Paula Abdul to star in CBS dance show

4:12 AM PDT 10/14/2010 by James Hibberd, AP

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Will serve as lead judge, exec producer on 'Got to Dance'

She's back!

Paula Abdul is returning to the judges' table as part of a new primetime talent competition series on CBS.

Abdul will be lead judge, executive producer, creative partner, mentor and coach on "Got to Dance," a series from Shine/Reveille based on the U.K. hit.

The show is billed as broadcast's first all-ages, all-genres dance series -- "from ballroom to break dance, bhangra to ballet, and tap to tango." Acts will compete for a panel of judges, with viewers getting to vote for their favorites during the semifinals and finals.

CBS is expected to announce Monday that Abdul is joining the series.

Since announcing via Twitter last year that she was leaving "American Idol," networks have been courting Abdul for an array of unscripted projects. In January, ABC made her an offer to appear on "Dancing With the Stars," and Fox reportedly has eyed her for Simon Cowell's 2011 singing-competition show "The X Factor."

As first reported in The Hollywood Reporter, CBS greenlighted "Got to Dance" in March; from the start, Abdul, the former "Idol" judge and experienced choreographer, was the network's top choice to fill a judges chair on the show. As part of her deal, Abdul will have an array of behind-the-scenes and on-camera responsibilities on the show.

CBS, which announced its fall schedule last week, likely will air "Got to Dance" midseason, raising the possibility of Abdul's new show competing directly against "Idol." Next year will be the first time that "Idol" won't have Cowell.

The British version of "Dance" debuted this year on Sky 1 and became one of the country's top-rated premium-network series. The series is a Shine Group format, created by Princess Prods. and Shine TV and produced by Reveille. Abdul, Elisabeth Murdoch, Howard T. Owens, Mark Koops and Robin Ashbrook are executive producers. Abdul is repped by UTA.

This marks the fourth major network to have a dance-competition series, joining ABC's "Dancing With the Stars" and Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance," with NBC's "America's Got Talent" also having a foot in the genre.