'American Idol' Opens with Big Win; Could Host Seacrest Soon Be a Judge, Too? AP, EOnline

Viewers didn’t seem too perturbed that judge Paula Abdul wasn’t there; Fox’s "American Idol" opened its ninth season by drawing an estimated audience of nearly 30 million people, the Associated Press reports.

Last year’s debut drew 30.4 million viewers, according to Nielsen Co. figures.

Meanwhile, with judge Simon Cowell having announced his exit at the end of the current season, there's a possibility that host Ryan Seacrest may do double-duty as the fourth judge, reports EOnline.com.

-- Allison J. Waldman