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| ''Today was absolutely dreadful.'' That's Simon Cowell talking between long drags on a cigarette in Randy Jackson's windowless, basement-level dressing room at the Orpheum Theatre in downtown Los Angeles. It's American Idol's ''Hollywood Week,'' when 173 hopefuls sing in hastily assembled groups, forget the simplest of lyrics, and pick pointless fights like eighth graders. They'll eventually be whittled down to just 24, and judging from Cowell's crankiness, viewers are in for some brutal early episodes when Fox's monster hit returns with a two-night, four-hour premiere at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 16. For starters, aside from a young hottie who reminded Paula Abdul of Justin Timberlake, the boys haven't left much of an impression on the judges today. ''It's interesting having not seen them in a few months,'' says Jackson. ''Some were good, but some of them we couldn't even remember.'' Things got so ugly that earlier Simon looked one contestant right in the eye and cracked, ''You're not going to win. You can leave.'' Of course, as any loyal fan knows, a bad day at the American Idol auditions translates into a dependably great night of TV viewing, as the judges hand down (mostly) soul-crushing verdicts that cause wannabe superstars to run off stage cursing or crying (or some combination of both). While getting amped for season 6 of any show is usually difficult, you'll be hard-pressed to find a devotee who hasn't cleared their calendar of Tuesday- and Wednesday-night plans right up until Idol's May 23 finale. ''No matter how bad or crazed or fantastic anyone was in previous years, every year, someone crazier, weirder, and much more talented walks through,'' says executive producer Ken Warwick. ''It's that dynamic that makes the show work — year after year.'' |