Episode 1 | Auditions #1: Savannah

"American Idol" - Auditions #1-Savannah - Jan. 18, 2012 And, we're back. The eleventh season kicks off with auditions in Savannah, GA. We start with a look back at Kelly's big moment way back in the day interspersed with curren...

Episode 2 | Auditions #2: Pittsburgh

Episode 3 | Auditions #3: San Diego

"American Idol" - San Diego Auditions - Jan. 22, 2012 It's a special bonus Sunday late night "Idol" thanks to the New York Giants OT win. We're in San Diego and for some reason the auditions are taking place on the USS Midway ai...

Episode 4 | Auditions #4: Aspen

"American Idol" - Aspen Auditions - Jan. 25, 2012 The auditions bring us to Aspen, Colorado. They are playing Guster over the montage of Colorado scenery, yay! First up is a screamer named Jenny Schick who calls herself "overen...

Episode 5 | Auditions #5: Galveston, TX

"American Idol" - Galveston, TX Auditions - Jan. 26, 2012 We get greetings from the International Space Station for some reason. First up is Phong Vuwho is enjoying the attention and promises to be a superstar and then he gets t...

Episode 6 | Auditions #6: Portland, OR

"American Idol" - Portland Auditions - Feb. 1, 2012 We get an opening montage of people on the way to the auditions and walking into the audition room. Ryan tells us it's the show's first trip to Oregon. We then get a montage of...

Episode 7 | Auditions #7: St. Louis, MO

"American Idol" -St. Louis Auditions - Feb. 2, 2012 We open with old home video footage of Carrie Underwood at home in OK on her way to audition in St. Louis for "American Idol." We then get a montage of folks in the present doi...

Episode 8 | Hollywood Round, Part 1

"American Idol" - Hollywood Round #1 - Feb. 8, 2012 We start with video montage of people being awakened and getting ready to head off to Hollywood. Ryan tells us there are 309 of them. Then we get the sequence of planes landing,...

Episode 9 | Hollywood Round, Part 2

"American Idol" - Hollywood Rounds Pt. 2 - Feb. 9, 2012 We get a recap of last night and . And Ryan also tells it's the most intense Hollywood week ever and that people are dropping like flies all over the place. Including young...

Episode 10 | Hollywood Round, Part 3

"American Idol" - Hollywood Round, Part 3 - Feb. 15, 2012 It's group day and after all of last week's drama, apparently there will be more: puking, collapsing, crying. Another day in Hollywood. The first group, the contentious B...

Episode 11 | Performance Challenge

"American Idol" - "Performance Challenge" - Feb. 16, 2012 Hey baby, let's go to Vegas! 70 people are on the way to Sin City. Heejun is on the bus shooting video and then we move into a recap of last night including the jubilant...

Episode 12 | Final Judgment, Part 1

"American Idol" - "Final Jugdment- Part 1" - Feb. 22, 2012 The show opening reminds us, if we've forgotten, that this is a show that actually gets voted on by the public. But that doesn't happen until next week. Now we see the fi...

Episode 13 | Final Judgement, Part 2

Episode 14 | Semifinalist Boys Perform

Episode 15 | Semifinalist Girls Perform

'American Idol" - Semifinalist Girls Perform- Feb. 29, 2012 Contestant: Chelsea Sorrell She's from a two-stoplight town in North Carolina.. She fishes and hunts. We meet her mama. Song:"Cowboy Casanova," Carrie Underwood Perfo...

Episode 16 | Finalists Revealed

"American Idol"- "Finalists Chosen" - Mar.1, 2012 It's a go time as we learn who the top 13 will be tonight: 10 put through by America and 3 wild card judge choices. For some reason this will take two hours. Ryan tells us 33 mil...

Episode 17 | Top 13 Perform

"American Idol" - 13 Finalists Compete - March 7, 2012 Now, we're in business. Tonight, the men sing Stevie Wonder songs and the ladies sing Whitney Houston songs. Mary J. Blige will serve as mentor. And Ryan says for one night ...

Episode 18 | Top 13 Results

"American Idol" - Top 13 Results Show- March 8, 2012 Ryan reminds us that the judges will pick who goes home from the lowest vote getting male and female finalist. Also, Lauren Alaina and Mary J. Blige will perform. But first it'...

Episode 19 | Top 11 Perform

"American Idol" - Top 12 Finalists Compete - March 14, 2011 Ryan explains that the show has always had controversy and this year is no exception and with the cooperation of law enforcement they've had to disqualify someone. Of co...

Episode 20 | Top 11 Results

"American Idol" - Top 11 Results Show - March 15, 2012 With last night's ouster of Jermaine Jones, we will be getting our top 10, i.e. the group that goes on the tour, tonight. Jimmy Iovine is sitting in the audience. We see th...

Episode 21 | Top 10 Perform

"American Idol" - Top Ten Performance Show - March 21, 2012 Theme: Billy Joel Steven says Billy Joel is an American icon and if you can't sing Billy Joel you can't sing at all. Mentors: Diddy and new style guru Tommy Hilfiger ...

Episode 22 | Top 10 Results

"American Idol' - Top 10 Results Show - March 22, 2012 Group Sing:"For the Longest Time," Billy Joel. It is zippy and live. Ford Commercial:"You Found Me." The gang runs around a house full of optical illusions. Ryan says the...

Episode 23 | Top 9 Perform

Episode 24 | Top 9 Results

Episode 25 | Top 8 Perform

Episode 26 | Top 8 Results

Episode 27 | Top 7 Perform

Episode 28 | Top 7 Results

Episode 29 | Top 7 Perform Again

Episode 30 | Top 7 Redux

Episode 31 | Top 6 Perform

Episode 32 | Top 6 Results

Episode 33 | Top 5 Perform

Episode 34 | Top 5 Results

Episode 35 | Top 4 Perform

"American Idol" - Top 4 Performance Show - May 9, 2012 Theme: California Dreamin' and Song I Wish I Wrote Ryan tells us in addition to the two performances from each contestant we're going to look at (filler) the contestants' j...

Episode 36 | Top 4 Results

"American Idol' - Top 4 Results Show- May 10, 2012 Ryan reminds us that the contestants really want to make this cut because it means a hometown visit. Group Sing: The final four sing "California Dreamin'' by the Mamas and the P...

Episode 37 | Top 3 Perform

Episode 38 | Top 3 Results

Episode 39 | Finale Top 2

"American Idol" - Final Two Performance - May 22, 2012 Phillip Phillips and Jessica Sanchez face off. They'll each sing three songs, one is producer Simon Fuller's choice, one is their favorite song from the season, and finally t...

Episode 40 | Winner Announced