American Idol

Our "American Idol" spies tell us Season 8 is going to look more like "Big Brother" than a true singing competition.

We're told producers have decided to show how the contestants interact with each other off the stage. They will show a lot more "behind the scenes" than ever before. But here's the problem -- the show is a cash cow and they've already taken time out of the singing competition for more commercials. Now they're going to take even more time out for the whole "bitch-you-stole-my-blouse" thing.

And we're now told firmly the new, fourth judge is not there to replace Paula. Producers think four is the magic number. The downside -- when one or two judges tell contestants they suck, is it overkill to hear it from four?

And no "Idol Gives Back" this coming season. After all, they gotta pay Simon ...

Paula Abdul was told in no uncertain terms before her "Letterman" appearance last night to put a lid on her feud with "A.I." producers.

Our sources say Paula is "extremely pissed" at "A.I." producers for putting Paula Goodspeed on the show, despite the fact Goodspeed had been harassing Abdul for years -- mad enough to make a stink on Dave's show.

But before tape rolled, we're told "A.I." suits got in touch with Abdul and demanded that she not stoke the coals. "A.I." made it clear -- they were paying Paula's bills so she needed to play by their rules.

Ultimately, Paula played ball, though somewhat insincerely. But it may have paid off. We've learned "A.I." has already opened negotiations with Abdul for Season 9 -- the talks have gone on for more than a month. That goes against the prevailing view that the fourth judge who debuts in the upcoming Season 8 will replace her.

One of them did not deploy a wardrobe stylist.

We're just sayin'.

The verbal attack went down last night on Barbara Walters' Sirius radio show.

Just moments ago on "The View," Babwa went into detail about an interview she did with Paula on her Sirius radio show last night, where Abdul also claimed she's the victim of a three-way conspiracy to ruin her career -- and the perps are bigwigs at Fox, "Idol" and Simon Cowell himself.

"Idol" already added a fourth judge to the new season -- which, in Barbara's opinion, will be Paula's last.

Prescription drugs may have been what killed the obsessed fan who allegedly overdosed near Paula Abdul's house last week.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ "multiple prescription bottles" were found by Paula Goodspeed's body in her car. No word yet what type of drugs the prescriptions were for.

As we reported earlier, Goodspeed had overdosed in the exact same area around a year ago.

To say Paula Abdul had a bad week would be an understatement.

Precautionary measures were taken while "American Idol" filmed at the Kodak Theater this week. All contestants, families and staff were strictly told not to mention anything about the suicide that occurred in front of Paula's home saying, "It would put Paula in a bad mood and not be good for camera."

TMZ sources close to the production say no one tested the new Paula rule and the tapings went without incident.

The rule is said to continue throughout the season. Calls to Paula Abdul's reps have yet to be returned.

Paul Marturano, who sang that skin-crawling stalker anthem on last season's "Idol," wrote us a scathing email yesterday saying: "THANKS ALOT ... I have been getting endless emails and calls from friends and family memebers [sic] who saw your headline about the Paula Abdul Fan Death ... My mother cried thinking I was dead."

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ Paula Goodspeed, who died of a possible drug overdose/suicide last night, overdosed in the exact same area around one year ago.

We're told cops were called to Paula Abdul's house -- either late last year or early this year -- and found Goodspeed inside her car, unconscious from a drug overdose.

Sources say Goodspeed suffered from "extreme mental illness" that spun out of control in the last two years.

A neighbor of Paula Abdul's tells TMZ she saw the car belonging to the deceased obsessed fan of Paula Abdul several times over the last few weeks.

The woman says she generally saw the car in the early mornings, and the woman inside -- who died near Paula's home last night -- would just sit. Neighbors thought she might be a paparazzo.

The neighbor also said cops came out to deal with it a few months back, to no avail.