When BRITISH MUSIC ENTREPRENEUR SIMON FULLER pitched his Idol television idea to Los Angles in early 2002, he was hoping for a chance to crack the tough U.S. market. His concept of a talent show where viewers control the voting was a smash his in England, and he saw no reason why it wouldn’t work in other countries. Idol judge Simon Cowell came over with Fuller, thinking pessimistically that a U.S. version of the show might only last a few weeks. “We’ll have a nice holiday and go back to England,” he said at the time.