"American Idol" executive producer Nigel Lythgoe says he isn't certain Jennifer Lopez is leaving the show -- and hopes she won't.

Lythgoe spoke at the Television Critics Association summer press tour about his recent conversations with "Idol" host Ryan Seacrest.

"All I said to Ryan is I was really upset to hear of Steven [Tyler] leaving us and the possibility of Jennifer leaving us. She did say 99 percent. Strange thing to say, 99 percent. You're either leaving or you're not leaving. So I'm hoping that 1 percent may mean she's not leaving."

Also read: Jennifer Lopez Leaving 'American Idol'

Lopez said on Seacrest's radio show the day after Tyler announced his exit...

Hey, it worked for "New Girl."

It's almost become de rigeur for networks to give a few early online debuts to the new shows in which they have the highest hopes. This year Fox is bestowing the honor on the fall series "Ben and Kate" (left) and "The Mindy Project."

The two shows' premiere episodes will be available starting Aug. 27 on AOL, Yahoo, Hulu, MSN, Fox.com and XFinity, as well as through some cable, satellite and telco companies. They will remain available for two weeks.

They'll make their TV debut Tuesday, Sept. 25, joining a Tuesday night comedy bloc that also includes "Raising Hope" and "New Girl....

Louis C.K. is thriving -- his standup gigs are packed, his hit FX show "Louie" is a critical darling, and his self-produced standup special, "Live at the Beacon Theater," turned a very fast profit.

But he took a few minutes Sunday to look back on what he considers one of his greatest failures: "Pootie Tang."

Also read: How Louis C.K. Cut Out Networks, Used Them to Make $1M, and Gave Half of It Away

During a panel at the Television Critics Association winter press tour, C.K. was informed that John Waters longed for a novelization of the 2001...

Celebrities, take note: This is how you handle intrusions into your personal life.

Reporters at the Television Critics Association winter press tour tried gamely to ask Russell Brand on Sunday about his New Year's Eve divorce filing from Katy Perry. He went the intensely intellectual route, first euphemistically referring to the breakup as "events" and referencing Kurt Vonnegut.

Also read: J. Lo, Marc Anthony Run Out the Clock at Awkward 'Q'Viva' Panel

"Well I suppose what you're doing is you're making the mistake of seeing time as linear," he told one questioner. "The brilliant American author Kurt Vonnegut, he'll tell ya that if you imagine reality as experienced...