this is true, but i'm talking in terms of quality. though since i don't watch, the chemistry between the judges might still be great. but to me it seems like a jumping the shark thing. it's like with csi miami. sure, they still pull in great ratings. but half the original cast is gone. so, while from an advertising point of view they shouldn't (and won't) call it quits, from a quality point of view they should. i don't even know if i'm making any sense, but yeah.
But you're not really explaining why a business entity should fold up its biggest selling product. I mean, do you think that it would go over well at a board meeting if the EVP of Programming said "I know that American Idol is the most watched show on Television for years running but it's possible we may have jumped the shark. I don't really have any statistical evidence of this, no, but still....". That just makes zero sense. We're not talking about a scripted drama here, with character development and story arcs to worry about. The "quality" of this show was low from the beginning. There's nothing to really erode or get stale. You might even argue that switching up the judges every few years injects energy and interest into the show.
We have to remember that interference is a little bubble. Our tastes are not necessarily indicative or reflective of what your "average" consumer watches or listens to. Think about how many people you've come across who think U2 are crap; it's possible that most of them LOVE American Idol and discern no major drop off in quality. Can you imagine wanting to see Adam Lambert in concert? I couldn't, but people of all ages love that dude. And good for them, it doesn't harm me any.
And this not a cleaning product they are selling, the "quality" is and will always be subjective. As long as 20 million people say the show is good, Fox would be bat-shit crazy to do anything but air the program.
It can also be argued that the viewers are not tuning in for the judges quite as often as you think they are.
I very much respect where you are coming from, trust me. I love the romance of "Art over Commerce" and all, and have applauded when shows like The Wire stopped before they started to get stale, but, when you apply it to Network television you're not being at all realistic.
And, Ian, respectfully, sorry but I'm addressing Kahn and her comment here, not what everyone else said. She made a specific argument for shutting the show down because 2 of the 3 original hosts will be gone and that's what I'm addressing. I admire your loyalty to her and whatnot, but your comment really wasn't necessary, I read and understand what everyone is saying in here.
