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Simon Cowell Calls It Quits On American Idol Cowell will quit the top-rated show on television at the end of this season as part of his plan to focus on launching a new series, "The X-Factor." Fox has picked up "Factor" for the fall of 2011, when "Idol" is on hiatus. Cowell's decision to walk away from his estimated $36 million-per-season "Idol" gig could have major consequences for the show, which has declined in the ratings in recent years. Given that Cowell was the most expensive part of producing "Idol," however, Fox could end up with a more profitable show, even if ratings drop due to losing its most popular judge. Fox chairman Peter Rice and entertainment president Kevin Reilly officially announced the "Factor" pickup and Cowell's "Idol" departure today at the Television Critics Association's winter press tour in Pasadena. "In my opinion it's like having a good player on a good football te

American Idol To Go On Without Simon Cowell Fox is near a deal to order more seasons of "American Idol" -- with or without its most popular judge, Simon Cowell. The network's current contract with "Idol" producer 19 Entertainment and FremantleMedia extends through the end of the 2011 season. But the network is working on a new deal that includes three seasons of "Idol," though that number could still change. The announcement is expected to demonstrate Fox's commitment to its top-rated series, even as "Idol" faces its biggest challenge yet. The "Idol" franchise has been rocked by rumors that Cowell will depart the show after the upcoming season as he prepares to bring his hit UK music competition series "X-Factor" to the states. Cowell's brother Tony announced Tuesday on his weekly podcast that Simon will leave "Idol" at the end of 2010. The move could have a double impact on "Idol" -- the loss o

Fox Unveiled Its Midseason Lineup Fox unveiled its midseason lineup Tuesday, giving homes to new entries "Our Little Genius," " Human Target ," " Past Life " and " Sons of Tucson ." Given its limited shelf space and the need to accommodate the return of "American Idol," Fox is forced to do a bit of scheduling musical chairs in midseason -- although less so this year, as "Idol" will follow the scheduling pattern of "So You Think You Can Dance" in the fall. That also means that unlike past years, much of Fox's midseason schedule looks like the lineup the net announced at the May upfronts (save Tuesday and Friday nights). Meanwhile, with several new shows waiting in the wings, a handful of incumbents will take a hiatus -- most notably, "Glee," which will go dark between Dec. 9 and April 13. (On the bright side, net execs note that "Glee" originally wasn't even on the midseason sked that Fox u

Jennifer Hudson To Play Winnie Mandela Jennifer Hudson, the former American Idol contestant who won the oscar in her first screen role in "Dreamgirls," is ready for her next challenge. Hudson will star in “Winnie,” a drama that casts her as the former wife of South Africa’s first black president, Nelson Mandela. Hudson will play Winnie Mandela in a film that begins production May 30 in the South African locations of Johannesburg, Capt Town, and the Transkei and Robben Island where the future president spent 18 of his 27 years in prison. “Winnie” will be directed by Darrell J. Roodt, the veteran South African filmmaker whose 2006 film “Yesterday” was Africa’s Best Foreign Film nominee, and who also directed “Cry, The Beloved Country,” and “Sarafina!” Andre Pieterse, Roodt and Paul L. Johnson wrote a script based on the Anne Marie du Preez Bezdrob biography “Winnie Mandela:A Life.” Picture is being made with South African and Canadian money, with Pieterse producing with Michael