Overextended: TV Music Shows Fade

The  heyday of music TV shows seems to be over or fast getting there, after dominating the ratings for more than a decade, according to the New York Times.

One-time ratings king American Idol hit a new all-time ratings low last week, and the age of its viewers has risen dramatically, with the median age now 52, up from 32 in its first year.

The X Factor only lasted three seasons and even The Voice, although still doing well, fell to a new ratings low last week and has seen the age of its viewers rise.

Simon Cowell, who brought us American Idol, told the Times, "They flooded the market. There have just been a ton of shows, and something has simply gone awry."

Even non-competition music show, like NBC's Smash and ABC's Nashville, haven't done well, and one-time smash Glee has taken a huge ratings hit. Dancing with the Stars, although more focused on dance, has gone from two shows a week to one, and while ratings have stabilized, the median age of its audience is an ancient 62.