Idol Worship: Welcome To Idol 8.0

Welcome, American Idol fans, to our little corner of the ever-expanding Idol universe. Yes, we can't believe it's that time again, either. But just as the sun rises in the east, so dawns Idol in the month of January — one week earlier this year just to squeeze every last drop of recession ratings. (Thank you, Fox!) For the next four months, we'll be logging in on a semi-regular basis, keeping you up-to-date on America's favorite TV show with the latest news, behind the scenes reports, analysis and, hopefully, a minor scandal or two. There are lots of changes in store for season 8 — new judge, a Top 36, a wild card round —  and we'll dissect them all! Also expect some of our Idol alumni friends to drop by on occasion and chime in. The fun starts right here, right now with our first post announcing David Cook's forthcoming tour! Read on, pass it along, and do come back for another visit. -- Shirley Halperin