Debra Messing

In season 11, show faces increased competition from 'The Voice.'By Gil Kaufman Steven Tyler, Jenniger Lopez and Randy Jackson on "American Idol" Photo: Michael Becker / FOX Back in the day when "American Idol" was the lumbering 800-pound gorilla of the reality-singing-competition world, it was hard to imagine a time when the top-rated show on TV could ever be toppled. But like any smashingly popular series that eventually loses some of its luster (see "Lost," "Deal or No Deal" and "Two and a Half Men"), this year, "Idol" is facing a turning point of sorts. Still a ratings juggernaut, season 11 of the show will launch Wednesday night in an atmosphere ripe with other singing shows that could start nipping at its heels. "For nine years, 'Idol' had the entire airwaves to itself with lesser rivals like 'Nashville Star' ... [but now] the world feels much more cluttered with singing shows," said veteran entertainment journalist Richard Rushfield, author of "American Idol: The Untold Story." Among the shows Rushfield pointed to are former "Idol" judge Simon Cowell's recently concluded "X Factor," NBC's "The Voice" (which launched in late April last year but will debut after the Super Bowl on February 5) and NBC's Broadway musical drama "Smash," which stars "Idol" alum Katharine McPhee and Debra Messing (February 6). Even with all those shows competing for eyeballs and threatening to create singing fatigue, Rushfield still feels "Idol" has a good chance of continuing its ratings dominance. "This year, after 'The Voice' and 'X Factor,' I think it's really clear what slice of the pie 'Idol' has and that they're all very different shows going after very different audiences," he said. "'Factor was making a very deliberate attempt to position itself as young and contemporary for an audience more open to an edgier, harsher show, and 'Idol' has doubled down on being the middle-American, older, feel-good, soft, nonthreatening show." While ratings did continue their slow decline last year, "Idol" remained the overall champ, even as some critics complained about the sometimes too-sunny face put on by new judges Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez. As "Idol" prepares to bombard viewers with eight audition episodes featuring the predictable mix of potential stars and wackadoodle nobodies over the next month, Village Voice music editor Maura Johnston suggested perhaps it's time the show's runners take a look around and tweak the formula. "One thing the success of 'The Voice' speaks to is that people want the action to start earlier," she said of the two-and-out round of blind auditions held by the competing show last season. "The audition episodes on 'Idol' get ratings ... but at the same time, it's grueling. 'The Voice' was so exciting because they put the competition and head-to-head stuff in so early." Ratings history has shown that as programs like "Idol" continue on into their double-digit years, their audience invariably get older. The show has also failed to launch another superstar on the rank of winners Kelly Clarkson or season four's Carrie Underwood, with last year's winner, country teen Scotty McCreery, becoming the first platinum-selling champ since season seven's David Cook. With "The Voice" and "X Factor" both putting a more musically and racially eclectic roster of winners and top finishers in the mix, is this the year the "four cute white guys in a row" factor might catch up with "Idol"? Johnston doesn't think so. "One thing 'Idol' is speaking to over the past couple of years is the hunger among a certain demo for male pop singers who aren't operating in a hip-hop idiom, but in a more guitar-centric way," she said. There was a fear that with main meanie Cowell gone, viewers might turn their backs en masse at the sunshiny vibe of Tyler and Lopez, but Rushfield said that "Idol" could end up like such perennial ratings-getters as the World Series, sticking around year-after-year through ratings booms and busts. "It could lose two-thirds of its audience and still be a strong hit show by contemporary standards," he said. "They found their most successful singer in half a decade, so you can't look at it as on the course of decline. [With Tyler and Lopez] it also has new life, but the only question is ... is there just singing-competition fatigue?" Get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Videos Interviews From The 'American Idol' Red Carpet 'American Idol' Finale Highlights

'We're just actually really grateful that 'Glee' has opened the door,' former American Idol says of her upcoming musical series.By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Josh Horowitz Katharine McPhee at the Golden Globes on Sunday Photo: Jeff Vespa/ WireImage During the Golden Globes on Sunday night (January 15), there was one promo that played nearly on a loop. The commercial for NBC's new music-themed prime-time drama, "Smash," seemed to play almost as much as the show itself, which featured funny barbs from host Ricky Gervais, an equally funny response from Golden Globe-winner Madonna and a big win for "The Descendants," which took home Best Motion Picture - Drama. Before the Golden Globes kicked off, MTV News caught up with "Smash" leading lady and former American Idol Katharine McPhee on the red carpet. She happily explained how there's really no competition between her forthcoming show and that other singing show on Fox, "Glee." "You know, we're so secluded from L.A., where they're shooting 'Glee,' and we haven't had any interaction. No one's had any sort of conversations. We're just actually really grateful that 'Glee' has opened the door," she said. "And has made music work on television." In teases for the show, McPhee is seen covering Christina Aguilera's "Beautiful," and when we caught up with her, she told us that later on in the season there will be a Rihanna cover. McPhee even went on to share what famed actors and singers will also appear on the highly anticipated show. "Well, we have Uma Thurman, who's not a pop star but a movie star. She's actually shooting with us already," she said. "[One Republic frontman] Ryan Tedder is a guest star. So he's a pop star and an amazing writer. Oh god, and Nick Jonas. We're doing pretty good for the first season." "Smash," also starring Debra Messing and Anjelica Huston and produced by Steven Spielberg, premieres February 6. The show follows the behind-the-scenes staging of a Broadway show about Marilyn Monroe, who is certainly in the zeitgeist nowadays as Michelle Williams just nabbed a Golden Globe for her portrayal of the Hollywood icon in "My Week With Marilyn." Stick with MTV News all night for the 2012 Golden Globes winners, and don't miss all the fashion from the Golden Globes red carpet! Related Videos On The Red Carpet At The Golden Globes 2012 Golden Globes: Highlights From The Show Related Photos Golden Globes 2012: The Afterparties Golden Globes 2012 Press Room MTV Style | 2012 Golden Globes Red Carpet Photos