Ratings: American Idol down 8% from last week, down 3% from last season

American Idol just cannot be stopped. Still the top show of the night.

From TVbytheNumbers:

Fox of course easily won the night with a 90 minute version of American Idol scoring a 7.1 rating with adults 18-49. The debut of Breaking In in scored a 3.5 adults 18-49 rating and 9.9 million viewers, the highest for a Fox comedy debut in five years. Retentionistas will assail the drop-off from Idol, but it was the highest comedy retention out of Idol in more than four years. Shows typically drop from their premieres so next week will be more telling.

Idol was down 8% versus last week’s two hour edition, though it has typically been adjusted up a couple of tenths in the finals. As it is, Idol was down only 3% from last season’s equivalent telecast.