One might forgive the Simons (Fuller and Cowell) and Fox for becoming a bit smug about their freakishly successful baby American Idol.
Coming out of a season five that saw the glorified singing contest dominate all shows in the ratings — with as astonishing growth of 15 percent in the key 18-49 demographic over the year before — Idol is an unprecedented phenomenon that may be the last vestige of nationally-unifying broadcast televison in an era of 500 channels and niche programming.
And the success is translating from the screen to the 3-D world as well. This summer's 2006 American Idols Live tour featuring season five winner Taylor Hicks and the season five finalists has compiled 60 sellouts - like the show itself, it's bigger than ever.
Billboard asked Jeff Frasco, the Creative Artists Agency executive responsible for the tour how it's done: "We change the show every year, and we probably draw a lot of the same people each time," Frasco says. "I think the audience is just growing. The ratings are bigger, and it's just embedded in the culture at this point."
Another sign of the degree to which the show is "embedded": President Bush has invited Hicks and the other touring finalists to visit the White House on Friday when they are in town to perform at the Verizon Center - a first for Idol contestants. Hicks may well run into his former 9th grade English teacher, Susan Whitson, who is now press secretary to first lady Laura Bush. Hicks can also boast that he received more votes in the show's finale, 63 million, than did Bush in 2004, 59 million.
Regarding season six, Fox entertainment president Peter Liguori talked Idol at the annual TV critics convention in Pasadena on Monday. He said the network considered moving the show out of its Tuesday-Wednesday slot, but decided against it because, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
Article comments
1 - kanrei
Nothing signals the end of the world quite like Taylor Hicks and his "possibilities".
2 - Eric Olsen
the Silver Fox rampages across the nation, accumulating Soul Patrol devotees like a hypnotist
3 - Jewels
Eric, I'm envisioning the display of Soul Patrol fever at the White House. Tony Blair, will be there, scheduled to meet to chat about the Middle East situation. Blair probably planted the seed, "George, be a good chap..." I picture, as the Idols pull up in their limo, Bush, Blair, Laura, Susan Whitson and the Scottie dogs, all gathered on the front porch, decked out in their Soul Patrol shirts (they make them for doggies too). Limo doors fling open, Hicks steps out first, Shouts of "Wooooooooo!!!" All contort into the Soulman stance, leaning backwards to the right. George snickering in the way only he can...good times. ;)