"Idol": Simon Cowell STILL the only reason to watch

Tim Finn's recap of Tuesday's episode is a sobering rebuke to anyone who actually believed Ken Warwick's assertions that there was going to be something new and improved about "American Idol" this season.

Despite all the format tweaks, despite desperate attempts to spice up the auditions (did you know that sitting in judges' laps = comedy gold? Me neither), there is still only one compelling person on "American Idol" most nights. And he knows it.

"The extra-judge experiment has been a dud," my colleague concludes, and after making him sit through 10 hours of "Idol" this season, I'm not inclined to question his judgment. Read more...