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The former ‘American Idol’ judge will be lead judge on CBS dance show. By Gil Kaufman Paula Abdul Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images Paula Abdul said she’d be back in the judge’s chair. Well, a judge’s chair, anyway. A year after walking away from “American Idol,” the former Laker Girl and choreographer to the stars will be returning to TV on the new reality dance show “Got to Dance.” According to the Hollywood Reporter, Abdul will be the lead judge, executive producer, creative partner, mentor and coach on the CBS show that is based on an already popular British dance competition. The network gave a green light to the show in March, and Abdul was long rumored to be one of the top choices for lead judge, in addition to having a number of behind-the-scenes and on-air responsibilities on the show. The program is likely to be a mid-season replacement, which could mean that Abdul will go head-to-head with “Idol” in 2011, which will be in its first season without Abdul former on-air sparring partner Simon Cowell. Cowell is departing after Wednesday’s season-nine finale to concentrate on the 2011 launch of the American version of his hit British reality singing show, “The X Factor.” Abdul was also long rumored to be in the running to join “X Factor,” but appears to have opted instead to headline her own program, which is being billed as broadcast TV’s first all-ages, all-genre dance series, presenting everything from “ballroom to breakdance, bhangra to ballet and tap to tango.” The acts will compete before a panel of judges, and viewers will vote for their favorites during the semifinals and finals. Abdul will be wading into a fiercely competitive market, with ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars” already a ratings juggernaut, followed by the popular “So You Think You Can Dance” on her old network, Fox. There are also dancers on NBC’s “America’s Got Talent,” MTV’s “America’s Best Dance Crew” and a variety of other shows on basic cable networks, including two upcoming CW shows called “One Mass Dance” (about flash-mob-style routines) and “Shed to Wed” (a pre-wedding weight-loss dance-off). Is there space for another dancing show on your viewing schedule? Did Paula make the right choice? Share your thoughts in the comments. Related Artists Paula Abdul

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Paula Abdul Returns To TV With ‘Got To Dance’