American Idol Returns!

And a nation yawned.

Okay, everyone. Now find the person who's not gay. GO!

NEW YORK (AP) -- "American Idol," for all its success, is not above tinkering -- especially after last year's revolving door of celebrity mentors and Sanjaya Malakar's improbable run.

Not TOO much tinkering, though. Why mess with a trusty formula?

The Fox ratings superpower returns for its seventh season on Tuesday, and will doubtless dominate January through May as it did last year and the year before that. It could even attract a bigger audience in 2008, thanks to the Hollywood writers strike.

But Nigel Lythgoe, an executive producer for the show, downplayed speculation that the lack of alternative programming as a result of the strike could equal more viewers for "Idol."

"Everyone is sort of saying that there isn't anything else on television to watch," Lythgoe told The Associated Press. (H/T - CNN)

Isn't that the reason anyone started watching Idol in the first place??? Well, that and Carie Underwood . . .