I woke up this morning in time to see the results of a poll on new “American Idol” judges Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler (see right) that aired at the end of Channel 2’s “Daybreak.”

The results made you wonder if the show’s Water Cooler effect would depart this season with acerbic Simon Cowell.

According to Channel 2’s unscientific poll, 42 percent felt the show was better with the new judges but 50 percent agreed with the statement “no Simon, no show.”

Better without Simon?

Did those voters actually see Wednesday’s two-hour premiere?

I watched the first hour trying to imagine what “Idol” would have been if it had started with Tyler, Lopez and holdover judge Randy Jackson.

I couldn’t imagine it would have become the TV phenomenon it became in the last decade.

The new configuration apparently means that Jackson will have more power and impact as he guides the new judges.

Lopez looks beautiful in all her hair styles and outfits, but when it comes to criticism she made Paula Abdul sound like Mike Schopp or Sean Hannity.

Tyler, the long-haired lead singer of Aerosmith who David Letterman cracked Wednesday night looked like J-Lo’s mother, does seem to have some critical potential and an ability to turn a phrase. He could – in the vernacular of the show – eventually make his role “all his own.”

But as many critics have noted, the judges might not sound better than they do in the audition episodes in which their comments are taped and edited. The hard part comes later when they assess performances live.

Of course, a 50 percent negative judge rating could spell disaster for the show’s ratings.

But it is too early to overreact. Besides, even if those 50 percent leave, “Idol” would get a respectable rating by TV network standards.

The show has leaked ratings nationally and locally. But there is nothing else on WUTV besides NFL games that gets close to the 16.2 rating it averaged a year ago, down from a 17.7 in 2009.

Wednesday’s opener had a 14.9 local rating on Channel 29, which means it probably will be about 15 or 20 percent lower than the 20.9 rating the opener had in 2010 when time-shifted viewership up to seven days later was counted.

The unknowns in the equation are the talent level, which has slipped significantly in recent years, and the heartwarming stories that accompany the contestants.

One thing that was very clear from Wednesday’s opener in New Jersey was that “Idol” is going to be warmer and fuzzier this year without Simon. And if it is warm and fuzzy in hard-bitten Jersey, it will be even warmer in the South, where many of its top candidates often come from.

* NBC’s new three-hour block of comedies Thursday night should take a hit opposite the second night of “Idol.”

It doesn’t help that the new comedy premiering at 8:30 p.m. on Channel 2, “Perfect Couples,” doesn’t live up to its name.

“Couples,” which had an early launch in December that few people or even critics were aware of, is the first of what will be a series of new romantic comedies premiering on television this spring.

Its three couples can be summarized in a few words: Dave (Kyle Bornheimer of CBS’ one-year wonder “Worst Week) and Julia (Christine Woods) are the normal couple. They would prefer to spend time with each other rather than share their anniversary with friends. Vance (David Walton) and Amy (Mary Elizabeth Ellis) like to have fights so they can have makeup sex. Rex (Hayes MacArthur) and Leigh (Olivia Munn) are the couple guided by self-help books that tell them how to behave.

Tonight’s unfunny pilot revolves around a game night. An additional episode sent for review revolves around Dave’s unhealthy eating habits and Amy’s spending habits. It led to some forced fun at Rex’s new man cave.

The man cave is a perfect metaphor for the series, since practically everything about “Perfect” is forced – the situations and the humor.

It is so lame that I bet even J-Lo would have no trouble voting it off TV.

Rating: 1 and a half stars out of 4   

pergament@msn.com

Be Sociable, Share!

•