The body count keeps climbing

Dude, it’s a good thing the TV season is almost over! The death toll is becoming unbearable.

First, the Carver, that menacing masked serial rapist on “Nip/Tuck,” left us thinking he had (fatally?) stabbed Dr. Christian Troy in the season finale. That was in October.

A month later, meddlesome, funny Martha Huber borrowed a blender on “Desperate Housewives” and was bludgeoned to death with it.

Then came poor Boone’s turn on “Lost.” As if surviving an airliner crash weren’t traumatic enough, Boone, while radioing a distress call this month from a craft lodged in the trees in the jungle, tumbled down with it.

On Wednesday came the biggest blow yet: The life force of “American Idol,” Constantine -- who even Simon Cowell once admitted would win “Smoldering Idol” -- was voted out of the competition, leaving only the most predictable, bland performers to wind down the contest on the 4-year-old show.

Within five hours, the mourning was in full swing all over the Internet.

Not Constantine! Not after he paid such lovely homage to the Partridge family, sexily crooned “My Funny Valentine” and heated up the stage with his rendition of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

What is going on, America?

OK, so Constantine allegedly was voted out by the public -- not by a conniving writer or producer with his or her vindictive pen, holed up in an office. Was it plain old voter complacency? Did everyone assume Simon had called it, and Scott was the automatic loser this week, so no need to hit the redial button for the show’s Greek god? Or are we so uncomfortable with happiness that we have to get rid of those who give us the most pleasure (Christian Troy), the most humor (Martha Huber), the most compassion (Boone) and the most excitement (Constantine)?

At least America still has Stephenie. The 25-year-old invincible “Survivor” contestant, a woman who is turning out to be the quintessential TV heroine, strong yet down to earth and likable, may still win the million bucks. If she does, she’ll be a survivor in more ways than one.