'American Idol' results edition cut to a half hour

Right on schedule, Fox laid out its mid-winter plans a little while ago, with the centerpiece -- New, Improved, Remodeled and Re-Judged "American Idol" -- getting a big four-hour block smack in the middle of January -- or Wednesday Jan. 15 and Jan. 16 to be exact. But here's the real news: The results edition will be cut to just 30 minutes next season.

Fox isn't saying exactly when results will get cut to a half-hour, but the new winter schedule release says that it will air from 8 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. for at least eight weeks this spring, so as to give that new Chrisopher Meloni comedy, "Surviving Jack," a decent lead-in at 8:30 p.m.

So good news/ bad news? I think "Idolistas" would agree -- good. Results editions have been bloated elephants for years when, really, the only thing fans want to know is whether their favoite survived. This will be a brisk 22-minute show.  

 Meanwhile, "Rake," the legalish drama about a rakish lawyer, starring Greg Kinnear, arrives Jan. 23 while the second season of "The Following" hits the air a couple of days earlier, on Jan. 20. 

The lineup: 

Friday, Jan. 10

9:30-10 p.m. -- "Enlisted" (series premiere)

Saturday, Jan. 11

11 p.m.-midnight -- "Animation Domination High-Def," featuring Lucas Bros. Moving Co. and Golan the Insatiable

Wednesday, Jan. 15

8-10 p.m. -- "American Idol" (season premiere, Part One)

Thursday, Jan. 16

8-10 p.m. -- "American Idol" (season premiere, Part Two)

Sunday, Jan. 19

 6-10 p.m. -- NFC Championship Game (Live)

10-11 p.m. -- "Rake" (series premiere, Night One)

Monday, Jan. 20

8-9 p.m. -- "Sleepy Hollow" (season finale; special time)

9-10 p.m. -- "The Following" (season premiere)

Thursday, Jan. 23

 8-9 p.m. -- "American Idol" (time period premiere)

9-10 p.m. -- "Rake" (series premiere, Night Two / time period premiere)