The main show is the part that's too long but, to be fair, there isn't *that* much padding out. The VTs before each performance, the judges comments - these are all integral parts of the show. TV wouldn't be very exciting if every show quickly whizzed through the most important bits and cut out everything else.
The VTs before the performances are the longest and most boring part of the show. I remember when I went in the studio (2 years ago) that they use every second of the VTs to set everything on stage. For me, the problem with The X Factor is that the show is so over produced that we can't concentrate on the singers anymore. They should cut down on the backing dancer and silly props and have a live house band that makes the show look more like a concert and less like a Karaoke night full of cheesy backing tracks. It would make the show "more genuine" and it would also need less crazy stage props, therefore less VTs to make the show go quicker.
If you have a look at this video of Carie Underwood on American Idol, Ryan Seacrest's link, the
VT, the performance, the judges comments and the voting information are done in less than 3'30 (which is a bit too short, 4'00 to 4'30 would be perfect)
