Swan Song

Someone's not going to make it. During the season finale of Fox's American Idol, a runner-up will be voted off and a winner will be crowned. Meanwhile, on the season finale of ABC's Lost, one of the islanders is going to die, producers have said. What's more, while both of these two-hour finales are among the most anticipated TV events of the season, one of these two shows is going to come out the loser, since both are scheduled to air at exactly the same time: from 8 to 10 p.m. on Wednesday, May 25, which is also the final night of the all-important May ratings sweeps period. Last time the two shows faced off, on the occasion of the Wednesday Idol premiere in January, the singing contest drew 26.7 million viewers, but the castaway drama held its own with a strong 19 million. Still, the only person likely to emerge unscathed is Jennifer Garner; the extra-long Lost will push the Alias finale out of Idol's way, to 10 p.m.