'American Idol' Is Dead! Long Live 'American Idol'!

Were "American Idol" returning for its seventh edition tonightwithout a Hollywood writers' strike, TV critics would be clappingtheir little hands in glee over early signs the Fox ratings giantmay be at the start of a slow slide to obscurity that befalls allreality-TV programming.

They'd prattle on happily about record labels dropping once-hot"Idol" commodities like hottie runner-up Kat McPhee and past winnersTaylor Hicks and Ruben Studdard.

They'd argue that no matter how much her record label insists425,000 is the new 1.3 million, sales of '07 "Idol" winner JordinSparks's debut album have not been great. It's the puniest debutalbum launch ever for an "Idol" winner, …

'American Idol' Is Dead! Long Live 'American Idol'!

Were "American Idol" returning for its seventh edition tonightwithout a Hollywood writers' strike, TV critics would be clappingtheir little hands in glee over early signs the Fox ratings giantmay be at the start of a slow slide to obscurity that befalls allreality-TV programming.

They'd prattle on happily about record labels dropping once-hot"Idol" commodities like hottie runner-up Kat McPhee and past winnersTaylor Hicks and Ruben Studdard.

They'd argue that no matter how much her record label insists425,000 is the new 1.3 million, sales of '07 "Idol" winner JordinSparks's debut album have not been great. It's the puniest debutalbum launch ever for an "Idol" winner, …

'American Idol' Is Dead! Long Live 'American Idol'!

Were "American Idol" returning for its seventh edition tonightwithout a Hollywood writers' strike, TV critics would be clappingtheir little hands in glee over early signs the Fox ratings giantmay be at the start of a slow slide to obscurity that befalls allreality-TV programming.

They'd prattle on happily about record labels dropping once-hot"Idol" commodities like hottie runner-up Kat McPhee and past winnersTaylor Hicks and Ruben Studdard.

They'd argue that no matter how much her record label insists425,000 is the new 1.3 million, sales of '07 "Idol" winner JordinSparks's debut album have not been great. It's the puniest debutalbum launch ever for an "Idol" winner, …

'American Idol' Is Dead! Long Live 'American Idol'!

Were "American Idol" returning for its seventh edition tonightwithout a Hollywood writers' strike, TV critics would be clappingtheir little hands in glee over early signs the Fox ratings giantmay be at the start of a slow slide to obscurity that befalls allreality-TV programming.

They'd prattle on happily about record labels dropping once-hot"Idol" commodities like hottie runner-up Kat McPhee and past winnersTaylor Hicks and Ruben Studdard.

They'd argue that no matter how much her record label insists425,000 is the new 1.3 million, sales of '07 "Idol" winner JordinSparks's debut album have not been great. It's the puniest debutalbum launch ever for an "Idol" winner, …