Losing Paula can’t possibly be good for the show’s ratings in the long run since Abdul’s quirky personality delivered viewers both who loved her and to voyeurs just tuning to see what loopy thing she will say next. The choice of Ellen Degeneres was met with little buzz or fanfare as well, which in light of the circumstances may be a blessing for the show since this is evidence that there is not a lot of strong opinion out there about the personnel move. At least not until she gets in front of the camera and starts interacting with the other judges and the contestants; that of course could go either way.

Tipping Point

If any one person were considered the captain of the Idol ship, it would be Simon Cowell, who long ago secured the spot as chief critic by virtue of his confident, if not brutal assessments of talent, which exude a graceful air of authority that is difficult not to respect. Already a financial success, Cowell is apparently looking to satisfy a lust for even greater achievement. Reports are spreading in the blogosphere that Cowell wants to leave his Idol post and devote his attention to bringing another U.K. import – the X Factor – to the U.S. in 2011.

The rumors have gained a lot of ground in the past few days after Cowell’s older brother announced matter-of-factly on his podcast that Simon would indeed be leaving idol after Season 9, emphasizing that “a press statement is being prepared.”

The idol intelligentsia have already scoped out an early favorite to take the scowling judge’s spot; Piers Morgan, of America’s Got Talent fame.  According to internet gambling site and oddsmaker Bookmaster.com ; Morgan has 2 to 1 odds and P. Diddy 3 to 1.

While a ‘Simonless’ idol would probably be eerily different, it would not mean the end of the Idol franchise. It would never be the same either. In an interview with Cnn.com, Chicago Tribune TV critic Maureen Ryan said it best when she pointed out that “If this is Simon’s last season then it is definitely going to be the last time we see Idol reach its level hugeness.”

Perhaps Idol’s producers have come to realize the limp in the show’s gait. Promo ads and press releases for season 9 are suspiciously less hyped than for previous seasons. There are no dramatic teasers or talk of ‘big surprises,” in press releases. Hype is considerably contained, and as mere Idol voyeurs, all of us are forced to wait and let the annual Idol drama unfold.

Season Premiere Night I Boston Auditions	Victoria Beckham (Guest Judge)	Jan. 12
Season Premiere Night II Atlanta Auditions	Mary J. Blige (Guest Judge)	Jan. 13
Chicago Auditions	Shania Twain (Guest Judge)	Jan. 19
Orlando Auditions	Kristin Chenoweth (Guest Judge)	Jan. 20
Dallas Auditions	Neil Patrick Harris & Joe Jonas (Guest Judges)	Jan. 26
Los Angeles Auditions	Katy Perry & Avril Lavigne (Guest Judges)	Jan. 27
Denver Auditions	Victoria Beckham (Guest Judge)	Feb. 2
Road to Hollywood Auditions	Ellen Degeneres Appears	Feb. 3
Hollywood Round I		Feb. 9
Hollywood Round II		Feb. 10
Hollywood Round III		Feb. 16
Top 24 Announced		Feb. 17
Viewer	Voting	Begins
Top 12 Females Perform		Feb. 23
Top 12 Males Perform		Feb. 24
First Results Show	2 Girls and 2 Guys Eliminated	Feb. 25
Top 10 Females Perform		Mar. 2
Top 10 Males Perform		Mar. 3
Second Results Show	2 Girls and 2 Guys Eliminated	Mar. 4
Top 8 Females Perform		Mar. 9
Top 8 Males Perform		Mar. 10
Top 12 Revealed	2 Girls and 2 Guys Eliminated	Mar. 19