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Nigel Lythgoe is a tease!

The So You Think You Can Dance executive producer got all excited last week when he tweeted, "All you Paula Abdul fans please check out next Monday's show." So, we waited tonight, with bated breath, for the erstwhile American Idol judge to pop up on tonight's installment of So You Think You Can Dance...but we waited in vain.

Instead of delivering the real deal, Nigel presented only an empty judge's chair with Paula's name on it, saying, "I've asked somebody to come along and be a guest judge whenever they can, so I've asked them to put a chair next to me just in case she ever turns up. It'd be lovely to see her. I'm putting the pressure on her!" OK then. (This is apparently Nigel's passive-aggressive version of emotional blackmail.)

Still, even with the Paula Abdul anticlimax leading off the episode, tonight's first-ever showcase show was a doozy, and we must discuss what went down, as well as a little late-breaking (and tragic) news about this season's top 20.

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This week is off to a grim start for Paula Abdul.

The dancing shows don't want her, and now she won't be bringing the pretty to Ugly Betty after all.

Talks between the fallen American Idol queen and ABC have stalled, the network confirmed to the Los Angeles Times.

Abdul was slated to appear on the America Ferrera comedy as a temp at Mode who buddies up with Becki Newton's Amanda. The episode was supposed to begin shooting this week.

Yikes! Could this mean a return-to-Idol announcement may be imminent?

Fingers crossed!

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Keep track of all of Paula's comings and goings right here.

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Everyone's favorite shrieking judge is calling out little ol' Paula Abdul.

"She might be sitting next to me this season, you never know," So You Think You Can Dance's Mary Murphy told E! News at the opening of the new L.A. resort, Terranea, last night. "I'm not sure America's ready for that."

While we definitely agree with that sentiment (Paula's mindless blabber mixed with the pitch of Mary's squeal—can you imagine?!), the SYTYCD judge took it a step further on the Paula front:

"There could be a catfight between me and Paula—or a dance fight!"

Uh-oh, is trouble already a-brewin' between the former American Idol judge and her potential Dance partner?

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Patrick T Fallon/ZumaPress.com, ABC/Ron Tom

We kid. It's actually quite the opposite.

On the heels of leaving American Idol and endless speculation as to where she will end up next, E! News has confirmed that Paula Abdul is in talks to guest star on ABC's Ugly Betty.

That's right folks, the little Paula that could continues to rebound after last week's AI debacle. While info about Abdul's potential role on the underdog series is being kept secret, our best frenemy Ausiello reports that she'll play a Mode temp who becomes fast friends with Becki Newton's Amanda.

We can only imagine the misadventures these two will find.

If ABC keeps this up, they may just land Paula for Dancing with the Stars after all. We'll keep you posted...

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Now that the reality is sinking in that Paula Abdul might really, really not be sitting pretty at the American Idol judges table next season, we're starting to mourn her loss a bit.

Of course, there are still those who think this is all just a bargaining strategy and that the "nice judge" and the powers that be behind America's biggest competition show will eventually come to an agreement, but for now, it's looking like Idol will be Paula-less.

And that got us thinking: What will we really miss about Paula Abdul? Take our poll below and then hit the comments with your thoughts.

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Leaving American Idol has turned Paula Abdul into the belle of the ball! Not only is Nigel Lythgoe trying to talk her into a gig on So You Think You Can Dance, but we just learned at the Television Critics Association press tour that ABC boss Steve McPherson would love to get her a job on Dancing With the Stars.

If Paula signed on to DWTS, would she be a judge, a choreographer or a dancer? Here's the dish from today's press tour:

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Michael Becker/FOX

Paula Abdul is gone from Idol, and Fox boss Peter Rice told reporters at the Television Critics Association press tour, "We're very sad that she's not coming back." But the show must go on. So what's the plan for Idol season nine? Well, for one thing, the four-judge setup ain't dead yet, and they're bringing in some surprise celebrity guests to fill the gap. Read on to find out who:

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Lifetime

At least Paula Abdul is still someone's idea of a dream judge.

Less than 24 hours after turning the page on her American Idol career, the former Fox star was on her way to Peachtree City, Ga., to finish shooting her upcoming cameo on the Lifetime dramedy Drop Dead Diva.

And going by this still from the Sept. 13 episode, which she filmed earlier this summer, it looks as if Judge Paula Abdul still wields plenty of authority in TV land.

Tomorrow she'll shoot a scene for the Oct. 11 season finale in which Judge Paula will appear in a dream sequence to give Jane (Brooke Elliott) some relationship pointers.

And, presumably, to tell the spiritually transposed model that she looks amazing.

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Could Paula Abdul finally be crossing over from American Idol to So You Think You Can Dance?

SYTYCD and American Idol share a production company, so there has long been chatter that Idol judge Paula, who was a Laker Girl and choreographed many of Janet Jackson's "Control"-era videos, would bring her dancing feet to SYTYCD. So will it really happen?

Earlier this afternoon SYTYCD producer Nigel Lythgoe tweeted, "People please use Twitter-Power. Ask @PaulaAbdul to choreograph a Michael Jackson tribute on SYTYCD."

Well, Twitter got the message through. Paula just tweeted back, "Have your people call my people and let's do it lol."

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American Idol's Jorge Nuñez and Jasmine Murray have something else in common other than being the first two contestants to leave the top 13: They are heading to school.

Jorge, who was thisclose to finishing up his law degree before trying out for the eighth season of American Idol, says he plans to finish what he started. But don't worry. Music is in the future for this Puerto Rican singer too. "This show was so amazing and I got so much exposure that I'm going to do both," Jorge said on a press conference call this morning. "I'm going to finish college anyway, but I'm going to keep going with music. Music is my priority now."

Jasmine's priority is to finish high school. The 16-year-old is a junior right now in Starkville, Miss., and plans to do the right thing: "I'm going to finish that and I'm going to go to college definitely. And pursue music. This is really where my heart is."

Unfortunately, Simon, Paula, Randy and Kara's hearts weren't exactly with Jorge or Jasmine last night.

Find out what the contestants thought about not being honored with the magical new "Judge's Save"…

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