THR EXCLUSIVE POLL: 67% Say American Idol’s Best Days Are Behind It

An exclusive THR/Penn Schoen Berland poll in the new Hollywood Reporter magazine (now on stands in LA/NYC) surveyed 750 current and lapsed Idol viewers nationwide from Dec. 21-23.

Among the surprising findings...   *67 percent say the show's best days are behind it, despite the addition of new judges Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler   •48 percent say Lopez makes them more interested in watching; 43 percent say Tyler does. Also, “the new Idol is cooler and less predictable,” according to those surveyed, says pollster Jon Penn.    *47 percent say they "definitely or probably will watch" the upcoming season, knowing that the new judges will be Lopez and Tyler; 26 percent say they "definitely or probably will not watch"   *6 in 10 Idol viewers say the shake-up is a positive change that takes the show in a new direction   *4 in 10 "hardcore fans" say Ellen DeGeneres leaving makes them “more likely to watch"; hardcore fans will miss Kara DioGuardi, but they are the only ones   *Only 21 percent of Idol viewers could recall the name of last season’s winner (Lee DeWyze).    *28 percent of all Idol viewers watch Idol for the embarrassing “trainwreck” performances; 52 percent watch it for the “awesome musical talent”   *45 percent feel former judge Simon Cowell influenced their voting the most   *1/3 of all Idol voters hail from the South; 61 percent are female    Click here to find out how many people vote on Idol - and more!