Will the New Celebrity Judges Kill American Idol?

American Idol was once the most popular show in its time-slot and even on television as a whole.  Millions of people tuned in to watch every moment, from the tearful and often hilarious auditions to the final American Idol episode, where one singer was given the opportunity of a lifetime. 

However, with the loss of Paula Abdul as a judge, the show’s ratings quickly dropped.  Kara DioGuardi was not nearly as well accepted, many fans didn’t care for Ellen Degeneres’s overly nice critiques. When the ringmaster Simon Cowell announced that he was leaving, many viewers decided that the show simply wasn’t worth watching anymore. 

With the announcement of Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez as new judges, American Idol producers hoped to breathe new life into the dying series, but the question remains… will the new celebrity lineup save American Idol or kill it?

American Idol has been experiencing a ratings decline for a couple of seasons now, and many predict that if ratings don’t see a sharp increase this year, the show will be done for good.  Simon Cowell, with his unfailing ability to call things exactly as he sees them, was undoubtedly the life of the show, and many believe that it is doomed without him. 

There is certainly a great deal of doubt over how well the two new celebrity judges will work out.  As to the fate of American Idol, only time will tell, but if the collective reaction of the American public was any indicator, the death knell for American Idol may well be ringing before the season even begins.