American Idol: Four days until season six begins

Once upon a time, January was just a long cold month that filled me with regret and longing. I regretted the holiday over-eating and over-spending. And longed for warmer weather and something (anything) to distract me from the bleakness of winter.

In 2003, that all changed. Season 2 of American Idol appeared on the horizon giving me -- and the rest of America -- HOPE. Now, every January, American Idol triumphantly returns with blaring trumpets and great spectacle to awaken the American viewing public out of our winter stupor.

Love it or hate it, American Idol unites us as a country on Tuesday and Wednesday nights (or at least 26 - 35 million of us), even as it allows us to respectfully disagree with one another. It lets us become active participants in a successful television show, instead of just making us passive couch potatoes. It creates sixteen weeks of suspense, drama, comedy, and excitement like no other show. And it sweeps us up in a manic wave of Idol-fueled hysteria that is hard to avoid or miss.

I hope all you dawgs are ready for Simon's crankiness, Paula's crying, Randy's namedropping, and Ryan's smugness. Because in just FOUR short days, AI returns for Season Six with a two-night, four-hour premiere, starting 8 p.m. ET/PT on January 16. It all begins with starry-eyed hopefuls in the Minneapolis auditions on Tuesday , and is followed by the Seattle auditions on Wednesday. I imagine, these auditions will be chock full of delusional, yet entertaining wannabes, along with a couple of truly talented singers. And I can't wait for the fun to begin.