Idol Sidles Up to Premiere Date

Fox's juggernaut reality show returns with two-night, four-hour premiere Jan. 13

Dancing With the Stars may be halfway through its season run, but the next reality juggernaut is already waiting in the wings.

Fox announced today that the eighth season of American Idol will kick off with the freak show that is the audition process in a two-day, four-hour schadenfreude spectacular Jan. 13 and 14.

This time around, Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul—along with the indefatigable Ryan Seacrest—will be joined by new judge Kara DioGuardi when they crush dreams and hopefully unearth a superstar or two while making stops in San Francisco; Phoenix; Salt Lake City; Louisville, Ky.; East Rutherford, N.J.; Kansas City; and, for the first time, Puerto Rico.

Your move, Bergeron.