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CMT is giving an an early renewal to Nigel Lythgoe’s music competition series CMT’s Next Superstar.

The network has picked up the show, which is produced by the American Idol executive producer along with his son Simon, for a second season.

The news comes as Next Superstar goes into its last four episodes of this debut season. The show is also planning a surprise for fans, having actress-singer Kristin Chenoweth perform on June 10′s live season-finale. The upcoming Good Christian Belles star has a long history in Broadway musical theater and turned heads during her Emmy-nominated guest stint on Fox’s Glee.

CMT’s Next Superstar has country music star contestants write songs and make music videos along with other music industry challenges in addition to stage performing. Superstar will roll out season 2 later this year or in early 2012.

“Unlike other talent shows, we will continue to push for the entire package,” Nigel Lythgoe says. “We were so thrilled to see the talent on the first season really step up and tackle each week’s challenges. We can’t wait to see just how far the finalists on season 2 are willing to go for the chance at superstardom.”

Born and raised in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, actress/songstress Kristin Chenoweth goes back to her country music roots with her new album Some Lessons Learned, to be released on SONY MASTERWORKS on Tuesday, September 13.

Her debut single, “I Want Somebody (Bitch About)” is a tongue-in-cheek song about finding unconditional love. All of the songs on Chenoweth’s new album are very personal and explore her life experiences as a woman. The single will be available for sale on May 31.

The music video for “I Want Somebody (Bitch About)” which takes place in a retro hair salon makes its debut on Country Music Television (CMT) on June 6. During that week Chenoweth will be very involved in Nashville’s annual Country Music Fest. She is set to appear on the 2011 CMT Music Awards and perform on the finale of CMT’s Next Superstar.

Some Lessons Learned was produced in Nashville by the legendary Bob Ezrin (Peter Gabriel, KISS, Pink Floyd). It features songs by elite pop and country songwriters including Diane Warren, Desmond Child, Tom Douglas, Hillary Scott, Jodi Marr, Victoria Shaw, Dolly Parton, Eric Bazilian, Gary Burr and Shane McAnnally. Chenoweth herself contributed two songs, “What Would Dolly Do?”– written in honor of her hero Dolly Parton — and “Mine To Love,” about a woman who struggles with an emotionally unavailable man.

This is Chenoweth’s fourth album on Sony. “Look at my recording career and it’s kind of funny. It’s all so different!” says Chenoweth who counts Dolly Parton, Patsy Cline, Trisha Yearwood, Reba McEntire and Linda Ronstadt among her major influences. “This album is more along the lines of what I grew up singing, like the music I sang in church in Oklahoma. When I was hired at nineteen to sing at Opryland in Nashville, that’s what I wanted to do. I never anticipated my career going in all these great directions — which I’m grateful for! I’m finally getting to do what I want.”

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The new Kristin Chenoweth series “Good Christian Belles,” which was formerly titled “Good Christian Bitches,” has been picked up by ABC, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

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The hour-long soap, according to the industry paper, “revolves around a former high school ‘mean girl’ (Leslie Bibb, ‘Popular’) who returns home to Dallas after her marriage ends in scandal. The series, from ABC Studios, also stars Kristin Chenoweth (‘Glee’) and Annie Potts (‘Designing Women’).”

Darren Star and Aaron Kaplan produced with Robert Harling; the latter penned the pilot, which is based on the book by Kim Gatlin.

ABC also announced that it has canceled the series “Brothers and Sisters,” “V,” “Detroit 1-8-7,” “Mr. Sunshine,” “No Ordinary Family” and “Off the Map.”

An air date for the premiere of “Good Christian Belles” has yet to be announced.