Odd News

Strong "American Idol" finale caps TV season

(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-05-26 22:24

More than 36 million "American Idol" fans watched the star-studded finale of the hit talent show on Wednesday night as gray-haired soul crooner Taylor Hicks was crowned the winner in a dramatic close to the 2005-06 U.S. television season.

The viewer tally reported on Thursday by Nielsen Media Research marks the second-biggest non-sports telecast on all of prime time this season, behind only the 38.8 million viewers who watched the Academy Awards in March.

Katharine McPhee poses in the press room after the American Idol television show finale in Hollywood May 24, 2006. Soul singer Taylor Hicks won the 2006 "American Idol" contest on Wednesday, beating ballad singer McPhee in votes cast by fans of the most watched TV show in the United States. [Reuters]

The live, two-hour "American Idol" finale also drew a whopping 35 percent share of all viewers aged 18 to 49, sealing a first-place season finish for the Fox network in the ratings race that matters most to advertisers.

Fans cast more than 63 million votes -- by telephone and text messaging -- in the final round of the show to give Hicks, 29, an earthy soul singer from Alabama, his victory over Los Angeles balladeer Katharine McPhee, 22.

"I'm living the American dream," exalted Hicks, who won a professional recording contract for his efforts.

The telecast also was punctuated with performances by such big-name stars as Mary J. Blige, Toni Braxton, Al Jarreau, Dionne Warwick and Prince, signaling that a show once derided by some as a cheesy amateur contest had achieved unquestioned credibility in the recording industry.

Several past "Idol" winners and runners-up have gone on to commercial success, collectively selling more than 33 million records, and the show's first champion, Kelly Clarkson, has won two Grammys.

"Idol" wrapped up its fifth season ranked as the most popular program on U.S. television, propelling Fox to the top of the Nielsens ratings while giving the network a valuable promotional platform to build up other hits, like "House" and "24."

Still, Wednesday's viewer tally of 36.4 million was not its biggest. The second-season finale in May 2003, when Ruben Studdard was crowned the winner, stands as the most watched of any "Idol" episode (38.1 million viewers).