Fox at TCA: Mariah Carey Phones It In; Reality Stars Dominate the Day - Ed Martin

The announcement yesterday by Fox Entertainment president Kevin Reilly at the Summer Television Critics Association Tour that superstar Mariah Carey next season will help fill the recently depleted judges table on "American Idol" may have been a first of its kind during a TCA panel. The superstar couldn't appear in person to share in the excitement of the moment – or give the hundreds of critics and reporters in the room something interesting to write about – becausethe deal, according to Reilly, had been "concluded only hours ago." So she did the next best thing (the first best thing being an appearance via Skype): She took a call from Reilly and, over the speaker on his cell phone, said she "wanted to be there today," told everyone to "have a great TCA" and promised to see everyone during the Winter TCA Tour in January.

"There's really nothing else we can confirm," Reilly said of all the questions currently surrounding "Idol." He noted that while recent winner Phillip Phillips "went gold faster than any other artist in the history of the show," ratings were nevertheless down for the show's 11^th season. And with Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez departing, and Randy Jackson's future with the show still to be determined, "once again we have the biggest names in the business wanting to do this job," he said. It would seem that there is an inverse relationship between the star power of judges on "Idol" and the level of its ratings, but that's something Fox executives will have to figure out for themselves.

The "Idol" news was rather anti-climactic given the rampant speculation in recent weeks about Carey joining the show, perhaps because Carey wasn't there to break the news herself. Nevertheless, "Idol" proved to be the most interesting topic in what turned out to be a rather low-key TCA day for the usual high-energy Fox. That may have something to do with the fact that the three new shows it previewed throughout the day – comedies "The Mindy Project" and "Ben and Kate" and crime drama "The Mob Doctor" – haven't generated the same enthusiasm as the new series Fox presented at last summer's TCA, which included "The X Factor," "New Girl" and "Terra Nova."

Instead, Fox's day was powered by its high-profile returning reality shows "So You Think You Can Dance," "American Idol" and "The X Factor." The day began with a performance by three of this season's standout contestants on "SYTYCD" and a panel with its judges and choreographers. Sessions for "The Mindy Project" and "Ben and Kate" followed, during which it became clear that while critics don't actually dislike these shows, they aren't as interested in them as they had been (and still are) in last year's freshman favorite, "New Girl." (As for how they feel about "The Mob Doctor," the less said, the better.)

Reilly's session followed, the highlights of which were his announcement about Carey and the details he provided about the fourth season of "Glee," which will be set in its usual Lima, Ohio location (where most of the primary characters will remain) as well as New York City (where some of the characters will explore life after graduation). Both locations will be included in most episodes, he said, adding that there will be "thematic links" between the stories that play out in them.

As for "The X Factor," which is also in rebuild mode, Reilly said he thinks people will be surprised by how "feisty" new judge Britney Spears is and what a "spitfire" Demi Lovato has turned out to be. He said an announcement about the new host for the show could be made as early as next week. In a satellite interview with the "X Factor" crew later in the day, Simon Cowell suggested that there will be two hosts – one male, one female – but that their identities likely wouldn't be revealed until mid-August.

"X Factor" would seem to have gotten off to a rocky start last season, given that super-stiff host Steve Jones and judges Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger were all dropped from the show after its season finale, but Reilly insisted that Fox was pleased with it. "We had one of the best falls we've ever had in the history of the company," he said, suggesting that "X Factor" played a significant role in that accomplishment.

In the "X Factor" panel that came later – a satellite remote from Miami with Cowell, Spears, Lovato and L.A. Reid – Cowell comically referred to Lovato as a "brat" and marveled at how tough she and Spears are with contestants. Responding to a question from a critic, Lovato said she is qualified to be a judge because she listens to the radio and knows what young people like to listen to.

Given his relative over-exposure on Fox, a session with chef and self-proclaimed hospitality expert Gordon Ramsay – the star and executive producer of past and present network staples "Kitchen Nightmares," "Hell's Kitchen," "Masterchef" and "Hotel Hell" -- proved surprisingly fresh and engaging. Ramsay is so comfortable and candid with the press that he puts to shame many of the other reality show personalities who appear throughout TCA tours and act as if the world will come to an end if they reveal too much.

Fox's TCA day ended with a party at the super-exclusive private club Soho House, which was a tantalizing treat to those TCA members who had heard so much about it but had never been invited there. It was an extraordinary event, and it left many critics lamenting the fact that the rest of the parties scheduled for the next two weeks wouldn't be nearly as productive or memorable.