TV talk-show highlights: Wednesday

Today World champion and U.S. Olympic skater Evan Lysacek. (KARE, Ch. 11)

Is credibility an issue at the "Idol" judge table?

Paula Abdul is out, Simon Cowell is making his way toward the exit and Ellen DeGeneres makes her debut tonight on "American Idol." Her lack of music industry expertise makes her contribution to the show more fluff and punch lines than anything constructive.

Photo right: Ellen DeGeneres

Land of 10,000+ apps

Aaron Kardell has developed an application callled iGarageSale.

Minnesota has a thriving tech community producing popular applications for the iTunes Store, even if there's no easy way to count them.

Critic's picks

Henry Louis Gates Jr., left, takes time out from sipping beer with the president to host "Faces of America" (7 p.m., KTCA, Ch. 2), part of his coninuing quest to explore the roots of really famous people. Among the new season subjects: native Minnesotan Louise Erdrich, part-time Minnesotan Kristi Yamaguchi and Meryl Streep who, um, once shot a movie in St. Paul.

Tuesday's DVD releases

"Army Wives" (Season 3), "Bad Girls of Film Noir" (Vols. 1 & 2), "Couples Retreat," "Dangerous Man," "Dante's Inferno," "Emma" (BBC), "JAG" (final season), "The Penguins of Madagascar -- Operation: DVD Premiere," "A Serious Man," "The Stepfather," "The Time Traveler's Wife."

TV critic's choice: Tuesday

Ellen DeGeneres finally takes a seat on the judges panel as "American Idol" (7 p.m., KMSP, Ch. 9) enters the Hollywood round, in which competitors from across the country try to make it to the final 24. The chemistry -- or lack thereof -- between DeGeneres and Simon Cowell should be more intriguing than the performances.