The Race for Comedian In Chief

The End.

The idea got its start at a meeting of the "Last Comic Standing" writers, according to show executive producer David Friedman. Originally the idea was to have the show's five finalists cut their own "campaign" ads, since this is an election year and American viewers also get to vote in re who wins the annual competition series. You know the drill. Anyway, that idea somehow morphed into approaching the two presidential wannabes, both of whom said yes.

And why not? In June, both men shilled for Lifetime network's "Army Wives" for its second-season debut -- and that show gets even fewer viewers than "Last Comic Standing." Those plugs were couched as "salutes" to military families, though the network took the bits in which the candidates said they watched the show and spoke the name "Lifetime" and wore them out in promos for Lifetime and the series.

In his plug, McCain said, " 'Army Wives' has a lot of great twists and turns. I know, because Cindy makes me watch with her and we're looking forward to Season 2," and so on. Obama told viewers, "I know you all are waiting to see what happens this season on 'Army Wives.' But I just wanted to take a moment to honor the people this show is about," etc.

Asked why he thinks the candidates are showing up to help promote prime-time soaps and reality series, "Last Comic" exec Friedman told The TV Column that while he's the last guy to say that something as important as a presidential election is a popularity contest . . . you know the rest.

McCain's ad was shot on NBC's lot last month, when he was taping an episode of NBC Universal's syndicated Ellen DeGeneres talk show. Obama's was shot last week at the Omni Shoreham in Washington.

Friedman says the two candidates' writers worked with the show's writers to come up with the ads, and it was pretty much the same as working with any "celebrity."

Speaking of celebrities, Friedman says he was not any more surprised that the men who would be president said yes to the pitch for an appearance than he is when anyone agrees to appear on the show. Obama and McCain will be joined on the season finale by Triumph the Insult Comic Dog.

And Jon Lovitz.

* * *

"American Idol" producer 19 Entertainment issued a statement yesterday emphatically denying reports of the departure of Nigel Lythgoe -- the second most annoying judge on "So You Think You Can Dance" and the "Idol" show runner.

"Contrary to online rumors, producer Nigel Lythgoe is not leaving 19 Entertainment," the company said, like it meant it to sting.

But no one was reporting Lythgoe was leaving 19 Entertainment.

Instead, they were reporting he was leaving "American Idol."

And he is.

Fox says so.

As in: "While we are disappointed that he will no longer be executive producing 'American Idol,' we are pleased to continue working with him on 'So You Think You Can Dance' and look forward to working with him on his new projects."

That's pretty much all Fox is saying on the subject, except that Lythgoe is "an extraordinarily talented producer whose creative contributions to the No. 1 show on television have been immeasurable."

(It's true, last season "Idol" took a bit of a ratings tumble, as did many prime-time series, though most could point to the writers' strike for cause. Not so for reality series. Fox is said to be looking to shake up "Idol," mulling things like shortening the whole lame-auditions period and spending more time on Hollywood Week, etc.)

But Lythgoe, who is a modest man, did not want to boast about his immeasurable contributions to what is still the country's most popular TV series by several laps:

"Due to the huge success of 'So You Think You Can Dance,' my summer will be taken up by travels to South Africa, Australia and Canada to work on local versions of the show," Lythgoe said in his official statement on the subject of his not leaving 19 Entertainment.

Lythgoe said he will "step back" from his day-to-day producing work on "Idol" to devote "my time to a new venture with Simon Fuller. . . . He is without doubt a man of vision, and I look forward to partnering with him on new and exciting challenges in all forms of entertainment."

Lythgoe, who, to his credit, does not emit deafening screams on "So You Think You Can Dance" -- choreographer Mary Murphy does that, making her the hands-down most annoying judge, not just on that show but in the history of TV -- is negotiating a "new deal" with 19 to start a "new joint venture" with Fuller, 19 Entertainment said in its statement -- proving once and for all that Lythgoe is not leaving 19 Entertainment. We hope that ends the rumormongering.