American Idol Season 13 debuts to lowest premiere ratings in show history

American Idol shook up Season 13 with a revamped judges' panel that includes Jennifer Lopez, Harry Connick Jr. and Keith Urban. But this maneuver was not enough to reverse the show's ratings trend, as Wednesday's premiere debuted to the lowest premiere rating the show has ever had, even less than its Season 1 premiere, which aired in the summer.

The show pulled in 15 million viewers and a 4.6 rating in the adults 18-49 demographic, down 23 percent from the Season 12 premiere. The numbers represent a general decline in Nielsen ratings for the show that began in 2006, and the premiere ratings have dropped every year since 2010. Despite this, Idol still finished first in the ratings on Wednesday night and routinely pulls in double-digit million viewers, which proves just how astronomical the ratings were when the show was in its heyday.

Idol's main competitor, NBC's The Voice, premiered to 14.9 million viewers and a 5.1 rating when Season 5 debuted in the fall. This marks the first time that Idol has ever premiered with a lower demo rating than The Voice.

The addition of Harry Connick Jr. to the judges' panel has already been a hit with both critics and fans. The singer/actor seems to have brought some fresh honesty into the show and did not hesitate to tell a prospective contestant that he or she was not good enough.

What do you think, Idol fans? Is the show in trouble? What do you think of Harry Connick Jr. on the panel? Let us know in the comments below.