Tattle: 'Idol' threat no longer: Simon says 'X' marks the spot

SIMON COWELL yesterday put in an unscheduled appearance at the Television Critics Association winter meetings to make it official: Season 9 of Fox's "American Idol," which begins tonight, will be his last.

TV Critic Ellen Gray writes from Pasadena that the jeans-clad Cowell took the center stage seat that had been, only moments before, occupied by Fox entertainment chairman Peter Rice, and told reporters: "We reached an agreement formally at about half past 10 this morning" in which Fox will pick up the longtime "Idol" judge's British show, "The X Factor," for the fall of 2011.

"I think it was more like half-past 11," said Rice.

And then, in a flourish that underlined the show in show business, Rice pulled out Cowell's new contract and had him sign it while the press looked on.

Note to NBC: This is how you handle a tricky personnel crisis.

"5, 4, 3, 2, 'X Factor' starts right here," Cowell said as he signed what for all anyone could see from a distance could have been a Chinese-takeout menu.

Though even as Cowell sat down again to take reporters' questions, Fox pages were distributing a press release about the deal, which included the information that "The X Factor" "is currently shown in 17 countries worldwide with a global audience of more than 500 million, and is the No. 1 TV entertainment format in Europe."

Unlike "Idol," it's also a show that was created and launched by Cowell, who will continue to serve as executive producer and as a judge on the British version, and the outspoken Brit has made no secret in recent years of his eagerness to get it onto U.S. television.

"I've tried to be loyal [to 'Idol']," he said. "I have been loyal. We did talk about my staying on both shows," but the logistics didn't work.

"I can barely get away with doing one season a year on 'American Idol,'" since he also appears on both "The X Factor" and "Britain's Got Talent."

Asked why, other than owning the show, he was so fond of "The X Factor," he said, "I don't like rules, to be honest with you."

Working on "Idol," he'd regularly hear from people who were too old to compete or from groups whose work didn't fit the show's mission to find solo singers.

"X Factor," by contrast, has no upper age range – "you could literally be a hundred years old" – and in the U.S. version may take contestants as young as 14, he said. Groups can also compete.

"Susan Boyle [who competed on 'Britain's Got Talent'] is the best example of why I like doing shows with no upper age range," he said. "Without a show like that, she couldn't have landed her recording contract. Obviously, on 'X Factor,' we're hoping to meet the American equivalent of Susan."

Not that he or she will necessarily be anything like Boyle. "Right now, who's got the biggest X Factor in the world? Lady Gaga," he said. "I would love to find someone like that."

Another difference in "X Factor," he said, is that judges mentor contestants, "so essentially the judge is judged as well as the singer."

Judging judges will now be up to executives at Fox, whose next job will be finding a strong enough presence to replace Cowell, the Briton many Americans have come to love to hate, some so much so that a recent poll conducted by Flemington, N.J.-based HCD Research found that 47 percent of "Idol" viewers would watch the show less often if he weren't there.

"I think you'll find it's higher," quipped Cowell, who nevertheless predicted that "American Idol" will continue to be the No. 1 show on television.

In his final season, he'll be sharing duties with returning judges Kara DioGuardi and Randy Jackson, as well as with the show's newest judge, Ellen DeGeneres, who replaced Paula Abdul after Fox and Abdul couldn't agree on a contract.

Any chance she'll be appearing on "The X Factor"?

"I've gone on record: I adore Paula," Cowell said. "Whatever happens, I will be working with her in some capacity. Because I miss her. You're just going to have to watch this space."

Tattbits

* In other TV news, after a brief stint as governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin is returning to her first career, TV, and bringing her conservative views to Fox News.

Palin, of course, is thrilled.

"It's wonderful to be part of a place that so values fair and balanced news," she said in a statement.

Guess Fox figured it was leaning a little too far Left and needed Palin to get it back to "balanced."

Fox said that according to the multiyear deal, Palin will offer political commentary and analysis. She also will occasionally host "Real American Stories," a series featuring true inspirational tales about Americans.

"Governor Palin has captivated everyone on both sides of the political spectrum and we are excited to add her dynamic voice to the Fox News lineup," said Bill Shine, executive vice president of programming.

Both sides of the political spectrum? Really, Bill? You think there are a lot of tree-hugging, pro-choice, vegan, PETA fans in line at Palin's book signings?

Not that Palin shouldn't be great in her new role. She's photogenic, talks the talk and has a built-in fan base. Plus, being on the same channel as Glenn Beck will make her sound like a Moderate.

And she's got TV experience: Palin worked part-time as a weekend sportscaster in the 1980s for KTUU, in Anchorage.

* On the other side of the political tilt-a-whirl, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez says that there's too much capitalism on Venezuelan TV. He's urging producers to start making "socialist soap operas."

As soap operas are mostly about wealth and power (and lust), can you even have socialist soap operas?

The "Dynasty" Carringtons didn't live in government housing.

The "Dallas" Ewings were an oil family, not state workers.

But a soap in which the average family rebels when it realizes that the ruling elite has all the perks and all they've got are dead-end jobs, ugly clothes and gas rationing . . . that could be entertaining drama.

* Sony announced yesterday that star Tobey Maguire and director Sam Raimi are out of "Spider-Man 4."

At least now we know that that was our Spidey sense tingling and not poor circulation.

Daily News TV Critic Ellen Gray and wire services contributed to this report.

E-mail gensleh@phillynews.com