‘American Idol’ is a dream come true

While it's clear that "American Idol" isn't perfect and that last season won't go down as the best reality programming in television history, let's not get too crazy with the eulogies. This is still "American Idol," the program that's become an integral part of the cultural landscape.

Of course, this being America, some are eager to tear down whoever is currently on top of the cultural mountain. "Idol" is in those crosshairs this year. Critics snipe at the lack of talent among the singers, the sameness of the show every year or the fact that Simon Cowell is just too mean. (OK, that may just be Rosie O'Donnell.)

But saying that "Idol" is on a quick slide down the slopes into oblivion is just wishful thinking from the haters. The fact is that the show has all the ingredients for one of the best seasons ever in 2008, and even if it does nothing at all, it's still poised to be a staple of the FOX lineup and a boon to advertisers and product-placement companies everywhere.

"American Idol" is, in fact, the bright spot of what otherwise appears to be a dreary television lineup this spring.

The dream team
Fundamentally, "Idol" is poised for long-term success because the show has the ultimate hedge against a mediocre crop of singers: its judges and host.

Slide show   ‘American Idol’s’ finalists From Justin and Kelly to Blake and Jordin, a look at the show’s final two over the years. more photos

Simon Cowell is the star of the show, and the most irreplaceable part of "Idol." He has the talent for cruelly ending the dreams of aspiring singers while maintaining the approval of the audience because he's seen as being genuine in his vitriol. That's hard to replicate, and few other reality shows have come close to doing so.

Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul get less attention, but both are underrated in the roles they play. Paula may get ripped unmercifully for being the one-woman support group for all but the most woeful of hopefuls, but often she's the one who keeps the show from being one big hatchet job. Randy is the favorite uncle everyone wants to impress. He’s happy when favorites perform well, critical when they don't.

Ryan Seacrest is the best host in the reality show biz, keeping the trio of egos on the judges' stand in check while providing the deadpan commentary that keeps the show on an even keel. This team is enough to keep viewers entertained even when the singers have to slog through the dreaded Broadway night.

The dream academy
It's a legend as old as Hollywood, the talented nobody discovered in some obscure town and nurtured until he or she became a superstar. Millions of people busting out the Neil Diamond on karaoke night have dreamed that someone in the audience was a talent scout, ready to whisk them away to stardom, or at least a stint as the opening act for Hannah Montana.

"American Idol" takes that fantasy and turns it into something akin to Mardi Gras with cameras and sober people doing the judging. The audition process is a chaotic mix of women and men, costumed and deadly serious, talented and delusional. It offers viewers a chance to both marvel at those who sing well and laugh at the people who don't, tapping audience emotions that have been constantly honed since middle school.

Slide show ‘Idol’ auditions Thousands turn out in cities across America for a chance at stardom on season 7 of the hit show. more photos

Those thousands of hopefuls are what keep the show relevant. It allows "Idol" to truly sell itself as the show that makes dreams come true. And until there aren't any aspiring pop singers, that's not going to change, nor will the audience enjoyment at watching the worthy succeed and the unworthy fail. The selection of the approximately 200 singers who make it to Hollywood ends that first phase of the competition, but even once the talent pool is thinned, there are still favorites and flameouts to marvel at.

It's a formula that's paid off since the gladiator days in Rome, and that's unlikely to change.

The dream makers
"Idol" isn't the only reality show with an interactive element, but it's the one that handles it the best.

As Seacrest reminds viewers at least two dozen times a show, it's all up to America to pick who stays and who goes. You have a favorite singer? Then you'd better get on that phone and call for two hours straight to get your votes in, because if not, he or she will get voted off the show and it will be all your fault!

Why is that important? It negates the DVR effect. Most people who want to view multiple programs on Tuesday night will watch "Idol" live and tape the other shows because there's just a two-hour window to cast votes and affect the outcome.

That's an additional guarantee of high Nielsen ratings, always a boon for advertisers. It also gives viewers an incentive to focus on "Idol" every week rather than tune into networks such as ABC because of their childlike faith that the "Lost" people actually have a plan and aren't making things up as they go along.

The dream setup
Granted, the 2007 "Idol" season was a downer, with more talk of Sanjaya and lewd pictures of Antonella Barba than discussion of the winner. In fact, it's a true "Idol" fan indeed who can name the season’s two finalists without looking them up.

In other years, this might be the time where another network took its best shot at knocking "Idol" off its perch. But the Writers Guild strike has crippled the competition and doesn't show any signs of an imminent settlement.

That means no rival is going to waste one of its few remaining comedies or dramas against a program guaranteed to get a huge audience share, and the "Idol" competition will likely consist of other reality shows, game shows and whatever random stuff is on cable. That's easy pickings for a show that's a watercooler staple in most offices, and it means "American Idol" isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

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