Last Thursday the impossible occurred. “American Idol” was beaten in the key demos by “Grey’s Anatomy”! Things are getting so scary about Idol that now everything is on the table, including replacing host Ryan Seacrest.
“Producers and TV executives are very concerned about how much lower the show can actually fall. This is bad news. Very bad news,” one insider tells Naughty But Nice Rob. “When you are getting beat by Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal in the demo, changes have to be made. And made fast. It was assumed getting Mariah would change everything but it hasn’t. If Idol continues, and that’s a big if, cuts will have to be made in the budget.”
Mariah is making $18 million on the show, which will not be happening again. But she isn’t the only person on the show making a fortune. So is Ryan.
“One suggestion is going back to square one and finding two industry insider judges, like Simon and Randy were during season one, plus, a Paula Abdul type – someone in the industry past his or her prime. This way they can turn the judges into stars rather than the other way around. Another radical idea is going back to how the show began and finding a young host that isn’t yet a household name. It would save the show a lot of money.”
Seacrest OUT!