For the first time theres a realistic possibility that the show will be axed, as it's in decline now and is likely to fall in ratings year after year.. Cowell would rather preserve his reputation and come up with a rehashed slightly different version in a few years than flog a dead horse.
I think losing the Cowell/Dannii/Cheryl trio caused this, seems Cowell sacrificed the UK version for the US version.
I have to laugh at some of the comments on here you are talking as if it only averaged 3-4 million it got over 8 million with a peak of 9.2 million, any other show would be chuffed with this. maybe it will go down bank holiday weekend but probaby not by much the key will be percentage share which as others noted is around the same as last year hence some people must ahve been enjoying weather.
I think it will be an absolute disaster if it falls next week. It's not in a position where it can afford to fall.
I agree. It normally dips a bit in week 2 but it can't afford to this year. It being a Bank Holiday weekend won't help.
However, the weather is unlikely to be as good as it was last night, and awareness of the show will be improved after last night (Mel B seems to have got people talking and she's back next week I believe). They should be looking for it to hit 9m (inc +1) next week and then 9.5m+ in week 3 when it won't be a Bank Holiday. If they can end the Saturday auditions at 10m or so (inc +1) that'd be an OK position for them going into bootcamp (as long as they can avoid the drop they saw last year). Can't help but feel that signing Mel B full time would have improved things though.
The one positive they can take out of last night is that the share wasn't down as much as the total audience, so the weather certainly hit it. The share including +1 last night was 42.4%, which is similar to the shares BGT was getting earlier in the year (with total audiences of around 10m). Last year's launch got 47.8% (again with +1), so whilst the total audience was down -23%, the share was only down -11%, so it's probably safe to say that had the weather been 'normal' they'd have got a good million or so more, which would have been in line with most expectations.
they didn't hype the show up anywhere near as much as they have done in previous years, i remember we always used to get that X in between adverts, this years the adverts started late, the series will pick up, simon will see this and make sure that he does something to get the ratings up again
They didn't advertise the show well at all. I didn't even know it was on. It's got more and more manufactured and fake as the years have gone on. It needs something fresh.
I have to laugh at some of the comments on here you are talking as if it only averaged 3-4 million it got over 8 million with a peak of 9.2 million, any other show would be chuffed with this. maybe it will go down bank holiday weekend but probaby not by much the key will be percentage share which as others noted is around the same as last year hence some people must ahve been enjoying weather.
Yes, most other shows would be very happy but how much do they cost to make compared to The X Factor?
No one is suggesting 8.9m is a bad rating objectively speaking.
However, in context it's very bad. It's indicative of a rapid downward slide for one of the most expensive shows on television, that almost single-handedly keeps ITV going for the second half of the year. It is crucial that The X Factor is a ratings juggernaut to justify its existence. If there is any chance of it falling apart, ITV is in huge trouble. 8.9m is therefore not acceptable for such an important show.
Basically - 8.9m for Superstar, which was a punt and very brief, would have been fantastic. 8.9m for The X Factor, which is the lynchpin of 5 months of ITV programming and incredibly expensive, is not great.
I genuinely think that the overall consensus is that the show has had it's day. Not just The X Factor, but shows like it. The Voice ended up being a relative failure after being hyped up, Superstar was struggling (though that was entertaining because of the constant references to "The Jesuses" and a game I discovered called "what expression is Andrew Lloyd Webber trying to pull off now?"), Big Brother being relegated to Channel 5. I think that's the signifier of a dying genre. The market has been far too saturated. And people are clearly growing weary of the same old tricks.
Maybe it's time money was pumped into more imaginative programming (when was the last time ITV in particular had a show as good as, I dunno..."Cracker")
All ITV and Syco can hope for is that the share holds up next week. If it stays at 40% then they'll take the punch to the stomach that the earlier start and Bank Holiday weekend delivers and will look to regroup for the third auditions show.
If it increases on last night's figure there will be a massive sigh of relief (possibly premature) from all involved.
The live shows are of course the real worry. If people aren't hooked by Week 1 of the live shows, there will be a gradual and painful decline in the ratings until an increase for the final - just like last year, but potentially significantly worse. The pre-recorded stages are more important than people give them credit for.
The live shows are of course the real worry. If people aren't hooked by Week 1 of the live shows, there will be a gradual and painful decline in the ratings until an increase for the final - just like last year, but potentially significantly worse. The pre-recorded stages are more important than people give them credit for.
I think the reception for the first pre-recorded shows let you know how interested the public still are in the show. Losing 3 million is a bad sign (not forgetting that it's the lowest ratigs for the first show in a long, long time)
I think the reception for the first pre-recorded shows let you know how interested the public still are in the show. Losing 3 million is a bad sign (not forgetting that it's the lowest ratigs for the first show in a long, long time)
It's a long, long series, I guess. For all we know there could be a Susan Boyle moment next week, or a figure as loathsome as Frankie Cocozza could emerge. What it comes right down to is that no matter how big a show is, content is key. Always. Ironically, it's Cowell's hype machines that prove it. Red or Black, The X Factor and Britain's Got Talent were all lazy and noticeably bad in quality last year and the ratings quickly punished the shows for it. It depends entirely on what the show's got in store for us this year.
If, as last night seems to suggest, it's business as usual, as there were no real surprises last night, then I fear for this series.
The live shows are of course the real worry. If people aren't hooked by Week 1 of the live shows, there will be a gradual and painful decline in the ratings until an increase for the final - just like last year, but potentially significantly worse. The pre-recorded stages are more important than people give them credit for.
Arguably the only reason the live shows stabilised last year was because of Frankie's departure and Amelia's subsequent return. The lives lost viewers week-on-week until then; it then flattened out for the rest of the series.
Arguably the only reason the live shows stabilised last year was because of Frankie's departure and Amelia's subsequent return. The lives lost viewers week-on-week until then; it then flattened out for the rest of the series.
Exactly - whether or not that all happened on purpose, which we'll never really know, it took a major, ridiculous and probably accidental stunt to get ratings back on track.
And just to make it clear, this series is already below the numbers that turned the show into a joke last year, after just one episode.
Posted in another thread.
having watched faithfully since the start decided enough was enough after last year.
Really dont like Tulisa and Gary as judges.
The mixed results of the winner of the shows in more recent years also another factor.
losing good singers over acts that just grab headlines should never have been allowed its not Bigbrother it should be about the Music and the Talent.
They had the perfect chance after a pretty Iffy 2011 to reset the show from all the reports its just more the same with Nicole spending most of her wage on airfares.
It's a long, long series, I guess. For all we know there could be a Susan Boyle moment next week, or a figure as loathsome as Frankie Cocozza could emerge. What it comes right down to is that no matter how big a show is, content is key. Always. Ironically, it's Cowell's hype machines that prove it. Red or Black, The X Factor and Britain's Got Talent were all lazy and noticeably bad in quality last year and the ratings quickly punished the shows for it. It depends entirely on what the show's got in store for us this year.
If, as last night seems to suggest, it's business as usual, as there were no real surprises last night, then I fear for this series.
Actually...thinking abut it, Cowell's shows other than BGT and X Factor perform below expectation as a rule. "Grease Is The Word"..."Rock Rivals"..."Red or Black?"...not really a great track record...
I genuinely think that the overall consensus is that the show has had it's day. Not just The X Factor, but shows like it. The Voice ended up being a relative failure after being hyped up, Superstar was struggling (though that was entertaining because of the constant references to "The Jesuses" and a game I discovered called "what expression is Andrew Lloyd Webber trying to pull off now?"), Big Brother being relegated to Channel 5. I think that's the signifier of a dying genre. The market has been far too saturated. And people are clearly growing weary of the same old tricks.
I think that this is close to the truth of the matter. It has nothing to do with actual content - who the judges are, what acts are on, etc. It's all to do with familiarity breeding contempt.
Big Brother, X Factor and the ALW shows have all been on nearly a decade and people just get weary. The Voice is nothing new just Fame Academy under another name. Friends of mine who loved these shows have moved on and here am I still watching them but I'm becoming a minority.
I think you can give these shows just so many revamps before you need to give up the ghost. What will replace them is the question the powers that be will be working on even as I type.
As I've said elsewhere - enjoy them while you can ...
Comments
For the first time theres a realistic possibility that the show will be axed, as it's in decline now and is likely to fall in ratings year after year.. Cowell would rather preserve his reputation and come up with a rehashed slightly different version in a few years than flog a dead horse.
I think losing the Cowell/Dannii/Cheryl trio caused this, seems Cowell sacrificed the UK version for the US version.
I agree. It normally dips a bit in week 2 but it can't afford to this year. It being a Bank Holiday weekend won't help.
However, the weather is unlikely to be as good as it was last night, and awareness of the show will be improved after last night (Mel B seems to have got people talking and she's back next week I believe). They should be looking for it to hit 9m (inc +1) next week and then 9.5m+ in week 3 when it won't be a Bank Holiday. If they can end the Saturday auditions at 10m or so (inc +1) that'd be an OK position for them going into bootcamp (as long as they can avoid the drop they saw last year). Can't help but feel that signing Mel B full time would have improved things though.
The one positive they can take out of last night is that the share wasn't down as much as the total audience, so the weather certainly hit it. The share including +1 last night was 42.4%, which is similar to the shares BGT was getting earlier in the year (with total audiences of around 10m). Last year's launch got 47.8% (again with +1), so whilst the total audience was down -23%, the share was only down -11%, so it's probably safe to say that had the weather been 'normal' they'd have got a good million or so more, which would have been in line with most expectations.
Yes, most other shows would be very happy but how much do they cost to make compared to The X Factor?
However, in context it's very bad. It's indicative of a rapid downward slide for one of the most expensive shows on television, that almost single-handedly keeps ITV going for the second half of the year. It is crucial that The X Factor is a ratings juggernaut to justify its existence. If there is any chance of it falling apart, ITV is in huge trouble. 8.9m is therefore not acceptable for such an important show.
Basically - 8.9m for Superstar, which was a punt and very brief, would have been fantastic. 8.9m for The X Factor, which is the lynchpin of 5 months of ITV programming and incredibly expensive, is not great.
Maybe it's time money was pumped into more imaginative programming (when was the last time ITV in particular had a show as good as, I dunno..."Cracker")
If it increases on last night's figure there will be a massive sigh of relief (possibly premature) from all involved.
I think the reception for the first pre-recorded shows let you know how interested the public still are in the show. Losing 3 million is a bad sign (not forgetting that it's the lowest ratigs for the first show in a long, long time)
It's a long, long series, I guess. For all we know there could be a Susan Boyle moment next week, or a figure as loathsome as Frankie Cocozza could emerge. What it comes right down to is that no matter how big a show is, content is key. Always. Ironically, it's Cowell's hype machines that prove it. Red or Black, The X Factor and Britain's Got Talent were all lazy and noticeably bad in quality last year and the ratings quickly punished the shows for it. It depends entirely on what the show's got in store for us this year.
If, as last night seems to suggest, it's business as usual, as there were no real surprises last night, then I fear for this series.
Arguably the only reason the live shows stabilised last year was because of Frankie's departure and Amelia's subsequent return. The lives lost viewers week-on-week until then; it then flattened out for the rest of the series.
Exactly - whether or not that all happened on purpose, which we'll never really know, it took a major, ridiculous and probably accidental stunt to get ratings back on track.
And just to make it clear, this series is already below the numbers that turned the show into a joke last year, after just one episode.
having watched faithfully since the start decided enough was enough after last year.
Really dont like Tulisa and Gary as judges.
The mixed results of the winner of the shows in more recent years also another factor.
losing good singers over acts that just grab headlines should never have been allowed its not Bigbrother it should be about the Music and the Talent.
They had the perfect chance after a pretty Iffy 2011 to reset the show from all the reports its just more the same with Nicole spending most of her wage on airfares.
Im sure the advertisers are cock a hoop that 2 million fewer people were watching.
Actually...thinking abut it, Cowell's shows other than BGT and X Factor perform below expectation as a rule. "Grease Is The Word"..."Rock Rivals"..."Red or Black?"...not really a great track record...
I think that this is close to the truth of the matter. It has nothing to do with actual content - who the judges are, what acts are on, etc. It's all to do with familiarity breeding contempt.
Big Brother, X Factor and the ALW shows have all been on nearly a decade and people just get weary. The Voice is nothing new just Fame Academy under another name. Friends of mine who loved these shows have moved on and here am I still watching them but I'm becoming a minority.
I think you can give these shows just so many revamps before you need to give up the ghost. What will replace them is the question the powers that be will be working on even as I type.
As I've said elsewhere - enjoy them while you can ...