TCA Press Tour Recap: Fox Talks Paula, 'Fringe,' 'Glee' & More

There's only one more day of the TV Critics' Press Tour remaining, but it's a jam-packed one for ABC on Saturday. Follow me for all the notable moments and breaking news on Twitter (@TheTVShowGirl), and check back for a handy recap of the day.

For now, let's talk Fox. Panels were presented for 'Brothers,' 'Glee,' 'Human Target,' 'Fringe,' 'Lie to Me' and more, and we were also treated to a lunchtime table read of a 'Cleveland Show' episode and a late afternoon snack cook-along with hilariously foul-mouthed chef Gordon Ramsay.

Here are all the highlights ...

'Idol' Chit-Chat
Fox entertainment chairman Peter Rice set the record straight about Paula Abdul -- she really is gone for good from 'American Idol.' "Our understanding is that we have concluded negotiations and she will not be back," he announced. But what about all the rumors regarding other fourth judges? Rice seems to like the idea of having female pop stars pop in each week, and confirmed that both Katy Perry and Victoria Beckham (a.k.a. Posh Spice) will be among the guest judges.

'Glee' Is Good
Having already seen the next two episodes of 'Glee' at a special preview last month, I knew what everyone else at press tour was about to find out: 'Glee' is good. Like really good. With everyone buzzing about a certain Beyonce number that totally makes one episode, the cast was adorably energetic and appreciative of all the love they've been receiving. Fun bonus: I spotted the fabulous Amber Riley at the after-party, and she said she'd love to do an AOL Sessions with her castmates. AOL Music, are you listening? That would be a seriously amazing cross-promotion.

'Fringe' Benefits
The 'Fringe' panel was appropriately devoid of any real, hard facts about season 2 and what's in store with the alternate universes revealed in last season's finale. But that doesn't mean they weren't fun. As always, stars Joshua Jackson and John Noble had everyone laughing, and Anna Torv was lovely. But the 'Fringe' star who made the best showing was definitely The Observer, who Fox had standing nearly motionless on a sixth floor balcony, looking over the after-party all night. Nice touch.

'Human' or Hero?
The 'Human Target' panel fielded questions about why Christopher Chance doesn't "become" who he's protecting, as he did in the DC Comics series. Surprisingly, I'm sort of OK with their explanation: because then we wouldn't get to see star Mark Valley each week. The highlight of the panel had nothing to do with 'Target' though -- star Chi McBride made a great 'Pushing Daisies' observation. "Somebody said to me today, 'Everybody loved Pushing Daisies.' [Laughs] No they didn't ... that's why I'm here!" Still, I got a little nostalgic seeing him smoke his cigar at the party, while rocking his pinstripe suit ... RIP Emerson Cod.

Now We're Cooking
Gordon Ramsay provided a delightful break from the monotony of the day. Answering questions about 'Hell's Kitchen,' 'Kitchen Nightmares' and his latest show, 'Gordon Ramsay: Cookalong Live,' Gordon also had us all play along. Armed with silver bowls, whisks, egg whites and sugar, the ballroom full of journalists was whipped into a frenzy, desperate to get our whites up to his high meringue standards. After getting the stamp of approval, we covered a small spongecake and ice cream with my meringue, then had Gordon torch it for the perfect Baked Alaska. Yum!

Up next: ABC's panels. Follow all my live updates on Twitter (@TheTVShowGirl)!

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