Premiering tonight on Fox-TV, the 11th season of AMERICAN IDOL opens, as usual, with a full two-hour audition show. Shot in Savannah, Georgia, the show features judges RANDY JACKSON, STEVEN TYLER and JENNIFER LOPEZ along with host RYAN SEACREST. The first of this generation’s televised talent contests, AMERICAN IDOL has spawned countless imitators, not the least of which is THE X-FACTOR headed by former IDOL star SIMON COWELL. When COWELL left IDOL to do the new show he predicted it would eclipse IDOL in ratings and popularity. A prediction that failed to materialize. At last week’s TCA press conference to promote the new season of IDOL, RANDY JACKSON took the high road when asked to comment on COWELL’S braggadocio. (CLICK ON THE MEDIA BAR FOR AUDIO)

AMERICAN IDOL 2012 debuts tonight on Fox-TV