows when it will happen. According to Idol Chatter, she opened last week at 15,000 copies, nothing to write home about.
-VH1’s “Fantasia For Real” opened with a promising 2.3 million viewers and 1.4 share 18-49. I’m not surprised. It’s entertaining. I bet it will hold up just fine. VH1 hasn’t had a watercooler hit in awhile. This was the network’s biggest debut in a year (since “Rock of Love 3″ January 4, 2009.)
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27 comments Add your comment
Rickster
January 13th, 2010
2:21 pm
I guess people can look at the same set of numbers, and come up with two different conclusions.
While their ’share’ of households watching tv did not drop, the total number of viewers was down by half a million.
To me.. that’s a drop.
JTesla
January 13th, 2010
2:25 pm
It’s kind of nice to see the numbers that matter “18-to-49… are up slightly”
Last nights show was a decent one, even though I haven’t heard any non-web buzz about it. Hopefully some of the numbers in that demographic will carry over.
Kat McPhee… laughable. Should have given the interview earlier, the man moves albums (maybe just a few but he does move them).
Nana
January 13th, 2010
2:31 pm
Still, the figures for last night wasn’t that bad. I would say they were pretty darn good.
Harm – Ally is my fave. Did you see the show Monday? What drama it was! The previews for next Monday promises a good night, with more drama.
Rickster
January 13th, 2010
3:11 pm
From Entertainment Weekly: quotes from some Idol Alums.
Idol’ without Simon: Can it survive ‘The X Factor’?
by Whitney Pastorek
“I’m very sad” were the first words out of Simon Cowell’s mouth when he called in to Ryan Seacrest’s radio show the day after announcing that the 2010 season of American Idol would be his last. But let’s face it, he’s probably not: The British judge is ditching Fox’s wildly popular singing competition after nine seasons to focus on bringing his own wildly popular U.K. singing competition, The X Factor, to America. “I’ve always wanted to bring this other show over here,” Cowell, 50, told Seacrest. “At one point I was going to do both. But you know about overexposure, Ryan. You can’t be on TV too much … I genuinely thought people would be sick and tired of me.”
Not sick of Cowell: executives at Fox, who have scheduled the American version of X Factor for a 2011 debut and can barely contain their glee (pun intended) about the prospect of a schedule stocked with Idol in the winter, So You Think You Can Dance in the summer, and X Factor in the fall. “We now have the opportunity to become the most dominant force in a long time on network television,” says Fox’s head of reality programming, Mike Darnell. “It’s pretty thrilling.”
Anyone surprised by Cowell’s decision to walk away at the end of his current contract hasn’t been paying very close attention. Although he makes an insane amount of money for Idol (estimated at $45 million per season), Cowell has been musing about leaving since his initial contract renegotiation in 2005. “We always had an on/off contract so I would never be tied to it,” Cowell told EW in December. “It’s really a question of how much you can do properly, and run all parts of your business successfully.” He’ll be around this season, of course, helping smooth the judging transition from Paula Abdul to Ellen DeGeneres — whose hiring Fox swears had nothing to do with the imminent flight of Cowell. (Responding to Ellen’s “If Simon goes, I go” comment to EW last week, Darnell laughs nervously and says, “We took that as a joke.”) Execs are also dismissing all discussion of future judging shake-ups on Idol as hypothetical, saying only that Cowell’s departure will lead to an “evolution.”
If you ask Idol alums, though, it may be more like a “gutting.” “How do you replace his wit?” wonders Melinda Doolittle (season 6). “You see so many shows try to copy the format, but still can’t get a Simon.” Brooke White (season 7) agrees: “Simon is a judge, but he’s also a star,” she says. “And as cheeseball as it sounds, he does have that X factor.”
Fox says it’s leaving the door open for a Cowell return to Idol, but the bigger priority has to be finding a way for Idol and XF to work in tandem rather than sap each other’s strength. Plans for total domination aside, the slide in Idol’s ratings — down 18 percent from 2006 — means somebody’s gotta do a little patching of the flagship before trying to launch new platoons. And even if X Factor manages to reunite Cowell and Abdul behind a judging table (rumors that have yet to be denied by the parties involved), there’s no reason to expect it will be an instant hit with fans who have already rejected Idol spin-offs like American Juniors.
Do we really want to watch more wannabes trying to warble their way to fame and fortune? Fox Entertainment president Kevin Reilly says yes. “The bottom line is this: The discovery of stars and people going from obscurity to stardom is an intoxicating thing,” he asserts. But even Reilly can’t avoid another inevitability, made all the more apparent by this week’s media frenzy: “I don’t think The X Factor is going to be just a singing competition. I think it’s going to be Simon Cowell’s show.”
Harm
January 13th, 2010
3:13 pm
Nana, I did see the show Monday and if I read the preview right, he gets rid of another one I don’t like (the nanny) and I hope he gets rid of the psycho soon! I think her name is Michelle.
Highlander
January 13th, 2010
3:32 pm
Deirdre, hope you’re doing better. Just take it nice and slow.
Work schedule means I’ll be catching most of AI on DVR this season so I’ll be a bit behind on comments. Plan on watching last night’s show later before the ATL audition show starts. (I’ll be able to see the first hour or so before heading off to work.)
Rickster
January 13th, 2010
3:33 pm
Here’s a link to “Cancer Boy/Eye Candy” singing with Kris Allen (you know… the guy who won) last season:
http://tvwatch.people.com/2010/01/13/idol-flashback-justin-williams-performs-with-kris-allen/
Highlander
January 13th, 2010
3:34 pm
Welcome back to all the usual suspects (Everette, Candlerboyz, etc.)
Rickster
January 13th, 2010
3:36 pm
Actually, it’s got Matt “The Hat” Giruad in it as well. It’s from the group sings during Hollywood week.
JTesla
January 13th, 2010
3:42 pm
Can we nix the “Cancer Boy” title? I don’t have a problem with “Eye Candy” or “Cutie Pie” or “The guy Judy is cyber stalking” heck I’d even go with “Cancer Man” at least that gives visions of my favorite character from the X-Files (after Gillian Anderson of course).
Harriett
January 13th, 2010
3:53 pm
JT, LOL! “the guy Judy is cyber stalking.”
Nana
January 13th, 2010
3:57 pm
About to head home, so everybody have a great evening.
Hopefully, I will have power tonight and can watch idol
Everyone be safe and drive carefully.
Rickster
January 13th, 2010
4:05 pm
Have a good evening, Nana. Hope Carla makes it on.
RxDawg
January 13th, 2010
4:10 pm
And it’s back! Hello all. Footballs over and now it’s back to my other “sport” of America’s favorite singing playoff.
The George Michael guy sounded/looked the part. I like the big Italian and the 16 year old with the demented grandma too. A few they let through just didn’t have it but I guess they get in by default.
Justin
January 13th, 2010
4:20 pm
Katharine is so underrated…
But considering most people were prob expecting her to sell like… 5,000… yeh Things can only get better from here. I think she’s got a few good songs on her album that could help her do better.
Anyway, I thought American Idol was pretty boring last night. The good ones weren’t OUTSTANDING, there were a few that were really good, but I’d have to see more from them. And then the ones that were bad (which were definitely acting), which I hate watching because it’s not entertaining after several seasons of it, the bad ones weren’t even funny really.
Hoping for a better night tonight!
Harriett
January 13th, 2010
4:30 pm
RxDawg, good to see you back. I am a college football fan, too.
RK
January 13th, 2010
4:46 pm
I remember him as Cancer Guy, too. And then there is Boat Guy Who Needs To Shave That Sorry Excuse For A Beard, Broken Wrists Hippy…no point in trying to remember their names at this point.
Rickster
January 13th, 2010
4:48 pm
Swami predicts… rating will drop slightly-to-moderately between now and Hollywood week, then bounce back when Hollywood week airs (the Ellen curiosity factor) then drift downward again till they peak again for the final.
Nana
January 13th, 2010
6:18 pm
I’m home for now. As I was driving home from the office, I received a call from West GA Medical Center in LaGrange that my dad had been admitted for CHF (congested heart failure). Not a good thing for his age (94) and with his heart problems. The doctor told me dad was lucky that he didn’t suffocate during the night. I’m telling this just in case I have to leave and don’t post for a few days. Just say some prayers for him.
JTesla
January 13th, 2010
6:39 pm
Consider it done Nana.
Deirdre
January 13th, 2010
7:44 pm
You got it, Nana. We’ll hold down the fort for you.
Andi
January 13th, 2010
8:24 pm
My prayers are with you and your dad Nana. Hang in there.
D – Northside Hospital. Woulda looked out for ya if you’d been up that way, but glad all is well and you’re on the mend.
Held Up
January 14th, 2010
9:03 am
Rickster – reread the article. “Ratings Hold Up”, not Ratings are Up. You think a half a million is enough to say ratings dropped, look at it as a percentage – 1.2%. After nine seasons, I think Rodeny is safe to say the “Rating Hold Up”. Nice try at attempting to be smart though. You’ll get it next time.
Who are you kidding!
January 14th, 2010
9:49 am
I would bet my house, NBC or any other network exec would kill their pet dog/cat to get American Idol numbers!
RxDawg
January 14th, 2010
11:06 am
Nana, there is a very good chance I’m taking care of your father.
Terry L. Johnson
January 14th, 2010
6:55 pm
Hi, I am a married retired female and I love everything Idol and my husband and I have watched it all the time together….. Buttttt, now that Ellen D., a noted lesbian, is going to be on my husband will not watch one minute of it. I said that whenever she talks I can mute it and he said that that is not enough. He says that I can tape it once she comes on and then watch it by myself when he is gone, etc. Oh well, I hope that she becomes tooo busy to do the demanding schedule. I would prefer almost anyone else to replace Paula…. Take care and Godspeed, Terry
Eyes Open
January 18th, 2010
7:38 pm
Your husband is a bigot.