Fox putting the glee back in 'Glee'

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. -- "Back to basics."

Those are the three words Gleeks will want to remember as the third season of "Glee" kicks off this fall.

No big guest stars. No big tribute numbers. No controversy. Kevin Reilly, Fox Entertainment president, Friday promised all three as he sought to unravel the odd contortion "Glee" found itself in this summer when show runner Ryan Murphy said three key cast members -- including likely Emmy winner Chris Colfer -- would leave at the end of the season, only to have one of his creative partners on the show, Brad Falchuk, later say they would not be leaving. Yesterday, Reilly said, "As you well know, there are many shows that have genuine infighting and controversy -- this is not one of them."

He (and Falchuk) did confirm that three cast members will graduate, but not necessarily leave the show to join a long-rumored spinoff, which -- he also confirmed -- "remains in the wind." Nevertheless, without the big three -- Colfer, Lea Michele and Cory Monteith -- it's unclear how much in the wind it still remains.

Reilly declined to say which cast members would graduate, but he did declare a "back to basics" for "Glee," which ascended a soapbox last season, and (occasionally or frequently -- your choice) lost some of the charm, ingenuity and fun of the first year. By basics, Reilly said, the show will focus on the "core characters" and there will be a yearlong arc that will carry season 3 through to graduation.

COWELL PROMISES VERY DIFFERENT 'X FACTOR' Two familiar faces appeared before critics yesterday -- Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell -- so it was logical that they'd get some form of this by-now familiar question: Won't "The X Factor" be just another version of "American Idol"?

"We see this as a game changer," said Cowell, on a giant screen via satellite hookup. "We're going to try to find a completely different kind of contestant," adding: "The shows [are]completely different." On stage at the Beverly Hilton, judge Abdul echoed that, saying both shows have "completely different feelings."

She added that it was "nice to be back in a demented relationship" with Cowell, who added, "I think it's more like 'The Exorcist II.' " Separately, Cowell said he hopes to get Mariah Carey involved in "Factor" in one nonjudging facet of the show. He declined to say what the role, if it happens, might be.