'American Idol' returns

LOS ANGELES -- More Simon Cowell barbs, more sponsor plugs and maybe the worst singer ever given national exposure will be part of "American Idol" when it returns tonight.\nThe Fox TV series isn't tinkering with the formula that made it a smash hit last summer, its producers say. Can it withstand the pressure of regular-season competition?\n"The show is what the show is. The show runs by virtue of which contestant walks through that door," said co-executive producer Ken Warwick.\nNearly 23 million people watched Kelly Clarkson win the first "American Idol" competition last September. Clarkson scored a No. 1 single, "A Moment Like This," but has yet to release her first album.\nViewers will vote on the semifinalists during the Tuesday shows (8 p.m. EST), and the results will be announced live on Wednesdays (8:30 p.m. EST).