X Factor: 2011

I did sort of promise I wouldn't comment on the X Factor's peculiar theatrics as a method for building public interest last time - as fans of the show enjoy it, and in essence I shouldn't pee on someone else's parade.

But I assumed it went without saying that you knew it was part of the scripting of the piece.

There's dozens of shows like this (on ice, modelling, dancing, cooking) - most all those shows have similar tensions, just as much at stake for the competitors and viewing figures to worry about. But nearly all of them operate without "backstage drama" becoming the headlines in the week between shows.

X Factor just does things a different way - but they're right up there as one of the most "professionally run" shows.

Ergo, NOTHING takes place live or gets into the press without it being devised/written/rehearsed.

If things were genuinley falling apart, with producers not knowing what was going on or how to fix problems, they wouldn't be ITV's number one show.

Would they.

X factor just like Wresting

The X Factor USA set is quite like the UK one, it just looks a lot bigger.

Show currently live here,

http://justtvnuts.com/fox.htm

And for those who can't see...







Click for larger.

So, The X Factor USA set is quite alike our current set - it actually looks like they've taken our set and it's melted a bit as they were building it! It doesn't look like it's much bigger than ours either. Also, I notice that there's no new tension beds or stings - so it does appear that only the opening/closing themes have actually been altered - everything else has stayed the same from the original package.

In what I suspect may be more positive hype for the show, they've revealed that the spat between Girl Band Rythmix and a charity of the same name has been solved without the need for lawyers. The X-Factor 'producers' have announced the band will change their name 'in due course'.

I wasn't at all impressed with the USA set when I first saw it. Indeed I thought that it was promised quite some time ago that the US show was being built its own huge stage (studio in the UK). I guess not!

It's pretty much the same as ours, no bad thing, I was just disappointed at first glance I guess. After that initial bemusement I realise that our set is pretty damn good in its own right and does look nifty in the US.

There are one or two elements of the set which don't seem to have made it to the states, though. As someone put it, it looks somewhat melted down.

The stage (studio) also, to me, looks smaller than the UK! I know Fountain is the biggest purpose built TV studio in Europe (well maybe...may have been overtaken recently?) but surely in the US of A the stage would be huge! Maybe the lighting wasn't as good and it is in fact a bigger space than Fountain.

I do think the US set is a poor adaptation of ours - don't like the way the stage isn't properly circular - instead it just seems to be dumped on an existing stage. If the Aussies can replicate ours, surely the US can.


Also found it odd how in judges houses they had one act from each category perform then switched to another location yet in the live shows they were happy for all the acts in one category to perform consecutively. I'd have thought mixing it up on the live shows would be more important.

The new name is Little Mix.

Kelly Rowland will be missing from the show this weekend due to a throat infection. And the way ratings have been going in recent weeks, if the trend continues Strictly really should beat The X Factor outright tomorrow.

Perhaps Simon will appear?

Nicole Scherzinger apparently - she was due to perform this weekend.

Also Heat are saying tonight that one member of The Risk has quit and been replaced by a member of Nu Vibe.