For fans of “American Idol,” the news that Scotty McCreery beat Lauren Alaina on Wednesday night wasn’t shocking.
During the Fox show’s season finale, McCreery humbly stated that “never in my wildest dreams” had he thought this would happen.
But McCreery’s victory was widely expected. During commercial breaks, an “Idol” representative whose job was to hype up the crowd asked audience members who they thought would win; nearly everyone he was overheard asking named McCreery as the one to beat.
The biggest surprise was that so many viewers stuck around to watch him win.
This season, audiences approached “Idol” with the lowest expectations in years. After a decade on the air, “Idol” fatigue was a very real threat, especially with the departure of mean judge Simon Cowell, who always added much-needed drama.
When Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler took their places alongside Randy Jackson, however, they gave the show a personality boost, offering heartfelt encouragement and practical advice in a way that Cowell never did.
With their help, “Idol” grew even more popular this season, averaging 24.9 million viewers for each episode, a rise of 4 percent over last year.
The “Idol” audience also got more youth-friendly. This season, the competition lowered its minimum age requirement from 16 to 15.This season ended with a surprisingly Southern-flavored showdown, as both McCreery and Alaina showcased their down-home friendliness, Christian family values and traditional country-western songs that appeal to moms worldwide.
The last “Idol” winner to work those traits was Carrie Underwood — and it’s no coincidence that she’s one of the series’ most enduring stars.
If “Idol” has established its staying power as the top show on television, it couldn’t have found a more opportune time. Already, the networks are edging in with their own singing competitions: “The Voice” has earned its own following on NBC, and “The Sing-Off” will soon return to that network.
This fall, Cowell will be reunited with Paula Abdul for an American version of “The X Factor.” the program that launched his career as an insult-spewing judge in Britain.
Whether Cowell’s cynicism can still find a place in the kinder, gentler environment that Lopez and Tyler have built in his absence is hard to predict. But perhaps Cowell deserves some credit either way: When it comes to creating a tough competition, he’s taught his successors well.
