X Factor

He's done that every week though and yes, it might have got the seven people still watching talking about it, but it's done nothing to encourage the people not watching to tune in.

BGT, Strictly and X Factor have all ultimately thrived on quality performances rather than controversy. Yes, X Factors strongest series may have featured Jedward and Wagner but ultimately around them were a very strong batch of contestants and the 2009/2010 highs were very much in the afterglow of the SuBo effect from BGT.

But the tabloids love the controversy, and will give out free advertising to the programme if they can get some juicy gossip out of it. It's the same thing that happened to Big Brother, rather than making a programme that's interesting/entertaining to watch in itself, it's become about creating the hype around the programme itself rather than its content. How Strictly has managed to stay above this for so long is a constant amazement.

For some reason I was reminded of this clip from Noel's House Party where he reads out a child's letter about not liking the changes to the star of the show so Noel restarts the show with dancers...

...This happened to be the first episode after it was announced the show was being axed.

I think even the tabloids are past caring.

[quote="Charlie Wells" pid="1196284"]
On a side note, are those widescreen monitors under the audience seating at 2:00? Surprised they were using them at the time, I would have thought they would still be using 4:3 monitors...?

[quote="PFMC84" pid="1196295"]
BBC moved into wide screen around 1998

The last series of House Party was in widescreen but I think it was still unusual for studios to feature widescreen monitors at that early stage?

Less than 2.5m viewers last night, and they can't even blame Newsnight as that only got 1.6m. That's the sort of rating that gets summer filler shows axed, never mind flagship autumn ones.


ITV have to axe it - if Cowell threatens to take away BGT so be it. Other shows don't survive because the production company produces hits for the company, and neither should The X Factor.

I'd also pull The Band now if I were ITV - surely they've got a 4-part drama they could pull forward into the slot, which would probably rate 5-7m.

It just needs a rest, full stop. The decline in 'quality' has been years in the making and the format has been messed around that viewers or producers can't really agree on how to bring the best out of it. Which X Factor should it 'go back to'? The one in 2008, or the original line up? The one where the judges welcomed everyone to bootcamp and even before contestants started singing, split them up to groups and told the unlucky to go home?

When Simon left, people moaned about the judging line up and wanted him and Cheryl back. They both returned and it solved nothing. They since have changed hosts, brought Sharon back, scrapped and then reinstated the audition arena, and what else have you. Simon's been soft and acid-tongue in equal measures. Nothing has clicked.

The talent show format is far from dead but the X Factor would clearly benefit from a break. And if Simon isn't careful the fatigue will spill over to BGT. I don't get why ITV don't call his bluff, if they just want BGT tell him. I doubt another network will touch TXF.

The celeb format could have worked as a one-off special, but as a series it's pointless. 'Civilian' X Factor, well the turning point for me was the 2010 series, even if there were controversial moments beforehand (the Irish duo that Louis saved, sex scandals and injunctions) and shows like Peter Kay's Britain's Got the Pop Factor which played on formulaic reality TV. The autotune saga set the tone for the series, and Gamu-gate. It went from a show that the press could portray the judges were on the viewers' side, to quite the opposite.

The Wall is getting more viewers, they had 4.5m last night. And it has been renewed for a second series. I wonder if the BBC will continue to use the Polish set or make their own? Probably easier/cheaper to use the Polish one. Though the audience doesn't seem as lively and jokes don't get much of a reaction, probably because the audience is made up of Polish people who don't understand or care what's being said!

As others have said, I think X Factor needs to have a break and then come back refreshed. It certainly hasn't hurt shows like Saturday Night Takeaway or American Idol to do that.

On that, American Idol has managed to stay consistent with its room auditions and it still works well. My only criticism is that like with The Voice everyone who goes on is good now. The highlights of the auditions were always seeing the rubbish auditionees alongside the amazing ones. I know times have changed, but the humour has definitely got lost along the way.

I'm surprised really, that neither ITV or BBC have had another go at doing the ALW's musical star search format. We obviously had Gary Barlow's thing 'Let it Shine' in 2017, but ALW hasn't done anything since Superstar in 2012.

It doesn’t need a ‘rest’. It needs to end full stop.