And they're off . . .
Ironically, the first American Idol show of the seventh season is called a wrap. As in Idol Wrap, on the TV Guide Network. The show, hosted by Justin Guarini, Kimberley Caldwell and presumably Rosanna Tavarez, features highlights and probably lowlights from the auditions as well in-the-know guests who share insights and gossip about Idol. It premieres Friday, January 11, 2008, at 8:00 p.m. eastern.
But for the writers' strike, the seventh season of Idol might well have seen the beginning of a distinct downward trend in viewership. With the dropping of season two winner Ruben Studdard and season five winner Taylor Hicks from J Records, and with more rumored to come, the shine has definitely come off the hit-making machine. In fact, with the exception of Carrie Underwood, no Idol has managed to maintain sales momentum from their prior albums. As anyone who follows Idol knows, the only thing that matters is how many units you move (tm Clive Davis).
Will season seven reverse the trend? Just as they learned from the unbelievably stupid way Davis and RCA handled Justin's first album (releasing it after season two ended, on the very same day the season two finalists' singles were released for sale, with no lead single and no video support), perhaps they will learn from the relative failure of both the season five and season six top two. This year's gimmick is to let them play their own instruments during the semi-finals. Only time will tell if this gimmick ultimately pays sales dividends.
Meanwhile, enjoy the TV spectacle if you will. Starting with the Wrap this Friday.
Labels: american idol, carrie underwood, clive davis, justin guarini
posted by Essential Crew | 8:09 AM
4 Comments:
I'm going to pass on the AI thing. I've got better shows to support. Heh. I do wanna see Justin on any TV show he does though. I could just care less about AI anymore.
I'll tape and watch Idol Wrap just beacuse Justin is on it. But I really don't see myself watching American Idol this season. I watched it very sporadically last season. It just doesn't hold my interest anymore.
The first two seasons, I was glued to the tube when Idol came on. The more I learned about the show and how winning doesn't mean anything if you dont' fit the right demographic, the less I liked about it. The only season where winnning meant something was in Season 1 when the winner was protected at all odds from competition and others had to miss oppotunities because they didn't win. With Ruben Studdard and Taylor Hicks losing their contracts, winning Idol means nothing. When runners up and fourth placed finishers are hyped as the "real winners", the title means nothing. It will be interesting to see how Season 7 does because the last two winners have not had great sales and neither have the runners up. People may be tiring of the "dog and pony show"and are ready for a change. I hope the show ends soon and that someone has the courage to take 19 Entertainment to court for fraudulent practices. I look forward to the day when a real tell-all book about the behind the scenes AI can be printed. I doubt that I will watch this season. I will just watch Idol Wrap to get the scoop and enjoy real talent like Justin Guarini and Kimberly Caldwell.
Every year I say I won't watch AI, but I do. However, the best thing about AI nowadays is watching Justin Guarini talk about AI for the TVG Network. HE'S got star-quality.
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