Idol Hits the Ground Running

Cynics predicting that America's favorite show would finally lose its voice in its sixth season were silenced following this week's season premiere.

The latest season of American Idol hit all the right notes with audiences with its two-night premiere, pulling in 37.3 million viewers when it kicked off Tuesday night. The episode was the second-highest-rated show in Idol history, behind only the 38.1 million viewers the Ruben Studdard-Clay Aiken showdown drew in season two.

"I really was holding my breath because, like the rest of the television industry, you assume that this thing is going to hit a ceiling at some point, as good as it is," said Fox's executive vice president of alternative programming, Mike Darnell. "It's not possible for something to go up in its sixth season and still (be) the biggest thing on television."

The return of Idol, in addition to this week's season premiere of 24, gave Fox its strongest showing in its fourth quarter. House was the network's only significant frontrunner until recently.

The Idol premiere was up 5% in viewers from last year's opener. Last season was the show's biggest ever, with phenomenal numbers holding up to the May finale, which named Taylor Hicks as the latest Idol champion.