'American Idol' Winner Won't Be Idle

By Stephen M. Silverman

07/23/2002 at 01:15 PM EDT

Whoever wins Fox TV's "American Idol" competition will have a career in the bag, it seems. Variety reports that Simon Cowell, the waspish judge who intends to produce the winner's music track, insists that the song -- which he likens to a Whitney Houston type of "power ballad" -- will hit stores within three weeks of the summer series' Sept. 4 finale. (He'll manage that by pre-recording a song with each of the three semi-finalists.) RCA Records is already committed to advancing the "Idol" winner a $1 million recording contract that is intended to cover both the winning single and a full-length album that would be released in time for Christmas. Meanwhile, Variety also reports, NBC is in discussions with Simon Fuller, the creator of "American Idol," to revive the 1966-68 music sitcom "The Monkees," about a pre-fab boy band. A fall 2003 season premiere is being considered, says the trade publication. The updated show would feature sketch comedy and music elements featuring four handpicked male stars, a whole new generation of the original Monkees (Davy Jones, Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork). Hey, hey.