American Idol

Quick, give Ellen DeGeneres a grade as American Idol judge. What did you think of her debut performance this week?

The TV Fanatic staff is already a big fan of the comedia, but we thought she was outstanding. She made us laugh when she had contestants moving all around the stage before telling them all they were through - but she also made it clear she was not gonna be Paula Abdul 2.0.

Ellen told one guy his routine "scared" her. She made it clear she didn't like another very much, but managed to temper her criticism by acknowledging the singer was clearly nervous.

We look forward to a season of funny one-liners and straightforward critiques from her. Best of all? She sat back and focused on the singers. There were no contrived antics, nothing that cried out for attention or diverted attention from the people on stage.

As for the contestants themselves?

Randy Jackson said this season was all about the ladies and he was proven correct on this night.

Haeley Vaughn, Crystal Bowersox and Didi Benami were especially impressive. Who did we like on the guys's side? And what made this trio of females stand out?

Read through our American Idol recap for the answers!