'Glee' reveals key second-season changes

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif.

There was an unexpected outbreak of "Glee" news late Monday, courtesy of show-runner Ryan Murphy, who met with critics at the Beverly Hilton. So, for the benefit of you Gleeks out there in the reading audience, let's get straight to it:

Instead of "overstuffing" the second season, "Glee" will go smaller, and "dwell on the supporting characters." Expect "big story lines" for Brittany (Heather Morris) and others.

Paul McCartney approached Murphy about including some classics on the show (including "Michelle.") "I was gobsmacked, of course." Part of one episode will include some songs.

An original music episode is forthcoming, with the kids assigned to write their own songs. Expect five originals from that episode.

A Sue Sylvester autobiography is forthcoming, too. Seriously. Jane Lynch will take it on tour, and sign copies, "Sue Sylvester."

The second season's first episode is called "Auditions," but the third will be "controversial." It's about "faith, and kids talking about what God means to them."

Murphy also spoke about those "kids" - the cast - saying, "they are sweet and lovely kids [who] got sucked into something that they didn't know would be so big. The fact that they are so close [to one another] has helped them keep their heads on straight."

NO 'IDOL' SPECULATION. Fox Entertainment chief Peter Rice was asked repeatedly about the future of the judging panel on "American Idol." His response was steady: There is nothing further to add at this point. Are all those stories about Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez - names, by the way, he did not mention - true or not? Rice would only say some speculation was accurate, some not. He declined to say which.

"The only thing I can say with absolute certainty is that no one has signed a deal on either side of the camera who wasn't on last year. It's not a fun announcement and certainly not the choice I'd make, but there are no signed deals."

Rice did explain that Ellen DeGeneres approached him in early June, saying she "didn't feel it was a good fit. I tried to persuade her that it would be different but ultimately we came to an agreement that we'd look for new judges."