American Idol 6 News (Page 8)

The parade of awful amateurs on American Idol attracted viewers in staggering numbers this week as the series continues to grow in popularity.

An estimated 36.9 million people watched the two-hour special on FOX Wednesday night, only slightly down from the 37.3 million who tuned in for Tuesday's two-hour season premiere, according to Nielsen Media Research.

They were the two biggest nights of prime-time entertainment on FOX since it came onto the air nearly two decades ago.

"We're fortunate it's on our air and we take good care of it and it rewards us with good ratings," said Preston Beckman, Fox's executive vice president for strategic planning.

The audience for what host Ryan Seacrest dubbed "the weirdest turnout in history" on Wednesday was 17 percent bigger than the corresponding night a year ago, Nielsen said.

We've all seen the American Idol auditions. After five seasons, humiliations, broken dreams and rags-to-riches tales have become synonymous with this time of year.

But should we be subjected to this ritual every season? Or are the auditions something that should be done away with by the producers? Do we need to see William Hung on the way to Katharine McPhee? Do these early rounds even serve a purpose, or are they integral part of the show's fabric?

It's become the subject of much debate around here, and in our first Face-Off, our panelists explore the issue.

To read our pro-con breakdown of the auditions, click here. Then leave us a comment afterward, letting us know who won - or how you feel about the auditions in general.

American Idol 6 kicked off with a blast last night, and only those marooned on an ice shelf in the Arctic Ocean could have missed the press releases that last night was the night to be parked in front of the flat screen.

Known for my American Idol fanaticism, I received many comments from friends wanting to know if I would be tuned in - ya think? I had been counting down the days since Taylor Hicks won the AI5 finale, and the premiere was finally here!

Various Clay Aiken fan boards had spoiler threads already set up at 5 p.m. PST with the comments flying, but I stayed strong, waiting until the end before forming my opinions.

Now, 24 hours later, I know I should have cheated, read the spoilers, picked out the only two names worth remembering, and had a decent night's sleep.

While American Idol is well known for showcasing the truly awful during the first few episodes, there were so few shining moments that I began to wonder if I somehow entered a parallel universe where horrible equaled wonderful.

Out of two hours of bleeding eardrums, "what were they thinking" moments and astonishment at the audacity of the non-talented, only two names were worth writing down: Sarah Krueger and Jarrod Fowler.

Having been forewarned from the leaked previews that the Seattle auditions were the worst evah, I decided to see if the powers that be were just trying to drum up interest, or were just being mean-spirited. Now, 45 minutes into night two of the auditions, this is truth in journalism!

I had high hopes for my native Pacific Northwest to produce the first non-southern American Idol, but it's not looking good. Our specialty - rain and copious quantities of it - appear to have leeched the talent right into Elliott Bay, and my bed is looking more and more inviting.

Only five contestants are shown making it through in the first hour, and since two of them share the same gene pool, it appears that Seattle may be the new gold standard for awfulness.

Since Clay Aiken's version of "Unchained Melody" stands as a shining moment of AI history, hearing it butchered two nights in a row has made me run for my iPod to hear Clay blow away the audience once again.

Please tell me it's March, the top 12 has begun, and Jordin Sparks survived the Seattle weirdness! If the next few weeks are as damaging to my hearing as the past two nights, I'd best order my hearing aids now.

With the montage of the worst of the worst and Big Red finishing up the show, it is indeed time to leave Seattle, and pray that the South brings it! See ya next week...

Miss the show last night? Or watch it and curious to see our take on Seattle singers? We've reviewed the most recent American Idol auditions.

Below, meanwhile, is a clip from an anxious contestant before he/she tried out in the Emerald City. Take a look at how hopeful Idols prepare before they face the wrath of Paula, Simon and Randy:

We've heard a lot about the Seattle auditions. A lot of rather poor, scary things. So let's get going with our second American Idol diary ...

Ugliest case of The Hotness: Sorry, Jennifer Chapton, but if you need to introduce yourself as that, it doesn't bode too well.

Contestant most supported by Paris Hilton: Melissa Carlene Stavros. We doubt she was named after Paris' on again/off again boyfriend, Stavros Niarchos, but Seattle is making us reach for interesting observations.

Most Taylor Hicks-like: This guy (pictured)!

Best siblings: Shyamalle and Sanjaya Malakar. Each seemed fun, each sang well. But how will judges/fans choose between them?

Tallest American Idol hopeful: Anna Kerns is six foot, four inches tall. Of course she was getting through to the next round. Would you tell this giant no?

Favorite of the night: Jordin Sparks. Love the name, like the personality. The best in Seattle. Not sure if that's saying a lot.

Wow.

Variety reports that American Idol opened to huge numbers last night, with the two-hour premiere ranking as the second highest-rated episode of the series to date - and easily topping any prime time program this season.

According to preliminary nationals from Nielsen, the opening night of auditions on American Idol averaged a 15.7 rating/36 share in adults 18-49 and 37.3 million viewers overall, up about 5% vs. its premiere of one year ago.

The only other American Idol telecast to rate higher was the May 2003 season finale between Reuben Studdard and Clay Aiken.

It's a bit early to crown American Idol favorites and a bit early to grow too attached to any one contestant.

But it's never too early to enjoy a few American Idol photos. Here are a handful from last night's auditions in Minnesota:

American Idol kicked off his sixth season last night. We've got every detail covered between now and the May finale.

For example, Diana Ross told David Letterman that she is going to be on the show later this season. She won't be a judge, as Jewel served as last night. Instead, the icon will help prepare contestants for future performances.

During a taping of The Late Show yesterday afternoon, the legendary singer told Dave:

"I'm going to do the American Idol, as a mentor. And then I'll leave from there and I'll go on tour, March and April."

Here are impressions from the opening night of American Idol ...

Worst opening: FOX is coming at you from Minnesota. It's the home of Prince. And did you know he's singing at halftime of the Super Bowl? Did you also know we can't recall the last time he had a radio hit? Wonder if any of tonight's Idol hopefuls can.

Best copy cat: Denise Jackson (pictured) hoped for viewer's sympathy ("I'm what you'd call a crack baby"). Hey, it paid off for Fantasia. Looks like Denise can sing, too. We also admire her courage for tackling Jennifer Holliday's "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" in light of Jennifer Hudson and her Dreamgirls version of that song. Could we be looking at our first finalist?

Saddest impression of a celebrity judge: The very first audtion was Jessica Rhodie. She remind anyone else of the celebrity judge on hand, Jewel? It felt almost cruel how long the show focused on her disappointment.

Best impresssion of a celebrity non-judge: There's only one Shakira. Let's be honest. But we're glad the panel approved of Perla Meneses. The gal gave it quite the effort on "Hips Don't Lie."

Most admirable audition: You can't blame Idol for giving us a long, heartfelt backstory on Jarrod Fowler. The military man probably would've gotten through as long as he possessed semblance of a voice - but he certainly didn't butcher that Rascal Flatts tune.

Worst: Trista Geezy. The cowardly lion impression could've been seen as funny. We just thought it was a waste of time.

Best: Sarah Krueger. Her song choice, "Over the Rainbow," wasn't exactly original. But the girl had pipes and left us with a solid impression on an otherwise ordinary night of American Idol.

The search is on for the next American Idol ... and this year promises to be nuttier than ever.

As season six of the show premieres tonight and tomorrow night on FOX (8 p.m.-10 p.m. EST), Idol judge Paula Abdul, who appeared on "FOX and Friends" this morning, said auditions for 2007 were "beyond wacky."

"It's crazy," she said.

As for as her co-judge Simon Cowell, with whom she shares a notorious love-hate relationship, Abdul said:

"I'm becoming really mean to him, and he's becoming nice to me, and it's bugging me. I think he might be trying to psych me out."

Meanwhile, Ken Warwick, a series executive producer, said Wednesday's show from Washington state will definitely fall into the wacky category.

"If you don't watch any other episode this year, watch Seattle. Seattle is just the funniest place we have ever been to in our lives: We are shocked and appalled and amazed and hysterical over it," he told the Associated Press.