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A new reason to watch Letterman Tuesday night – besides what is sure to be another priceless appearance from animal goofball Jack Hanna: the continuation of Tribute Band Week.

The special musical lineup began Monday night with Purple Reign, a well-regarded Prince cover band.

Tuesday, Cold Hard Cash recalls Johnny Cash; Wednesday brings Mr. Brownstone, <<

paying homage to Guns ‘N Roses (and just in time to somewhat promote the new Guns album that it appears will, actually, be released next week); on Thursday, Super Diamond performs its tribute to Neil Diamond; and on Friday , it’s the Allstarz, which does its best to impersonate James Brown and his music.

If you’re really a fan of tribute bands, check out the schedule at The National (http://www.thenationalva.com). You want to hear the songs of AC/DC? They’ve got the band (Hells Bells). No? You’re more into Journey? Well, then, maybe Frontiers is more your style. Or maybe you’re a Rush fan. If that’s the case and you missed the boys on their last tour – or didn’t have the scratch for a ticket – perhaps a trip to The Nat to see Limelight should be on your calendar.

Me? I’ll take the real thing. Or just stay home and listen to the CD.

From campaign rally to Sunday Night Football, Bruce Springsteen knows how to break new music.

“Workin’ on a Dream” will premiere on NBC during halftime at Sunday’s game between the Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys.

The song, performed acoustically during a Barack Obama rally the weekend before the election, is expected to be on Springsteen’s new album, which is expected in January.

Presumably, the version being played during halftime’s package of highlights won’t be acoustic.

If you haven’t yet checked out CMT’s “Crossroads” series, which puts a country and rock artist on stage together to trade songs and co-exist in a mutual admiration society, this might be a good week to tune in.

The latest installment – Taylor Swift meshing styles with Def Leppard – premiered last Friday, but will air many times this week (http://www.cmt.com/shows/dyn/cmt_crossroads/series_showtimes.jhtml).

Once you get past Joe Elliott’s horrible makeup and the fact that Swift looks as if she hasn’t eaten since the last time Def Leppard hit the Top 40, it’s one of the best eps of the series.

Swift’s girlish voice is a sweet contrast to Elliott’s grit, and with the help of the other Lep guys on those trademark harmonies, “Hysteria” sounds fresh enough that someone should release it as a bonus track online.

In between songs, the band sits around with Swift and they discuss how the pairing occurred – most amusingly, the 18-year-old Swift tells the guys that she’s been listening to them since she was “really little” because her mom “was a super freak fan” and later they talk about her schoolgirl crush, Drew, who inspired her breakthrough hit, “Teardrops on My Guitar.”

While Swift’s enthusiasm automatically infuses the Leppard songs with a new giddiness, the band delves into her work with obvious interest (during “Teardrops,” the camera catches Lep bassist Rick Savage sitting in the background, mouthing some of the words).

Of course, a song like “Picture to Burn” could very easily sway from country to rock with a few changes in guitar sound – a notion that isn’t lost on a band whose own music was molded by Mutt Lange, the guy behind Shania Twain’s arena-sized sound.

Swift also deftly handles much of “When Love and Hate Collide” – nicely accented by a string section – as if she had been singing it for decades.

Obviously, the point of the series is to grab the interest of an audience that might not usually tune into CMT (do you think many Maroon 5 or Joss Stone fans regularly stop on the channel?) – but it also reinforces the attitude that all music is universal.

And really, when you hear “Pour Some Sugar on Me,” it isn’t that much of a leap to Twain’s “Man! I Feel Like a Woman.”

Kinda like those other castaways on their “three-hour tour,” the crew of “Lost” will return on Jan. 21 with a three-hour premiere. (http://news.yahoo.com/s/eonline/20081108/en_tv_eo/67838;_ylt=AkPo.CvGi94dF6aGf7vEn3FxFb8C).

Granted, it’s one of those misleading statements from the network, since the first hour is actually a recap of the first four seasons and then two hours of new stuff.

I’m not usually a fan of those recaps – especially that annoying pop-up thing ABC did with the show a couple of years ago – but as “Lost” gets even twist-ier and tougher to follow (is the whole “island disappearing thing” going to change the entire premise, in a way?), it might be worth tuning in for a refresher.

The show will also continue to air on Wednesdays, but has been bumped back an hour to 9 p.m., which I know is a relief to the people who have real jobs and have to be up early for work. You’ve got that hour of sleep back!

Also announced this week was the casting of Reiko Aylesworth, known from her stint as Michelle Dessler on “24.” According to the Hollywood Reporter, she’ll play Amy, a smart, professional woman looking for love on the island.

Does she know anything about that screwed-up crew?

Doesn’t sound as if the producers expect her to find any meaningful relationship, though – she’s only signed for six episodes.

It’s easy to forget that when “American Idol” isn’t commandeering water cooler conversation, the show is still taking place – just not on the air.

The months of mostly horrible auditions that have taken place the past several months will get their due on Jan. 13-14 when “American Idol” returns to Fox for two hours each night (8-10 p.m.).

Then, beginning Jan. 20, “Idol” airs from 8-9 p.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, where it will remain for the rest of its season.

Are you looking forward to this eighth season of the show, or are you “Idol”-ed out?

Do you think the addition of a fourth judge will mess with the magic of Simon, Randy and Paula, or are you in the camp that believes the show needed something to renew interest?

And, still stuck on season seven, do you plan to pick up David Archuleta’s album next week, David Cook’s the week after, neither, or both?

Moments ago, the crucial state of Ohio was awarded to Obama.

On Fox News, Brit Hume interrupted commentary from Karl Rove to break the news, his voice taking an obvious dejected tone as the two conferred about how McCain could now win.

When that same news was announced seconds later on BET, which is offering live election coverage for the first time, the studio audience joining its panel of commentators erupted in cheers before cutting to Pam Gentry, the channel’s senior political producer, who is reporting live from Columbus, Ohio.

Two hours into viewing, and I’m exhausted. But in between channel-flipping, I did manage to have a few thoughts:

A) Does CNN need to jolt my senses at the top of the hour with that hammer-to-steel sound indicating a new state being called?

B) Considering there are 1,293 channels going with wall-to-wall coverage, is there a reason every single one has to break for commercial at the same time?

C) Was CBS’ budget slashed to the point that they couldn’t spring for a decent-sized map, instead making Katie Couric point to what appeared to be a computer screen to indicate poll results?

D) Would anyone expect to see the BBC covering election results from a tiny brick-walled restaurant in Culpeper?

If you’re already on sensory overload from the hyperventilating talking heads on a dozen or so networks, here’s a cool overview of CNN’s election coverage over the years.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/gallery/2008/nov/04/cnn-election-coverage-tv-news?picture=339282729

South Florida NBC correspondent Kerry Sanders is already talking about potential voting issues in Palm Beach County – and, judging from his illustration about how voters had to indicate their choice, who wouldn’t be confused?

Brian Williams then had a sweet exchange with Tim Russert’s son, Luke, who was reporting from a site with a group of young voters loudly chanting “O-bam-a, O-bam-a” behind him.

“I feel like Tom Brokaw at the Berlin Wall in ’89,” the sharp Russert said with a grin, prompting Williams to tell him, “Nice reference. Tom got a good laugh out of that.”

Over on MSNBC, the impressively composed Rachel Maddow pointed out that so far, “the big picture is that we have yet to see a red state turn blue – at this point it is a status quo from Bush/Kerry.”

Chris Matthews, meanwhile, noted that in Pennsylvania, “in highly-educated counties where Sarah Palin just didn’t work, [she] scared the bejeezus out of pro-choice women. Is that all right to say? The bejeezus?...Some people are ready for change, and change is a good word. But for some people, change is a bad word.”

CNN’s Anderson Cooper to his panel of James Carville, Tara Wall and William Bennett, who all cautioned against paying too much attention to exit polls.

“Why do we even pay for these exit polls if no one believes them?“