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By Jeremy D. Bonfiglio
MyTVHatesMe.com

Simon Cowell isn’t having as much fun picking on Paula Abdul these days.

Especially since “American Idol” has added another woman to the judges’ panel as it prepares for its eighth season.

“Well, what guy would like that? Come on. You know? You have two girls ganging up on you,” Cowell says. “One is hard enough; two is unbearable. They’ve both got personalities, they’re both very forceful … at least I’ve got Randy by my side.”

When the FOX reality singing competition returns with a two-night, four-hour premiere beginning Tuesday, Jan. 13 (8 p.m. EST), Cowell, Abdul and Randy Jackson will be joined at the table by songwriter/producer Kara DioGuardi.

It’s the most visible of changes to television’s top show in an attempt to rebound from a slight dip in the ratings the past two seasons.

“There had been talk for some time about adding a fourth judge because the British show I do – ‘The X Factor’ – has had four judges for some time and it did help the format,” Cowell says. “I have no idea whether this is going to work or not. I haven’t seen the show back yet. It’s only when I watch the show back whether we actually know if this has been a good idea or a bad idea.”

Despite the arguments at the judges’ table, Cowell says he has reveled in his new power of being the deciding vote when there is a tie.

“There’s been a few arguments along the way, particularly from the girls when they can’t get their own way,” Cowell says. “There was one particular girl — you’ll see her on the show —who came in in a bikini. I mean, the second she walked in it was a ‘Yes’ from us guys and a categorical ‘No’ from the girls. Luckily, I had the casting vote and you’ll see her again.”

In addition to DioGuardi, “Idol” producers — minus Nigel Lythgoe who left to helm his myriad dance shows — have restored the judges’ wild-card picks this season and vowed to focus less on train wreck auditions and more on the semi-final round, which will include 36 instead of 24 contestants.

” I wasn’t crazy about the process we went through the last couple of years where we were given a small group of contestants who you actually got bored with once you hit about show five of the live shows,” Cowell says. “It was kind of like battle of the blondes and they all looked the same. I couldn’t differentiate one from the other. This year there seems to be more personality. … We tried to be as broad and as open minded as possible so that we don’t end up with 12 people from the ‘Stepford Wives.’”

With the possible exception of that bikini-clad auditioner, Cowell believes it is the men and not the women who have shown the most talent so far this season.

“The guys overall – maybe five or six of them – were just stronger and they stood out more than the girls,” Cowell says. “Still, anything can happen.”

Of course this being “Idol” the show enters its eighth season with a steady stream of controversy.

Abdul recently slammed Cowell in a Barbara Walters interview, accusing him of making her look crazy by whispering in her ear.

“Guilty,” he says. “I’ve done it from day one. That’s part of the relationship I’ve had with Paula. I’ve looked upon it in a kind of a fun way. It’s never done with any maliciousness.”

Cowell says that Abdul’s comments were not, “as barbed as they may have appeared.” Abdul was also outspoken about the show’s inclusion of what she says was one of her known stalkers in a 2006 audition round.

That accused stalker, Paula Goodspeed, who performed an off-key rendition of “Proud Mary” before the judges in 2006, was found dead on Nov. 11, 2008 of an apparent drug overdose in a car outside Abdul’s Los Angeles home.

“What happened was awful,” Cowell says. “My regret in all of this is that we didn’t know how troubled this person was. If I could have gone back in time and known what she was going through, I wish that we could have spent time trying to help her, but we genuinely didn’t know.”

Cowell says the show has open auditions and participants are not screened beforehand. Anyone answering the cattle call is warned that if they can’t handle criticism, they shouldn’t sing.

“The show is not an inherently mean show,” Cowell says. “It is an American dream show. The whole purpose of the show is to find somebody — it could be a cocktail waitress like Kelly Clarkson — who through the process becomes a star.”

Cast of "Glee," FOX's new musical comedy series by Ryan Murphy. Photo: Joe Viles/FOX

FOX has ordered 13 episodes of “Glee,” a musical comedy series from Ryan Murphy, creator of “Nip/Tuck” and “Popular”.

The premise of the one-hour series will center around a high school Glee Club, which used to be at the top of the show choir world until a series of scandals turned it into a haven for misfits and social outcasts.

Optimistic teacher Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison) has offered to take on the Herculean task of restoring the Glee Club to its former glory by reaching the nationals.

That won’t be easy since the “brightest stars” of the pitch-imperfect club include Kurt (Chris Colfer), a nerdy soprano with a flair for the dramatic; Mercedes (Amber Riley), a dynamic diva-in-training who refuses to sing back up; Arty (Kevin McHale), a geeky guitarist who attracts more bullies than girls; and Tina (Jenna Ushkowitz), an awkward girl who needs to suppress her stutter before her solo.

Will’s only hope lies with two true talents: Rachel (Lea Michele), a perfectionist firecracker who is convinced show choir is her ticket to stardom; and Finn (Cory Monteith), the popular high school quarterback with a Motown voice who must protect his cool reputation with his holier-than-thou girlfriend, Quinn (Dianna Agron), and his arrogant teammate, Puck (Mark Salling).

The cast also features Jayma Mays as fellow teacher Emma Pillsbury; Jessalyn Gilsig as Will’s tough-as-nails wife Terri; and Jane Lynch as cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester.

FOX says the show will debut later this year, although a firm date has not yet been announced.

— JDB

Howie Mandel talks about his new show, "Howie Do It"/Photo: NBC

By Jeremy D. Bonfiglio
MyTVHatesMe.com

Howie Mandel has gotten a better deal.

The popular host of NBC’s primetime game show “Deal or No Deal” is revisiting his comedic roots for his own take on the classic TV prank show.

“Howie Do It,” which premieres at 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 9 on the peacock network, features Mandel and his crew, including son Alex, as they film unsuspecting marks in a series of embarrassing scenarios.

We caught up with Howie to talk about the prank that got him kicked out of school, the valuable lesson he learned during his stint on “St. Elsewhere” and how the famous germaphobe turned his own worst nightmare into a winning bit.

Question: OK, Howie, is “Howie Do It” more along the lines of “Candid Camera” or “Jackass”?

Howie Mandel: “Candid Camera.” “Candid Camera” was my inspiration. That was the first time where something was really funny because it was real - like I was in on this joke and I was watching real people in these awkward situations. That sparked me so much and I never had any inkling or thought of even getting into show business but even as a kid everything I was ever expelled for, hit for, punished for is what this show is about.

Q: Expelled? OK, there’s a story there so let’s hear it.

HM: I got thrown out of school for hiring a contractor to put an addition onto the library and obviously I didn’t have the authority but for me the humor was getting caught for it and having people very seriously trying to explain to me that I didn’t have the authority to do so.

… People were measuring and they had the survey thing. And the principal went out and asked what they were doing. And they said they’re measuring and going to give a bid on the addition. And he said, “Who authorized this?” And I had given my name. Howard Mandel. I could see from my math window, I could see people out there doing it and I was giggling to myself. I had no other friends in on it. I didn’t have an audience. I’m always my own best audience. And then lo and behold, “Would Howard Mandel please come down to the office.” And I came down and very seriously and sternly he said, “Did you authorize - were you getting bids?” And I go, “Yes.” He goes, “What do you think you’re doing?” I said. “Well I thought I was being responsible. I wasn’t going to just take the first bid. I’ll look and see who comes in.” And he goes, “Just wait here, just wait here,” holding everything in. And then he brought my parents down to the school. And my parents had to sit there and hear him say, you know, “Your son, without any authorization is getting bids on an addition to the learning resource center.”

Just to watch my mom and my dad bite their lip. I don’t know what he expected them to say. “We told you to never put an addition onto a library without authorization” or “we told you to get six bids.” But that was the straw that broke the camel’s back, you know, that was the end of that school.

Q: In your lifetime of playing pranks what’s been your finest moment, your legendary biggest get?

HM: You know the truth is that I don’t have one big get. It started in school from having people out there to give bids on an addition to the learning resources center to throwing a chocolate bar in the pool pre-Caddy Shack. I think the things we’re doing on this show are bigger and better than anything I’ve ever done.

Q: In one bit you are a waiter who seems to have his fingers in everyone’s food. How do you come up with these ideas? Is this from a personal experience?

HM: We have a phenomenal group of producers and writers but when we come up with ideas — especially an idea that I’m involved with — it comes from my biggest fears and what would affect me. This is a reality show. So in my reality shaking hands is equivalent to jamming your finger in my soft drink or my cake. So just because that was my horror I thought it would be interesting to see how people react if I was a waiter who had their finger in more than they should.

Q: What kind of reactions have you gotten from people? Did you get anyone that was really upset because of the joke or does every mark have a good sense of humor.

HM: Ultimately everybody — no matter how awkward it was — were always pleasantly surprised and thrilled to be part of it. If anybody felt uncomfortable about anything they did or how they were portrayed I would not put them on television. Obviously they sign releases but even if they signed a release and they didn’t want to be seen in that light I wouldn’t put them on television. That never happens. Nobody ever said they didn’t want to be part of it. So it’s really good-natured fun.

Q: When you’re setting up the marks and going through the whole thing do you find it hard not to just starting laughing yourself or have you done it for so long that you can control that?

HM: No, I think that’s an issue, laughing. But, you know, I approach it as an actor. We will get there and with all the actors and all of us we set it up, we set the cameras and we run through it like you’re going to rehearse a movie scene. And then we’re four minutes away from mark arriving, three minutes away from the mark arriving, one minute away from the mark arriving.

As soon as that clicks in, like I did on “St. Elsewhere,” you’re acting. This is going to sound very Hollywood actor-ish — but when I was pretending to be Fiscus in those moments I truly believed that I had a patient and I played it that way and I felt the urgency of getting whatever I needed to get out, whatever information I needed to do a task.

When we’re in the midst of these bits, the way to keep from laughing is not to go outside the bit and see how funny it is; what is your goal right then?

Q: Your son Alex plays a significant role on the show as well. What has it been like having him involved in this project?

HM: Just standing on the set watching the next generation, my baby boy, prank somebody else that is my shining moment. I don’t know if any other father would feel the pride that I felt that he was able to prank a perfect stranger, but it was just a wonderfully, emotionally, funny great moment.