American Idol

8 p.m., Fox

Welcome to Hollywood, baby! Somewhere between 150 and 175 hopefuls descend on "Hollywood," Ellen arrives, and if we're lucky, things will start to pick up now. I do like Hollywood, particularly the "group sing" round.

Past Life

9 p.m., Fox

I love the Fox network this year, which has installed actual programming in and around "Idol," saving us from marathon two-hour sessions of audition footage. This, however, might not be anything to be grateful for: "At the Talmadge Center for Behavioral Health in New York, the focus is on the science of the soul. Dr. Kate McGinn, a firm believer in reincarnation, tries to help present-day clients whose troubles, she believes, are caused by past-life traumas. Her partner, a pragmatic former NYPD homicide detective still grieving the accidental death of his wife, believes Kate is operating on the fringes of science. His solid detective skills mesh with Kate's out-of-the-box thinking, leading them to unravel the mysteries in the past lives of their clients." Did you notice they snuck the word "fringe" in there? Tonight, they "try to help a teenager suffering from regression episodes in which he remembers being kidnapped and killed in a past life."

Lost

9 p.m., ABC

So, my good friend Paulie C., who is way, way smarter than I am, hated last week's season premiere. Hated it. Hated everything about it. Which stunned me, since I loved it. So, I've decided not to be friends with him anymore. Instead, I am now friends with Mattie C., a nice young man who agrees with me that last week's episode was entirely great. This is the key to my continual positive attitude and upbeat-ness: I surround myself with people who agree with me. Tonight, we focus on Kate. And other stuff.