Why is X-Factor declining?
SweetSyrup
Posts: 2,573 Forum Member
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Series 7 of X-Factor averaged 14.3million viewers and delivered a final of 19.4million viewers. It was the biggest show in the UK and the definition of event TV.
2 years later, Series 9 has delivered it's lowest audience in years, of sub-8million. It is in terminal decline, but what has gone wrong?
Observations:
* Most glaringly, this judging panel does not work. Simon, Cheryl and Danni are all missed - that combination worked.
* Gary is the destitute man's Simon. His over-enthusiasm for the likes of Frankie, and open dismissal for half-decent contestants to further his own cause truly stank - Simon did not do that. The public has not forgave him for the tax scandal.
* Tulissa is no Cheryl.
* Nicole Scherzinger is US X-factor sloppy seconds.
* 4 or 5 actual contestants per audition episode drags the show out and has made the whole process and finalists painfully obvious.
* The 'scripted reality' TOWIE segments are a painful addition and do not work. They are trying to emulate a show which captures an audience of 1million, why exactly?
* The set-ups, fake drama and gushing over average karaoke contestants ("you are WUURLD class", "You are an ARTIST") is old hat and smacks of utter drivel. Most of these "world class artists" will be flipping burgers in a year.
* The Voice has taken some of the wind out of X-factor's sail. That show has major problems too, but there's now an over-exposure for singing shows.
I don't buy the "natural audience erosion" theories. Strictly Come Dancing's success and the rejuvination of BGT proves these types of shows still have the power to pull in an audience - when produced well. This series of X-factor has been a mess so far.
2 years later, Series 9 has delivered it's lowest audience in years, of sub-8million. It is in terminal decline, but what has gone wrong?
Observations:
* Most glaringly, this judging panel does not work. Simon, Cheryl and Danni are all missed - that combination worked.
* Gary is the destitute man's Simon. His over-enthusiasm for the likes of Frankie, and open dismissal for half-decent contestants to further his own cause truly stank - Simon did not do that. The public has not forgave him for the tax scandal.
* Tulissa is no Cheryl.
* Nicole Scherzinger is US X-factor sloppy seconds.
* 4 or 5 actual contestants per audition episode drags the show out and has made the whole process and finalists painfully obvious.
* The 'scripted reality' TOWIE segments are a painful addition and do not work. They are trying to emulate a show which captures an audience of 1million, why exactly?
* The set-ups, fake drama and gushing over average karaoke contestants ("you are WUURLD class", "You are an ARTIST") is old hat and smacks of utter drivel. Most of these "world class artists" will be flipping burgers in a year.
* The Voice has taken some of the wind out of X-factor's sail. That show has major problems too, but there's now an over-exposure for singing shows.
I don't buy the "natural audience erosion" theories. Strictly Come Dancing's success and the rejuvination of BGT proves these types of shows still have the power to pull in an audience - when produced well. This series of X-factor has been a mess so far.
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Comments
And everyone getting wise to how fake and staged the entire show is. There's nothing about the show that isn't staged, except for the audience vote (and even then, the producers decide the singoff)
Good post.. I agree with most of your analysis. The Judging panel is a bit of a problem. It just seems flat and missing energy and Cowell's leadership. Also the fakeness of contestants back stories and the "reality" bits just turn people off. It's all scripted and you can see that the producers are setting people up to fail. I also hate the audience auditions,I don't think it adds to the show at all. I think if it comes back next year then they need to go back to basics. I also suspect another judging panel shake up, let's face this one isn't delivering..
The audience come across as thick as pig sh*t...Similar to those of the BB that go to eviction nights...:D
We will see what the ratings for Strictly is like and see if they suffer from ratings exaustion too.
I think also a show like XFactor gets stale after being on for so many years. There is only so much you can say to any contestant and the responses get boring and repetitive after a time.
The show needs to be put back on the shelf for about 5 years and then come back refreshed with a new setup and with the emphasis on finding talent and not have it dominated with hype and back stories. There will always be a place on tv for a good talent show.
From that point on, it ceased to be a talent contest & more about the headlines.
The viewers then realised that the joke was on them & have become bored by the X-Factor which has just continued in the same vein since.
The same viewers who cast more votes that week for Jedward than Lucie?
I actually think Gary has improved this year. He's dropped the 'let's take it seriously' stance and looks to be enjoying himself more but I agree he's no Simon, and to me, Simon's what's desperately missing more so than anyone else. No one's waiting anxiously to hear what Gary's feedback is, whereas they did with Simon.
(ot: I actually don't think the tax scandal has made a difference, but that might be just me)
To be honest, I don't think the casual XF fans (I'm thinking of my family/work colleagues more than anything) care about that. There's probably a portion of the audience who don't even know she was on the US show/or don't follow the papers/online forums or even care.
^^ I agree. I thought this too about BGT this year. As much as I enjoyed BGT, there was no surprises when it came to the Live shows because we already knew all the acts. I think XF is going the same way.
Agree on this too. I couldn't care less what the contestants are eating for breakfast on the morning of their audition
...and Superstar, which was only on last month, has done the same.
Yep, and I'd also add The Great British Bake Off. -I know it's a completely different type of show but on there all of the contestants are varied and interesting in their own way. There's no fakeness or real focus on their back stories. You get to know the contestants as the weeks progress. There's no silly dramas or stereotypes. The XF could do with looking at how other shows portray people.
think about it. we've had nearly 10 years of x factor, and we had fame academy, pop idol, and popstars the rivals before that. we've now also got the voice and superstar....even BGT to a certain extent and american idol used to be on too (don't know if it still is).
there hasn't been a break through any of that - both the talent pool and the viewers are exhausted.
add to that the fakery and cynicism of the x factor and the fact that people have woken up to it now, it's extremely poor editing and production value and it's big brother/towie-esque need to try to appeal to the lowest common denominater, whilst really alienating a lot of it's audience and you've got cavernous pot boiling over with problems.
all these shows have their shelf lives. the x factor has had an exceptional run, but it's past it's peak now. it's had it's day.
i'd be amazed if it made it another 5 series.
itv had best pull their finger out and figure out what they're going to replace it with ratings wise. i would say they need to focus on building that now and give the x factor maybe another 3 series??...
Summed up in a nutshell.
We've had 12 years of these types of shows & 8 of that has been XF.
In my opinion, the irony is that if Pop Idol returned, I think that would attract more viewers because I still believe people want to see a genuine talent contest & not over produced, over edited & scripted nonsense with sob stories designed just to make the Daily Star every day.
Agreed. I think the viewers would increase if they went back to the audition room. XF5 was the last to do that and that got massive ratings, the following 2 series got massive ratings with the bigger crowd but then people got annoyed with the over production. The only reason it got big ratings is because it was a change of format.
Singer gives sob story, some incidental Westlife backing music, they come on stage looking nervous, then sing amazingly, then backstage they are like 'I can't believe I did it' to some incidental Leona Lewis backing music. Once you've seen one series you've seen the rest.
Simon should sack the entire production team and start from scratch if he wants to continue next year.
Nail on the head , for me anyway.
I've always watched it but this year after watching just a little bit of the first episode i just cant bring myself to watch this utter s**t.
They should knock the show on it's head. It's had it's day.
I think also the show has become samey.
In addition, you have candidates that keep coming back show after show - and they don't really do well the second or third time they come back but they still get focussed on. Perhaps they should make a rule - you get one shot at doing the show, then you become ineligible for any more.
Not entirely convinced on the panel theory - Simon went to the US last year and didn't do particularly well. The show's format hasn't changed and it has become boring - and it is failing to deliver on it's main 'raison d'etre' discovery of a superstar (just look at last year's motley crew and this year's are no better). I personally think that is the main reason for it's failure.
Good post , spot on all of it.