"American Idol" isn't just TV's top series. It's a competition-chewing monster.

Up 14 percent in this fifth season, its most-watched yet, "Idol" is so big that rival shows are reduced to competing for crumbs.

ABC comedies "According to Jim" and "Hope & Faith" have earned their lowest numbers yet opposite "Idol's" warblers. NBC's Winter Olympics fell far behind, often by a 2-to-1 margin, while "Biggest Loser" was, well, a loser and "Joey's" return lasted all of a week. Even "Lost" is down about 20 percent since "Idol's" results show began airing against it in late February.

Yet as big as it is — and "Idol" is averaging more than 30 million viewers this season — only one in four potential viewers tunes in.

Put another way, "almost three-fourths of viewers watching TV on Tuesday at 8 are not watching 'Idol,' " says ABC scheduling chief Jeff Bader.

"There must be something that can successfully compete against it. It's just that no one has found it yet."