'Idol' inventors

Is it possible to rip off a show about aspiring singers and turn it into a show about aspiring inventors?

Yes. And "American Idol" judge Simon Cowell has done it as the producer of "American Inventor" (7 p.m., Ch. 4).

Oh, and it rips off the USA network series "Made in the USA," too.

The two-hour premiere of "American Inventor" looks exactly like an episode of "American Idol" during the audition process. The four judges — Ed Evangelista, Mary Lou Quinlan, Doug Hall and Peter Jones (who's also the show's co-creator and executive producer) — travel to open casting calls in various cities as inventor wannabes try to make it to the next round of the competition. And, eventually, win the million-dollar prize.

And, just like the early "Idol" auditions that are loaded with no-talent fools who just want to get on TV, the early "Inventor" auditions are loaded with no-talent fools who just want to get on TV.

Like we're supposed to believe that the guy dressed in some sort of silver suit really believes in his Space Beetle Utopia — the ant farm of the 21st century.

Of course, some of these people really seem to believe in their various toilet-related inventions. And there are a lot of those.

Hey, there's even some singing. And a pop star of sorts — Evan Lowenstein (of Evan and Jaron, "Crazy for This Girl" fame) shows up with an invention.

The judges, meanwhile, argue and posture and act snarky and rude as they try to be Simon Cowell clones. It's all so overly familiar it's just, well, dull.

TV'S HYPOCRITE of the week is making a guest appearance on "That '70s Show" — Isaac Hayes appears as himself.

His hypocrisy has nothing to do with the Fox sitcom (which airs at 7:30 p.m. on Ch. 13). The man behind "The Theme from Shaft" accomplishes what you'd think would be just about impossible — he surrenders the high moral ground to the producers of "South Park."

Hayes, who has voiced Chef on the Comedy Central animated series since 1997 — when producers Trey Parker and Matt Stone gave the has-been a job — has quit "South Park" in a huff and accused the show of religious bigotry.

"Religious beliefs are sacred to people, and at all times should be respected and honored," he said in a prepared statement. "As a civil rights activist of the past 40 years, I cannot support a show that disrespects those beliefs and practices."