Is 'American Idol' vulnerable? Well...?

New "American Idol" judges Steven Tyler, second from right, and Jennifer Lopez, second from left, appear with returning judge Randy Jackson and host Ryan Seacrest. (Sept. 22, 2010) Credit: Fox
Can any show beat "American Idol?"
It's never happened, in nearly 10 years - not once, at all, ever. Even if "Dancing with the Stars" -- one or two times -- pulled close, and may have even beat "AI" in the demo.
"American Idol" is the great white shark of American television - or maybe a better analogy is Pac Man - consuming rival after rival.
Below I've posted an In Memoriam list of the brave and valiant, or maybe foolish - who came, and were conquered. It's a long list. Be prepared to scroll. I've done this for a couple of reasons. First, NBC has ordered a Dutch hit - as first reported by the Live Feed yesterday - entitled "The Voice of America." The show's not quite a dead ringer for "Idol," but it may be a dead-ringer for "The X Factor," which also arrives on Fox next fall.
Think...judges. Think...singers. Think...elimination.
NBC obviously feels good about the success of "The Sing-Off" and so it should. I'll bet right now that Monday's finale easily exceeds 10 million viewers. That could well be the single biggest number on NBC all season -- not counting football, of course.
Will "The Voice of America" go up against "Idol?" Who knows - but it's certainly likely, especially if NBC decides to break up the hugely expensive all-Thursday comedy block this winter when "Idol" starts to roll up numbers again. ("Idol," as you know, is moving to Wednesdays and Thursdays next season.)
Obviously Fox thinks "Idol" needs to be shaken out of its complacency, and diminished numbers. Obviously, Fox wanted to get "Idol" out of the line of fire of "Dancing with the Stars," which had a huge 11th season. And if "DWTS" somehow lands another Palin (is Willow too young? Can Todd do the tango?) it will have a huge 12th. Obviously, the other networks think there may finally be some vulnerability here.
Obviously.
But beware: Any network that thinks "Idol" is takeable must first consult the list below. It's a sobering reminder of the Pac Man in their midst.
I've compiled the RIP list for ABC, NBC and CBS efforts below. Even at this length,
it's not a complete one, and I haven't even begun to compile the WB's, UPN's, or CW's efforts. So take a deep breath...and a long swig of coffee....
ABC
8 Simple Rules
According to Jim
Life with Bonnie
The Bachelor
The Bachelorette
Daybreak
Less than Perfect
Lost at Home
Less than Perfect
The Drew Carey Show
It's all Relative
Less than Perfect
I'm With Her
George Lopez
Rodney
Alias
Dancing with the Stars
Commander in Chief
Hope and Faith
Sons and Daughters
Freddie
Help Me Help You
Big Day
Primetime Live
Show Me the Money
Knights of Prosperity
In Case of Emergency
Notes From the Underbelly
The Next Best Thing
The Great American Dream Vote
Cavemen
Carpoolers
Just for Laughs
Wipeout
Private Practice
Super Nanny
Homeland Security
Scrubs
Better off Ted
The Goode Family
V
Lost
Hank
The Middle
Modern Family
CBS
Century City
The Gaurdian
The Stones
Becker
King of Queens
Clubhouse
Amazing Grace
Center of the Universe
NCIS
The Amazing Race
The Unit
Criminal Minds
Shark
The Mentalist
NBC
Just Shoot me
Let's Make a Deal
Dog Eat Dog
AUSA
Watching Ellie
Hidden Hills
Frasier
Whoopi
Happy Family
Good Morning Miami
The Tracy Morgan Show
The Apprentice
Committed
The Office
The Biggest Loser
The Contender
Scrubs
The West Wing
Revelations
The Apprentice: Martha Stewart
Law and Order
E-Ring
Fear Factor
My Name is Earl
The Last Comic Standing
Friday Night Lights
Identity
Dateline NBC
Medium
Crossing Jordan
The Biggest Loser: Couples
Life
Deal or No Deal
The Great American Sing-off