Back To Reality

Simon Cowell has been threatening to leave American Idol, and now it's happened. He'll stay around for one more season, then leave for the apparently similar X Factor.

Simon was the most important member of the AI team. I'm not saying he can't be replaced--the concept is still central--but I can't imagine the show will be the same without him. From the other side, I can't imagine he'll ever be on as big a show as he is now; AI was by far the biggest hit of the past decade.

But AI, while still #1, is on a downward arc. Perhaps Simon figured he should go while he can still get a great deal. Furthermore, as the show continues to sink, he can claim it's because he left.

The previous season of AI was its eighth, and the first I didn't watch regularly. I'm not sure how I feel about this new season. Should I watch it for Simon? Actually, it's just as much about how exciting the singers are.

Actually, it doesn't really matter. Once Lost starts, I'm gone anyway.