Idol Cruises Into 11th Season

And its long run could continue for quite a while: USA Today
By Dustin Lushing,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 18, 2012 3:15 PM CST
Idol Cruises Into 11th Season
From left to right, Steven Tyler, Jennifer Lopez, Randy Jackson and Ryan Seacrest.   (AP Photo/Danny Moloshok)

American Idol has dominated the Nielsen ratings for 10 seasons, and its 11th season starts up tonight. Bill Keveney of USA Today rounds up some reasons why this pop culture institution might just go on forever:

  • America wants it: For an astonishing seven straight seasons, the show has ranked No. 1 in the ratings. And last year, the ratings went up 4%.
  • Winning formula: Clones and knock-offs come and go, yet Idol's formula and its focus on the contestants has remained king of the crop.
  • New blood: Judges like Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez have kept Idol from getting stagnant.
Read the full list, including potential trouble for the show, here. (More American Idol stories.)

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