21 Million Viewers For Wednesday’s ‘American Idol’, Finale A New Low

American Idol finale was the least-watched finale in the show’s history.

The show averaged 21.5 million viewers and was down 27% and 30%, respectively, compared to last-season’s finale in viewers and advertiser-coveted young adults, according to preliminary ratings.

On the positive side for the Fox reality singing competition, the broadcast was the highest-rated entertainment show since the Academy Awards.

The show also easily beat the finale for The Voice, a competitor in the genre. It topped The Voice by 81% in total viewers and 45% in the young-adult demographic.

American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment. It began airing on Fox on June 11, 2002, as an addition to the Idol franchise based on the UK show Pop Idol, and became one of the most popular shows in the history of American television. As of 2011, it was the most watched TV series in the Nielsen ratings and the only program to have been number one for eight consecutive seasons.

The concept of the series is to find new solo recording artists where the winner is determined by the viewers. Winners chosen by viewers through telephone, Internet, and SMS text voting were Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Fantasia Barrino, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Hicks, Jordin Sparks, David Cook, Kris Allen, Lee DeWyze, Scotty McCreery and Phillip Phillips.

The series employs a panel of judges who critique the contestants’ performances. The original three judges were record producer and music manager Randy Jackson, pop singer and choreographer Paula Abdul and music executive and manager Simon Cowell. The judging panel currently consists of Jackson, singer/actress and record producer Jennifer Lopez and Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler. Other judges who have been a part of the show are songwriter Kara DioGuardi and talk show personality and comedian Ellen DeGeneres. The series is emceed by radio personality Ryan Seacrest and originally co-hosted with stand-up comedian Brian Dunkleman (for the first season).

The series was described by rival TV executives as “the most impactful show in the history of television.” It has also become a recognized springboard for launching the career of many artists as bona fide stars. As Entertainment Weekly puts it, “It’s given us Kelly, Carrie, [Chris] Daughtry, and [Jennifer Hudson]. Idol rules the reality roost because the winners of Fox’s ratings juggernaut actually do go on to greatness. And Taylor Hicks? He’s the exception that proves the rule.” Other notable American Idol alumni include Clay Aiken, Kelli Pickler, Elliot Yamin, David Archuleta, and Adam Lambert.

The show had originally planned on having four judges following the Pop Idol format, however only three judges had been found by the time of the audition round in the first season, namely Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell. A fourth judge, radio DJ Stryker, was originally chosen but he dropped out citing “image concerns”. In the second season, New York radio personality Angie Martinez had been hired as a fourth judge but withdrew only after a few days of auditions due to not being comfortable with giving out criticism. The show decided to continue with the three judges format until season 8. All three original judges stayed on the judging panel for eight seasons.

In season eight, Latin Grammy Award-nominated singer–songwriter and record producer Kara DioGuardi was added as a fourth judge. She stayed for two seasons and left the show before season ten. Paula Abdul left the show before season nine after failing to agree terms with the show producers. Emmy Award-winning talk show host Ellen DeGeneres replaced Paula Abdul for that season, but left after just one season. On January 11, 2010, Simon Cowell announced that he was leaving the show to pursue introducing the American version of his show The X Factor to the USA for 2011. On September 22, 2010, it was announced that Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler would join the judging panel.

Guest judges may occasionally be introduced. In season two, guest judges such as Lionel Richie and Robin Gibb were used, and in season three Donna Summer, Quentin Tarantino and some of the mentors also joined as judges to critique the performances in the final rounds. Guest judges were used in the audition rounds for seasons four, six and nine, such as Gene Simmons and LL Cool J in season four, Jewel and Olivia Newton-John in season six, and Neil Patrick Harris, Shania Twain, Mary J. Blige, Joe Jonas and Katy Perry in season nine.

The first season was co-hosted by Ryan Seacrest and Brian Dunkleman. Dunkleman quit thereafter, making Seacrest the sole emcee of the show ever since.