daily entertainment links: American Idol gets busy; RSC in NYC; Drake on tour; and more

With the audition shows out of the way, tonight "American Idol" gets down to business.

Adam Graham of The Detroit News thinks it's about time, and MTV.com looks at the addition of Ellen DeGeneres to the judging panel. But the start of competition is being overshadowed by rumors that Howard Stern may be considered to replace Simon Cowell. Stern says he'd do it for a measly $100 million.

Other news of note this morning:

SUPER BOWL

• MTV.com has some comments and a poll on the critical question: Who should play the halftime show at next year's Super Bowl?

• The big game eclipsed the finale of M*A*S*H as the most-watched TV show ever.

STAGE

• Wow. The New York Times reports that the Royal Shakespeare Company will come to New York for a six-week, five-play residency in 2011. And get this: There are plans to build an exact replica of the company's home Royal Shakespeare Theater inside New York's Park Avenue Armory. As the story notes in passing, the RSC has in the past come to Ann Arbor for residencies sponsored by the University Musical Society.

TELEVISION

• Turns out part of the reason Jon Stewart's recent appearances on Bill O'Reilly's show were so tame was that the so-called "No-Spin Zone" edited out some of the best parts. Gawker runs it all down here.

• Not that it really matters — he is, of course, headed back to "The Tonight Show" — but the final edition of "The Jay Leno Show" airs tonight. Meanwhile, the New York Daily News has a nice roundup of some memorable Conan O'Brien moments. And Sarah Silverman has weighed in on NBC's decision to dump Conan from "Tonight" — guess what she thinks of it?

• People.com reports that Vogue editor-at-large André Leon Talley has agreed to take a judging seat on "America's Next Top Model."

• MTV's new logo finally admits that the channel hasn't been about music for a long, long time.

• MLive.com reports that a cow bone processing plant in Melvindale will be featured on the Discovery Channel's "Dirty Jobs." Apparently, this one is really, really dirty.

MUSIC

• Hot rapper Drake is touring, and The Detroit News reports he's scheduled dates at Oakland University and Michigan State.

• Salon.com reports on the re-emergence of Gil Scott-Heron.

• Michael Jackson's father thinks that the doctor charged in the singer's death is just a fall guy.

• Rapper Lil Wayne faces sentencing today in a gun-possession case. And in a Rolling Stone interview, he says he's looking forward to jail.

GAMES

• The New York Times has a review of the new video game "Dante's Inferno."

BOOKS

• Although big Christian publisher Zondervan (based in west Michigan) killed plans for a cookbook by reality TV star Kate Gosselin when her divorce plans became known, The Grand Rapids Press reports the same company is now producing a different book by her.

ONLINE

• We wrap up today with this hilarious item on "How to Report the News." (Beware of some profanity.) Watch and learn:

Renee Tellez and Jenn McKee contributed to this roundup. Bob Needham is director of entertainment content for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at bobneedham@annarbor.com or 734-623-2541, and follow him on Twitter @bobneedham.