The show America has known for 10 years left television just to return again. American Idol was one of the most successful shows in America when it first debuted back in 2002, but after David Cook's winnings in Season 7, the show's ratings steadily decreased in the following seasons.
Just when we thought "American Idol" was over, they decided to give it another chance and to spruce it up. Has "American Idol" Season 16 recaptured the heart of America? Or has this been a last ditch effort of the producers to try to save the show?
In its debut on March 11th, the show had received solid ratings, but nothing necessarily impressive. The judges this season are Lionel Richie, Luke Bryan, and Katy Perry. This show at first seemed decent. There were some amazing singers featured, and unlike the past, they feature stories on the contestants during auditions. Some of the stories were truly great, and tear jerkers.
On the other hand, viewers are critiquing that there are too many stories and too many cliche ones. Nearly all of the contestants in the audition episodes move onto Hollywood week. We don't see a combination of the fantastic, the good, the bad, and the ugly. It's no wonder we were in awe of the fantastic singers they showed, but somewhat bored that we didn't see any of the bad auditions.
One of the biggest criticisms that "American Idol" has seen is in regards to Katy Perry: She's killing the show. I don't mind Katy Perry personally, but I have to agree that she needs to tone it way down. From her constant need to say contestant Trevor Holmes is hot, to kissing contestant Benjamin Glaze, it has become a bit excessive. We like to see judges show their soft, silly side, but when it gets to be too much, it can turn viewers off. Let's hope that Katy Perry can dial it back, but I'm sure she won't.
Two weeks ago, the show determined it's final 24. This is where it made viewers even more upset. There were definitely some contestants that viewers were happy to see make it through such as Catie Turner, and Marcio Donaldson. However, there were some contestants that were sent home that made viewers highly upset. The biggest one was Thaddeus.
I, too, was extremely upset they sent him home. He worked so hard to lose weight and to better himself as a singer just for him to get booted from American Idol for the second time. It caught viewers by surprise because he killed his performance of "Rise" that Katy Perry herself was in awe.
Thaddeus' leaving of American Idol left viewers confused and upset. They started commenting on social media saying Thaddeus should have stayed on, and now the show is just trying to find the next young, country singer.
They said Gabby Barrett should have been kicked off instead because even after the judges didn't want her to sing Carrie Underwood, she sang "Church Bells" terribly at the final judgment. The Final Judgement episode definitely stirred up the viewers, and I wouldn't be surprised if ratings are decreasing yet again on this show.
In my opinion, this reboot of "American Idol" is alright. I will probably continue to watch it only because I am 100% behind Michael Woodard, especially since he is from PA like me. However, after this season, I will leave American Idol as a thing of the past just like the rest of my childhood.
As this show progresses it wouldn't surprise me if the ratings and number of viewers steadily decline. "American Idol" was once great back in the early 2000s, but it's safe to say this reboot is turning into a mundane last ditch effort by the producers.
