'Cupid' aims to win hearts of summer viewers

By David Badder
Associated Press

With his new dating game, "Cupid," Simon Cowell may have everything going for him but timing.

The "American Idol" villain premieres "Cupid" on CBS tomorrow in the midst of a desultory summer of reality programming.

After having seen several American networks initially pass on "American Idol" before it became a hit, Cowell — never afraid to offer his opinion, anyway — is confident of this one.

"Regardless of the competition or the timing, if something is fundamentally good, it will work," he said. "If something is fundamentally bad, it won't."

Cowell conceived the show and is its executive producer. He wasn't going to appear on the air, but recently decided to serve as a narrator for the first two episodes.

On the surface, "Cupid" seems an appealing blend of "American Idol" and "The Bachelor." The lead character is Linda Shannon, 25, an advertising copywriter who winds up with a potential mate voted upon by the viewing public.

Shannon is given a $1 million dowry, which she can keep if she marries the winning guy and stays married for a year.

So far, this summer's prime-time television has been dominated by Jerry Bruckheimer and Dick Wolf. The shows they produce — Wolf's "Law & Order" and its two spinoffs, Bruckheimer's "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" franchise and "Without a Trace" — have been more popular in reruns than anything new.