American Idol Returns on January 12th

Fox announced Tuesday that its top rated show American Idol (TV) will return to T.V. on Tuesday, January 12th and Wednesday, January 13th. This marks the ninth season for the singing competition, and viewers will once again get the chance to watch a new crew of Idol-hopefuls jockey for a position in the top ten. Auditions for the show were held this fall in Boston, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Orlando, and Denver.

Fox also confirmed that Idol Gives Back will return. The fund-raising extravaganza will air on April 21, 2010 during the top 7 results show.

Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson, and Kara DioGuardi will take their seats as judges, and Ellen DeGeneres will join the panel as the fourth judge, replacing Paula Abdul. Ellen is expected to bring a friendly, fresh n' funny approach to the show, along with a pretty sizable fan base. Executive producer Cecile Frot-Coutaz offered his thoughts about Ellen on AmericanIdol.com. "We're all delighted to have Ellen join our ninth season of American Idol. Beyond her incredible sense of humor and love of music, she brings with her an immense warmth and compassion that is almost palpable. She is one of America's foremost entertainers, and we cannot wait to have her join our team."

Fans are anxiously anticipating Ellen's debut, and wonder how she'll fare against the likes of Simon Cowell. Her presence will undoubtedly lend a new dynamic to the show, one that could inspire renewed interest from some viewers who felt disheartened after last season's voting controversy.

They'll have to wait a while, though. Ellen wasn't signed on until Sept. 9th, which was after the auditions and call backs had concluded. In the absence of a fourth judge for the try-outs, the show's producers hired guest judges Victoria Beckham, Katy Perry, Mary J. Blige, Shania Twain, Avril Lavigne, Joe Jonas, Neil Patrick Harris, and Kristin Chenowith to fill in.

The question on everyone's mind is whether or not Season 9 will produce the level of mega talent found in previous years with artists like Kelly Clarkson, Chris Daughtry, David Cook, Carrie Underwood, Kris Allen, and Adam Lambert.

Stay tuned. American Idol airs on Tuesdays at 8/7c.