Maybe Simon should go for a young judge with massive popularity. They will be accused of not having enough experience, but the main thing is to drew viewers and with Astro, Rachel and Drew, they have so many kids on the show anyway who could use the advice of a young star like Beiber.
I actually think Miley Cyrus would be an excellent judge. She might be young but she has been on the scene a long time and hasn't had any major breakdowns/scandals and seems to have a good head on her shoulders.
It's a shame it hasn't lived up to expectations, although I have to say I'm still enjoying it, perhaps because ours is SO bad this year. To me X Factor is so much better then Idol this year, so I can't understand how it is getting a fraction of the audience.
Steve has to go, although I don't think he is a major influence for people turning off or just not turning on. I was looking forward to Nicole, but whether she is acting it up, or just can't deal with the live shows I don't know, but she coming across as an unintelligent bimbo, which is different to how she comes across in interviews and on chat shows.
I can't see him losing Paula, but I agree it is making it all far to Idol like and Simon seems scared to upset her. I think it needs an A lister on the panel, personally it doesn't worry me one isn't there, but it could be what pulls in the viewers.
I'm surprised the guest performers haven't been bigger stars, I thought Simon would go all out to get the biggest and the best on there. Perhaps with the viewing figures they can't afford to pay out for them now, although I expect to see bigger ones as we head nearer the final
I just feel the whole concept has lost it's way. Is it a serious competition to find a recording star, or is it an evening of entertainment? The early XF days were the former, but as the entertainment aspect began creeping in a few years ago it seemed to lose its credibility.
I personally don't mind which way it goes, but I don't think there is a middle ground. It either has to be pure camp entertainment or a serious talent competition.
Goodness knows what he is going to do with ours. Everyone i have spoken to, who I know have been huge fans of the show in the past are still watching it, but not enjoying it. They are very lucky they are only up against Casualty and The Antiques Roadshow, had Strictly moved to later they would have been in deep trouble.
It's a shame it hasn't lived up to expectations, although I have to say I'm still enjoying it, perhaps because ours is SO bad this year. To me X Factor is so much better then Idol this year, so I can't understand how it is getting a fraction of the audience.
Steve has to go, although I don't think he is a major influence for people turning off or just not turning on. I was looking forward to Nicole, but whether she is acting it up, or just can't deal with the live shows I don't know, but she coming across as an unintelligent bimbo, which is different to how she comes across in interviews and on chat shows.
I can't see him losing Paula, but I agree it is making it all far to Idol like and Simon seems scared to upset her. I think it needs an A lister on the panel, personally it doesn't worry me one isn't there, but it could be what pulls in the viewers.
I'm surprised the guest performers haven't been bigger stars, I thought Simon would go all out to get the biggest and the best on there. Perhaps with the viewing figures they can't afford to pay out for them now, although I expect to see bigger ones as we head nearer the final
I just feel the whole concept has lost it's way. Is it a serious competition to find a recording star, or is it an evening of entertainment? The early XF days were the former, but as the entertainment aspect began creeping in a few years ago it seemed to lose its credibility.
I personally don't mind which way it goes, but I don't think there is a middle ground. It either has to be pure camp entertainment or a serious talent competition.
Goodness knows what he is going to do with ours. Everyone i have spoken to, who I know have been huge fans of the show in the past are still watching it, but not enjoying it. They are very lucky they are only up against Casualty and The Antiques Roadshow, had Strictly moved to later they would have been in deep trouble.
Very true, i think. The show is exactly in middle ground at the moment and who would have thought XF would be a show not spoken about that much? We are used to it dominating our media and even allowing for the huge population difference, the show definitely deserves a bigger audience. The talent is good and the production is still decent - although not as slick as the UK one, so there is no obvious reason for so fewer viewers than Idol, who have had some truely awful seasons of late.
I still maintain that the slot is a bad one. Nobody wants to be on in the Fall. AGT had a season there and viewers dipped. If XF had Idol's slot, they would most likely get a minimum 15m viewers.
One strange point to me is that i've heard a lot of comments that XFUSA is too much like AGT and that they feel there is almost no need for this show. Perhaps that is their only experience of groups and Overs and i think the Syco style of production if very recognisable. I remember people watching Red or Black and saying it was like "a Simon Cowell show" without realising it was him behind it.
It will be interesting to see how The Voice does in season 2. If it stays around the 12m mark, then it might just be that people are tiring of these shows and that is the market left for them. The Sing Off and DWTS were down on ratings this year too.
As for our show, i worry about next year too if The Voice gains a following - even though there is no schedule clash. I guess that is why Simon might be coming back to BGT, because he needs to regain control of these shows. I think XF has missed his presence as an exec producer as much as a judge. When Simon was around, everything went past him and his control freakery made for a tighter show.
I think XF has missed his presence as an exec producer as much as a judge. When Simon was around, everything went past him and his control freakery made for a tighter show.
Yes Mich, I agree completely with that. Also not helped by him taking the experienced producers over to the States with him. I'm sure things would have been jumped on far sooner if he and his producers had been over here.
Does anyone know if BGT will clash with the voice? I'm guessing it might as it's due to air in the spring. That could be another reason for his return.
It could be a very good time for them to try out some newer, fresh ideas. The Americans have not taken to the "nice" Simon and it baffles me why he has gone down this route. After the promise in the promo that "Mr Mean" would be back, why the sudden about face - we now have Shirley Temple singing in front of simpering judges! Hey Simon, just put on the pink jumper and you are done. For next season, Simon would be far better off as head judge, able to critique brutally rather than put on this display of nicety that no-one enjoys. Let the other mentors have a team - a stylist, a choreographer a music producer and a weekly star guest to help and use a bit of airtime to show the process. Simon could rip to shreds their efforts weekly .
Everyone is fed up with the "judges behind the desk" talent show search so why not build the drama up with backstage footage and more a of a "reality show" vibe that is so much more popular these days? Maybe introduce scoring as well - the reason being it adds more for the audience to talk about although it would have to be cleverly done.
At present XF feels stale and it is not the fresh new show that was promised. I agree having Paula there was a HUGE mistake and however much (and I dont think it was "much") publicity she gave the show early on, that grew old pretty quickly. She isnt a BAD mentor but the problem is, its giving XF the totally wrong impression of being a poor mans Idol. It needed some youth on the panel - Nicki Minaj, Miley Cyrus or Bieber would be less experienced but have attracted a whole new generation of viewer. There is NO ONE on the line up that is going to make kids want to watch - two elderly record execs, a has-been pop star and part time fruit loop, Paula and the extremely pretty but essentially uninteresting Nicole (who has never created much interest stateside) and has acted so bizarrely on the show, she has hardly warmed herself to new fans.
My own feeling is they need someone with personality on there - whether thats a hip young artist, a Sharon Osbourne type bitch or a complete unknown A&R man that has huge personality and charm that Simon can use to bounce off of. At present the chemistry sucks - even the "Saula" interaction that seemed quite natural on Idol (in as much as friends having a lark, not secret weddings and Saula babies ) is being hammed up and looks forced.
All the elements are there for a hit, but at present I strongly feel they really dont know what way to push it. This middle ground is getting mediocre viewers - they should take a risk and push it one way or the other and sink or swim. I think the major problem for Simon and the production team is the vast differences with the US audiences. They take these shows much more seriously that we do and dont have that "holiday camp" or "Saturday night telly" culture that our camp, over the top show fits perfectly into. We like shouting at our telly, laughing at the unfortunates that cant sing, cringing when Louis puts in a Wagner over a Mariah and basically treating the whole thing as a bit of a laugh.
The golden days of our XF were when Sharon was being a bitch, cracking up with Louis and winding up Simon. Simon was effortlessly funny, charming and watchable as well as also being superbly bitchy. Louis fed off the other two and it gave us some of the best TV moments of the decade. When things started to get more serious with Saint Cheryl onboard I always felt it lacked something. However I *COULD* appreciate the reason she was bought in, and it worked - a whole new audience of younger viewers. The US version needs a Cheryl or a Sharon character (or both).
From looking at whats being said about the US show, the audiences are expecting "artists" singing seriously and get quite put out when one of Brians (rather tame) production numbers kicks in. I do applaud Simon for putting in the more diverse acts and trying hard NOT to get a "white guy with guitar" winner that has plagued Idol for a few years but the truth is, America likes that kind of "safe" act. The winner of the show could determine how they play it next year - if a predictable artist like Josh or Melanie wins then chances are they will swing the show to be even more "Idol like". There is more hope they might take more risks if Drew or (unlikely) Chris or Astro make it. Id guess though, America will vote the rappers out next and the final will be extremely predictable (Mariah is SO lined up to sing with Melanie...).
It could be a very good time for them to try out some newer, fresh ideas. The Americans have not taken to the "nice" Simon and it baffles me why he has gone down this route. After the promise in the promo that "Mr Mean" would be back, why the sudden about face - we now have Shirley Temple singing in front of simpering judges! Hey Simon, just put on the pink jumper and you are done. For next season, Simon would be far better off as head judge, able to critique brutally rather than put on this display of nicety that no-one enjoys. Let the other mentors have a team - a stylist, a choreographer a music producer and a weekly star guest to help and use a bit of airtime to show the process. Simon could rip to shreds their efforts weekly .
Everyone is fed up with the "judges behind the desk" talent show search so why not build the drama up with backstage footage and more a of a "reality show" vibe that is so much more popular these days? Maybe introduce scoring as well - the reason being it adds more for the audience to talk about although it would have to be cleverly done.
At present XF feels stale and it is not the fresh new show that was promised. I agree having Paula there was a HUGE mistake and however much (and I dont think it was "much") publicity she gave the show early on, that grew old pretty quickly. She isnt a BAD mentor but the problem is, its giving XF the totally wrong impression of being a poor mans Idol. It needed some youth on the panel - Nicki Minaj, Miley Cyrus or Bieber would be less experienced but have attracted a whole new generation of viewer. There is NO ONE on the line up that is going to make kids want to watch - two elderly record execs, a has-been pop star and part time fruit loop, Paula and the extremely pretty but essentially uninteresting Nicole (who has never created much interest stateside) and has acted so bizarrely on the show, she has hardly warmed herself to new fans.
My own feeling is they need someone with personality on there - whether thats a hip young artist, a Sharon Osbourne type bitch or a complete unknown A&R man that has huge personality and charm that Simon can use to bounce off of. At present the chemistry sucks - even the "Saula" interaction that seemed quite natural on Idol (in as much as friends having a lark, not secret weddings and Saula babies ) is being hammed up and looks forced.
All the elements are there for a hit, but at present I strongly feel they really dont know what way to push it. This middle ground is getting mediocre viewers - they should take a risk and push it one way or the other and sink or swim. I think the major problem for Simon and the production team is the vast differences with the US audiences. They take these shows much more seriously that we do and dont have that "holiday camp" or "Saturday night telly" culture that our camp, over the top show fits perfectly into. We like shouting at our telly, laughing at the unfortunates that cant sing, cringing when Louis puts in a Wagner over a Mariah and basically treating the whole thing as a bit of a laugh.
The golden days of our XF were when Sharon was being a bitch, cracking up with Louis and winding up Simon. Simon was effortlessly funny, charming and watchable as well as also being superbly bitchy. Louis fed off the other two and it gave us some of the best TV moments of the decade. When things started to get more serious with Saint Cheryl onboard I always felt it lacked something. However I *COULD* appreciate the reason she was bought in, and it worked - a whole new audience of younger viewers. The US version needs a Cheryl or a Sharon character (or both).From looking at whats being said about the US show, the audiences are expecting "artists" singing seriously and get quite put out when one of Brians (rather tame) production numbers kicks in. I do applaud Simon for putting in the more diverse acts and trying hard NOT to get a "white guy with guitar" winner that has plagued Idol for a few years but the truth is, America likes that kind of "safe" act. The winner of the show could determine how they play it next year - if a predictable artist like Josh or Melanie wins then chances are they will swing the show to be even more "Idol like". There is more hope they might take more risks if Drew or (unlikely) Chris or Astro make it. Id guess though, America will vote the rappers out next and the final will be extremely predictable (Mariah is SO lined up to sing with Melanie...).
They really were golden days. Bringing in Cheryl was key in taking the show to the next level, in terms of how it became tabloid fodder and a general social talking point everywhere. Cheryl brought youger viewers in, so i agree, Simon must go for old school XF bitchery or bring in the superstar kids to gain a new generation of viewers. America doesn't seem that keen on the mentoring aspect anyway (surprisingly for me), so i think the idea of Simon as an overall head judge would be brilliant and really free him to entertain and speak his mind.
Drew and Melanie are obviously good vocalists, but an interesting winner like Astro would set the show apart from Idol. It's unlikely to happen, but hopefully LA will sign him and a hit single would boost the show's credibility in finding a star.
I think some of the 'Nice Simon' has come about because he has 2 young kids in his group with Drew and Rachel. He's behaving so fatherly towards them, i don't think they feel any pressure to improve week on week. Although to be fair, all judges are finding it hard to critique Rachel.
The good news is that 12m is no disaster and we have already mentioned a few ways to improve the show. As Simon said, this one will have to grow naturally over time, just like our one did - remember the days of Verity Keays?!
I think Rachel has been a bit of a disaster for the show personally. I know Simon wanted to find a new "young" star - but Im sure he was thinking of the next Justin Bieber rather than the 21st Century Shirley Temple. But then again, I dont think he has helped her case with the old fashioned styling and dubious song choices (yes she did Bieber at one point but the mash up with the Motown just made it feel OLD). An yes, Mich you are right -he is acting all fatherly towards his girls - and lets face it, none of the judges are going to rip into Little Miss Cute As A Button are they? But "fatherly Simon" is NOT going to attract viewers. Paula is there to be vomity over the top nice - but Simon is there to be Queen Bitch. And there is no way he can criticise children (to the extent that they sometimes deserve ).
L.A has taken A LOT of stick for laying into Drew every week - even though his points are valid and he hasnt been particularly cutting (compared to how Simon used to be, back in the day). And even he wont dare touch Rachel who looks like she could trump BGT Brat Hollie in an instant with a meltdown of krakatoan proportions if things dont go her way .
Ah well, we shall see. As Ive said before, there is NO WAY that Simon will be happy with mediocrity for his show so Im expecting sweeping changes for S2 - even though with these things, one sometimes has to let the dust settle and for people to adjust to something new, he must see, in this case, things need to improve for the show to grow.
And even he wont dare touch Rachel who looks like she could trump BGT Brat Hollie in an instant with a meltdown of krakatoan proportions if things dont go her way
I haven't watched a lot of the US show but I switched over one day and there was a girl of about 14 doing her VT and even though I had never seen her before, I wanted to slap her. She was basically saying how she had never been criticised before in her life. At home everyone told her how wonderful she was and since she had auditioned she had been told how wonderful she was. Apparently she had got some negative critique from the judges the week before and she didn't know how to handle it :eek: I take it this is the Rachel you are talking about?
They should have left the lower age at 18. That way Simon could have been Simon. It's a shame that XF US hasn't been a hit but hopefully they will learn from this years mistakes and come back better next year
I am definitely in a minority on here as I actually still enjoy our XF, that's mainly because I have a favourite act that I am following but also because I'm not deluded enough to sit here and say "Oh if Simon was sat on our panel, our XF would still be perfect".. erm nah! (Not saying of you lot are either, but there are some people I've heard say the same thing!) Simon was shit on the last 2 years of XFuk and the blames lies there with his obsession (and arse licking) of Cheryl effing Cole.
The same treatment of Paula is happening on XFusa and its boring, lame and not watchable. I agree with whoever said bringing Paula onto XFusa killed it before it even started. No one (bar lame Saula's) cares or believes their "Are they? Aren't they" thing they think they've got going. MOVE ON Simon!
I agree with Allie they panel needs a overhaul, and someone new and fresh, not Mariah Carey like Simon originally wanted. Yes Mariah is a fab singer but is she still relevant? Someone like Nikki Minaj or Miley Cyrus would be amazing for the show and ratings grabbers (Especially someone like Miley who tweens love!)
The Panel could maybe benefit from a younger male (not as young as Beiber) but that will never happen, anyone realised Simon likes to always be considered the "fit" male of these shows? He never seems to be on the same panel as people that can be classed as fitter than he is. (The Hoff, Piers, Randy Jackson, Louis walsh, LA Reid, Michael McIntyre.. ect) He needs to get over his own vanity and maybe hire a male singer, someone like like Justin Timberlake would be great. Young, with experience but not too young.
Steve - please don't let the door hit you on the way out. If that plank of wood makes it to season two, I'll eat a bowl of my dogs food! Ryan would be perfect but its a dream that's never gonna happen. I vote moving over Nick Lachey from his singing show to XF (mainly cos I think he's fit) but also cos he has more charisma and liability factor in his little finger than Steve has in his whole body.
Anyway, whatever is done, something needs to be done, if someone would have told me at the start of the yr that XFusa would be trailing behind The Voice in ratings, I'd have laughed in their face. Everyone expected more but for some reason XFusa just ain't bringing it to the table.
I haven't watched a lot of the US show but I switched over one day and there was a girl of about 14 doing her VT and even though I had never seen her before, I wanted to slap her. She was basically saying how she had never been criticised before in her life. At home everyone told her how wonderful she was and since she had auditioned she had been told how wonderful she was. Apparently she had got some negative critique from the judges the week before and she didn't know how to handle it :eek: I take it this is the Rachel you are talking about?
They should have left the lower age at 18. That way Simon could have been Simon. It's a shame that XF US hasn't been a hit but hopefully they will learn from this years mistakes and come back better next year
No, that 14 yr old you saw say that was the very dreary Drew. Rachel is even less likeable than her :eek:;)
i agree that the age limit shouldn't be as low as 12, maybe 16. But since Beiber arrived on the scene, Simon saw the £ signs and has been obsessed with finding a child star just like him hence the really low age limit that just doesn't work.
It's VERY uncomfortable, for me, to sit watching 14 yr olds like Drew and Rachel singing songs that are way too old for them. Rachel singing "I Can't Get No Satisfaction" springs to mind. :eek: That is just plain wrong. Astro however, is 14/15 but as he writes his own lyrics he is singing stuff he relates to and us going through so gets away with is, but no I don't want to hear 14 yr old Rachel (who appears younger than 14 as she's very immature) singing a song about orgasms!:eek:
No, that 14 yr old you saw say that was the very dreary Drew. Rachel is even less likeable than her :eek:;)
Less likeable :eek: she must be very precious
i agree that the age limit shouldn't be as low as 12, maybe 16. But since Beiber arrived on the scene, Simon saw the £ signs and has been obsessed with finding a child star just like him hence the really low age limit that just doesn't work.
I agree but the flaw in Simon's plan is that you have to wade through 100's of kids to get the one that will sell loads. You cannot be mean to kids on tv and going down the route of looking for a child star is holding him back.
It's VERY uncomfortable, for me, to sit watching 14 yr olds like Drew and Rachel singing songs that are way too old for them. Rachel singing "I Can't Get No Satisfaction" springs to mind. :eek: That is just plain wrong. Astro however, is 14/15 but as he writes his own lyrics he is singing stuff he relates to and us going through so gets away with is, but no I don't want to hear 14 yr old Rachel (who appears younger than 14 as she's very immature) singing a song about orgasms!:eek:
The few times I've seen Astro I've really liked him. He will have a great career ahead of him whether he wins or not.
I hope they learn from the mistakes they made this year and simon comes back on form next year.
Glad this thread is up and running again I agree with everything that has been said really. Steve is boring :yawn:. I liked Nicole on our XF but her bawling and wimpering is getting on my wick so she needs to go. I would keep Paula but in a production and mentoring role ( a bit like Snit used to do ) Keep LA Reid and maybe just get one female judge like BGT. There are toooo many adverts :sleep: :sleep: The ITV scheduling has been awful ( altho that wont affect the viewing figures). Initially i was on the ball every Thursday/Friday then it all went to pot and i missed some bits :mad: I suppose the one thing XFUSA dosen't have is the great British Press that can make the front page of the popular tabloids with any old XF shite they can find . Even if Astro did have a granny like Katie Weasels it wouldn't be any use over there
I thought Simon seemed quite unhappy last night. Or maybe he was trying to be a bit meaner. I wonder if he has some uncomfortable meetings this week after the ratings drop? Wasn't over keen on the wheeling out of MJs family ( who managed to look entirely bored during the whole event) but I guess a Jackson Family endorsement is a fairly big deal for the show. Although again, I'm utterly baffled with another lacklustre guest tonight. I just can't see a UK rapper who most of the US audiences will have no clue about will attract viewers. But what do I know.
Chris remains my favourite but will probably get kicked out soon - although ideally I'd like Shirley Temple and Marcus out tonight ( and I don't dislike Marcus but find he lacks star quality).
I thought Simon seemed quite unhappy last night. Or maybe he was trying to be a bit meaner. I wonder if he has some uncomfortable meetings this week after the ratings drop? Wasn't over keen on the wheeling out of MJs family ( who managed to look entirely bored during the whole event) but I guess a Jackson Family endorsement is a fairly big deal for the show. Although again, I'm utterly baffled with another lacklustre guest tonight. I just can't see a UK rapper who most of the US audiences will have no clue about will attract viewers. But what do I know.
Chris remains my favourite but will probably get kicked out soon - although ideally I'd like Shirley Temple and Marcus out tonight ( and I don't dislike Marcus but find he lacks star quality).
I haven't seen any of it yet, but the poll on MJs blog suggests a bottom 3 of Rachel, Marcus and Chris and those polls have been accurate every week so far. Drew, Melanie and Josh are winning favourite polls each week and pretty much represent mainstream tastes. All very good vocalists, but Chris or Astro in the final would keep things interesting. I can only presume that Simon prefers the other 2 girls over Rachel, because as an A&R guy, there is no way he could keep choosing the wrong song week after week.
So Tinie Tempah on tonight then. As much as i like him, it feels like Simon is just showcasing British talent and doing a bit of penny pinching, what with Jessie J the other week! Neither have had a top 10 Billboard hit to my knowledge.
I really hope Beiber performs with Drew in the final, because she's going to be so disappointed if it's anyone else! Hopefully the budget is being saved for 3 top stars to appear in the duets.
Another article which suggests Simon and the show is stuck in middle ground. If you ignore the daft stuff about 'love' changing him, there are some valid points, as it's fair to say that Mean Simon had more pulling power in terms of viewers. Personally i had grown tired of Simon's Idol persona, i like the warmer, more funny Simon we got on BGT, but if America prefers Simon to be the panto baddie, then maybe that is the way to go.
Also have to say, reading the brief remark about Simon's depression from time to time, it did make me shudder, in light of what happened with Gary Speed. He seems to know how to deal with it. I hope so, because you just know he would never see a therapist or doctor. Sorry to bring such a sombre thought, but it's not something that Simon or anyone should brush aside either.
Another article which suggests Simon and the show is stuck in middle ground. If you ignore the daft stuff about 'love' changing him, there are some valid points, as it's fair to say that Mean Simon had more pulling power in terms of viewers. Personally i had grown tired of Simon's Idol persona, i like the warmer, more funny Simon we got on BGT, but if America prefers Simon to be the panto baddie, then maybe that is the way to go.
Also have to say, reading the brief remark about Simon's depression from time to time, it did make me shudder, in light of what happened with Gary Speed. He seems to know how to deal with it. I hope so, because you just know he would never see a therapist or doctor. Sorry to bring such a sombre thought, but it's not something that Simon or anyone should brush aside either.
Interesting little piece, thanks for posting Mich. Ive noticed on the twitter feeds that many Americans are sorely disappointed with Nice Simon - I dont think we have noticed it so much as he has softened gradually over the years here. Whereas many Americans only remember him as "The Mean Guy From Idol" and cant understand why they are getting Simon The Pussy Cat.
As for the depression, hmm thats a subject close to my heart. I know from experience that its often when things are going WELL that depression can strike out of nowhere and it can be crippling. This is harder to deal with than if it happens during a crisis as people are more "understanding" of the illness. When your world looks rosy to everyone, depression can be baffling and hard to deal with for loved ones. You dont want to talk to anyone and just want to lock yourself away and obviously for some, like poor Gary Speed feel they can no longer handle life). Id like to think Simon is stronger than that but its certainly NOT something to take lightly.
Interesting little piece, thanks for posting Mich. Ive noticed on the twitter feeds that many Americans are sorely disappointed with Nice Simon - I dont think we have noticed it so much as he has softened gradually over the years here. Whereas many Americans only remember him as "The Mean Guy From Idol" and cant understand why they are getting Simon The Pussy Cat.
As for the depression, hmm thats a subject close to my heart. I know from experience that its often when things are going WELL that depression can strike out of nowhere and it can be crippling. This is harder to deal with than if it happens during a crisis as people are more "understanding" of the illness. When your world looks rosy to everyone, depression can be baffling and hard to deal with for loved ones. You dont want to talk to anyone and just want to lock yourself away and obviously for some, like poor Gary Speed feel they can no longer handle life). Id like to think Simon is stronger than that but its certainly NOT something to take lightly.
It's true, we have seen more of the softer Simon over the years so i hadn't realised what a big change it would be for America. One thing that supports this is that whenever Simon does a chat show like Oprah or Leno, there are always so many comments about what a nice, funny guy he is - like this is something previously unknown!
With the depression, that is exactly what worries me with Simon, because he has made a remark before about everything going so well for him and his team will be celebrating their success, but he cannot. I think it's partly fear of losing it all again, so he doesn't allow himself to enjoy it properly, but there's also probably many other reasons - quite irrational as despression often is - which i haven't thought about, but probably plague Simon's mind.
There's also a worry that Simon's family and friends are aware of his depression and follow his supposed needs of being left alone. You can get into a habit of letting someone just "deal with it" thinking that is what they want. Simon does seem very self aware, so i guess that is a good thing, plus the huge positive that he has actually spoke about depression, rather than hiding it completely.
It's true, we have seen more of the softer Simon over the years so i hadn't realised what a big change it would be for America. One thing that supports this is that whenever Simon does a chat show like Oprah or Leno, there are always so many comments about what a nice, funny guy he is - like this is something previously unknown!
With the depression, that is exactly what worries me with Simon, because he has made a remark before about everything going so well for him and his team will be celebrating their success, but he cannot. I think it's partly fear of losing it all again, so he doesn't allow himself to enjoy it properly, but there's also probably many other reasons - quite irrational as despression often is - which i haven't thought about, but probably plague Simon's mind.
There's also a worry that Simon's family and friends are aware of his depression and follow his supposed needs of being left alone. You can get into a habit of letting someone just "deal with it" thinking that is what they want. Simon does seem very self aware, so i guess that is a good thing, plus the huge positive that he has actually spoke about depression, rather than hiding it completely.
Yeah, I dont want to get into this too much as its a very personal issue for those who suffer with it, but I think you have hit the nail on the head there. It IS an irrational illness and I would imagine from what we know of Simon's personality that he would feel he was letting people down by "moping about" and embarrassed that someone who has everything he has (fame, wealth, good looks, celebrity lifestyle etc) has anything to be depressed about. Its a common problem for the "ordinary person" who suffers from it to feel hatred of themselves for feeling SO low that they cannot handle "everyday life" but it must be even worse for a man like Simon who appears to "have everything" on the surface. Im sure this would bother him and in turn make his depression a fairly serious issue he has to deal with.
Family and friends can often feel frustrated as there is often very little that can be done to help loved ones. One would hope Simon has a good support network he can rely on.
ANYWAY, onto lighter things - who do we think is on the chopping block tonight? Id love to see the back of Rachel and think Marcus is the other likely candidate. Drew was looking shaky earlier in the week but she seems to have gained more support whereas Chris has dropped back a bit. Id like to think Chris would be saved over Rachel or Marcus but he wouldnt survive if up against Drew .
I think Simon is just testing the waters with this series.
Probably a lot of things will change for the next series.
He is the best judge of this panel though. There's no real chemistry with him and the others and I think that is one of the problems.
Simon is a perfectionist and always wants to get it right. So he will push and push until the show is where he wants it to be. Well that's how I see him anyway.
THE news that Simon Cowell has donated a "large sum of money" to Hopefield topped off a record-breaking day at the Sanctuary on Sunday.
The news that X Factor boss, Simon Cowell – described on TV at the weekend by his singer friend Sinitta as loving animals more than he does humans – has made a donation, has come as a massive boost to Hopefield.
The Sawyers Hall Lane sanctuary teamed up with the Gazette in September to raise £100,000 by Christmas to ensure the animals have warm and secure housing before the winter sets in.
Leona added: "Simon Cowell has given us a large sum of money and so we are going to dedicate a barn to him.
Not a big story, but probably shows Simon's sweet side.
Aww thats right near me, they do some amazing work. So nice to see Simon supporting the smaller charities. He really is such a lovely, warm hearted man and sometimes, even on the AT we forget that, so its nice to be reminded now and then. Thanks for posting .
Does anyone think that Simon will be at our final? Personally i have not heard anything, which is very unexpected. I thought he would be at Wembley or at the very least have a live link up, but i think the rumours would have started by now if he was due to make an appearance.
I think he's generally too disappointed in this series to even comment on these finalists. IMO it's been a shambles for all sorts of reasons that i wont go into now, but if Simon doesn't make any on-screen contribution this year, then i would believe the story i read last week - which claimed that he just wants to draw a line under this series as fast as possible and make a fresh start next year.
I don't think he will personally. It won't do him any favours - people feel he has abandoned our show and to pop up on the final would kind of alienate him to our audiences even more. I guess a live link up with a message is possible but even that seems less likely now.
Who knows though. Simon has been quite unpredictable lately so you can never tell. The logical answer would be no, as you say Mich he just wants to draw a line under this year and forget it - but I suppose the final 3 aren't too bad - its a good mix of acts and maybe he will show some support for it. I can see his ego kind of liking marching out at Wembley arena in a blaze of pyrotechnics, Dermots frenzied twirling and a hyper audience.
I don't think he will personally. It won't do him any favours - people feel he has abandoned our show and to pop up on the final would kind of alienate him to our audiences even more. I guess a live link up with a message is possible but even that seems less likely now.
Who knows though. Simon has been quite unpredictable lately so you can never tell. The logical answer would be no, as you say Mich he just wants to draw a line under this year and forget it - but I suppose the final 3 aren't too bad - its a good mix of acts and maybe he will show some support for it. I can see his ego kind of liking marching out at Wembley arena in a blaze of pyrotechnics, Dermots frenzied twirling and a hyper audience.
I know, i was sure he wouldn't be able to resist it! A video message would be a nice touch, but i think you are right, the general public are still a bit resentful that he has "abandoned" the show in their eyes (urgh, i hate even saying that) and many people like myself are still watching but are not enjoying it as much as usual, so it's probably best not to 'glory seek' and come back for the final. Under normal circumstances it would be ok, but it's been an unstable year for many reasons - probably inevitable after Simon has dominated these shows for so long.
I don't feel the finliasts are particularly special, but between the 3 of them, there is someone to suit most tastes. I feel that Gary has taken Marcus in the wrong direction, but there is no denying that he and Amelia can sing. I never like girlbands, so it's hard for me to judge Little Mix fairly, but i'm sure they will win.
It's been a testing year for Simon, but i suppose he was due for one after so many years of unchallenged success. I hope 2012 is more settled for him.
Comments
Steve has to go, although I don't think he is a major influence for people turning off or just not turning on. I was looking forward to Nicole, but whether she is acting it up, or just can't deal with the live shows I don't know, but she coming across as an unintelligent bimbo, which is different to how she comes across in interviews and on chat shows.
I can't see him losing Paula, but I agree it is making it all far to Idol like and Simon seems scared to upset her. I think it needs an A lister on the panel, personally it doesn't worry me one isn't there, but it could be what pulls in the viewers.
I'm surprised the guest performers haven't been bigger stars, I thought Simon would go all out to get the biggest and the best on there. Perhaps with the viewing figures they can't afford to pay out for them now, although I expect to see bigger ones as we head nearer the final
I just feel the whole concept has lost it's way. Is it a serious competition to find a recording star, or is it an evening of entertainment? The early XF days were the former, but as the entertainment aspect began creeping in a few years ago it seemed to lose its credibility.
I personally don't mind which way it goes, but I don't think there is a middle ground. It either has to be pure camp entertainment or a serious talent competition.
Goodness knows what he is going to do with ours. Everyone i have spoken to, who I know have been huge fans of the show in the past are still watching it, but not enjoying it. They are very lucky they are only up against Casualty and The Antiques Roadshow, had Strictly moved to later they would have been in deep trouble.
Very true, i think. The show is exactly in middle ground at the moment and who would have thought XF would be a show not spoken about that much? We are used to it dominating our media and even allowing for the huge population difference, the show definitely deserves a bigger audience. The talent is good and the production is still decent - although not as slick as the UK one, so there is no obvious reason for so fewer viewers than Idol, who have had some truely awful seasons of late.
I still maintain that the slot is a bad one. Nobody wants to be on in the Fall. AGT had a season there and viewers dipped. If XF had Idol's slot, they would most likely get a minimum 15m viewers.
One strange point to me is that i've heard a lot of comments that XFUSA is too much like AGT and that they feel there is almost no need for this show. Perhaps that is their only experience of groups and Overs and i think the Syco style of production if very recognisable. I remember people watching Red or Black and saying it was like "a Simon Cowell show" without realising it was him behind it.
It will be interesting to see how The Voice does in season 2. If it stays around the 12m mark, then it might just be that people are tiring of these shows and that is the market left for them. The Sing Off and DWTS were down on ratings this year too.
As for our show, i worry about next year too if The Voice gains a following - even though there is no schedule clash. I guess that is why Simon might be coming back to BGT, because he needs to regain control of these shows. I think XF has missed his presence as an exec producer as much as a judge. When Simon was around, everything went past him and his control freakery made for a tighter show.
Yes Mich, I agree completely with that. Also not helped by him taking the experienced producers over to the States with him. I'm sure things would have been jumped on far sooner if he and his producers had been over here.
Does anyone know if BGT will clash with the voice? I'm guessing it might as it's due to air in the spring. That could be another reason for his return.
Everyone is fed up with the "judges behind the desk" talent show search so why not build the drama up with backstage footage and more a of a "reality show" vibe that is so much more popular these days? Maybe introduce scoring as well - the reason being it adds more for the audience to talk about although it would have to be cleverly done.
At present XF feels stale and it is not the fresh new show that was promised. I agree having Paula there was a HUGE mistake and however much (and I dont think it was "much") publicity she gave the show early on, that grew old pretty quickly. She isnt a BAD mentor but the problem is, its giving XF the totally wrong impression of being a poor mans Idol. It needed some youth on the panel - Nicki Minaj, Miley Cyrus or Bieber would be less experienced but have attracted a whole new generation of viewer. There is NO ONE on the line up that is going to make kids want to watch - two elderly record execs, a has-been pop star and part time fruit loop, Paula and the extremely pretty but essentially uninteresting Nicole (who has never created much interest stateside) and has acted so bizarrely on the show, she has hardly warmed herself to new fans.
My own feeling is they need someone with personality on there - whether thats a hip young artist, a Sharon Osbourne type bitch or a complete unknown A&R man that has huge personality and charm that Simon can use to bounce off of. At present the chemistry sucks - even the "Saula" interaction that seemed quite natural on Idol (in as much as friends having a lark, not secret weddings and Saula babies
All the elements are there for a hit, but at present I strongly feel they really dont know what way to push it. This middle ground is getting mediocre viewers - they should take a risk and push it one way or the other and sink or swim. I think the major problem for Simon and the production team is the vast differences with the US audiences. They take these shows much more seriously that we do and dont have that "holiday camp" or "Saturday night telly" culture that our camp, over the top show fits perfectly into. We like shouting at our telly, laughing at the unfortunates that cant sing, cringing when Louis puts in a Wagner over a Mariah and basically treating the whole thing as a bit of a laugh.
The golden days of our XF were when Sharon was being a bitch, cracking up with Louis and winding up Simon. Simon was effortlessly funny, charming and watchable as well as also being superbly bitchy. Louis fed off the other two and it gave us some of the best TV moments of the decade. When things started to get more serious with Saint Cheryl onboard I always felt it lacked something. However I *COULD* appreciate the reason she was bought in, and it worked - a whole new audience of younger viewers. The US version needs a Cheryl or a Sharon character (or both).
From looking at whats being said about the US show, the audiences are expecting "artists" singing seriously and get quite put out when one of Brians (rather tame) production numbers kicks in. I do applaud Simon for putting in the more diverse acts and trying hard NOT to get a "white guy with guitar" winner that has plagued Idol for a few years but the truth is, America likes that kind of "safe" act. The winner of the show could determine how they play it next year - if a predictable artist like Josh or Melanie wins then chances are they will swing the show to be even more "Idol like". There is more hope they might take more risks if Drew or (unlikely) Chris or Astro make it. Id guess though, America will vote the rappers out next and the final will be extremely predictable (Mariah is SO lined up to sing with Melanie...).
They really were golden days. Bringing in Cheryl was key in taking the show to the next level, in terms of how it became tabloid fodder and a general social talking point everywhere. Cheryl brought youger viewers in, so i agree, Simon must go for old school XF bitchery or bring in the superstar kids to gain a new generation of viewers. America doesn't seem that keen on the mentoring aspect anyway (surprisingly for me), so i think the idea of Simon as an overall head judge would be brilliant and really free him to entertain and speak his mind.
Drew and Melanie are obviously good vocalists, but an interesting winner like Astro would set the show apart from Idol. It's unlikely to happen, but hopefully LA will sign him and a hit single would boost the show's credibility in finding a star.
I think some of the 'Nice Simon' has come about because he has 2 young kids in his group with Drew and Rachel. He's behaving so fatherly towards them, i don't think they feel any pressure to improve week on week. Although to be fair, all judges are finding it hard to critique Rachel.
The good news is that 12m is no disaster and we have already mentioned a few ways to improve the show. As Simon said, this one will have to grow naturally over time, just like our one did - remember the days of Verity Keays?!
L.A has taken A LOT of stick for laying into Drew every week - even though his points are valid and he hasnt been particularly cutting (compared to how Simon used to be, back in the day). And even he wont dare touch Rachel who looks like she could trump BGT Brat Hollie in an instant with a meltdown of krakatoan proportions if things dont go her way
Ah well, we shall see. As Ive said before, there is NO WAY that Simon will be happy with mediocrity for his show so Im expecting sweeping changes for S2 - even though with these things, one sometimes has to let the dust settle and for people to adjust to something new, he must see, in this case, things need to improve for the show to grow.
They should have left the lower age at 18. That way Simon could have been Simon. It's a shame that XF US hasn't been a hit but hopefully they will learn from this years mistakes and come back better next year
The same treatment of Paula is happening on XFusa and its boring, lame and not watchable. I agree with whoever said bringing Paula onto XFusa killed it before it even started. No one (bar lame Saula's) cares or believes their "Are they? Aren't they" thing they think they've got going. MOVE ON Simon!
I agree with Allie they panel needs a overhaul, and someone new and fresh, not Mariah Carey like Simon originally wanted. Yes Mariah is a fab singer but is she still relevant? Someone like Nikki Minaj or Miley Cyrus would be amazing for the show and ratings grabbers (Especially someone like Miley who tweens love!)
The Panel could maybe benefit from a younger male (not as young as Beiber) but that will never happen, anyone realised Simon likes to always be considered the "fit" male of these shows? He never seems to be on the same panel as people that can be classed as fitter than he is. (The Hoff, Piers, Randy Jackson, Louis walsh, LA Reid, Michael McIntyre.. ect) He needs to get over his own vanity and maybe hire a male singer, someone like like Justin Timberlake would be great. Young, with experience but not too young.
Steve - please don't let the door hit you on the way out. If that plank of wood makes it to season two, I'll eat a bowl of my dogs food! Ryan would be perfect but its a dream that's never gonna happen. I vote moving over Nick Lachey from his singing show to XF (mainly cos I think he's fit) but also cos he has more charisma and liability factor in his little finger than Steve has in his whole body.
Anyway, whatever is done, something needs to be done, if someone would have told me at the start of the yr that XFusa would be trailing behind The Voice in ratings, I'd have laughed in their face. Everyone expected more but for some reason XFusa just ain't bringing it to the table.
No, that 14 yr old you saw say that was the very dreary Drew. Rachel is even less likeable than her :eek:;)
i agree that the age limit shouldn't be as low as 12, maybe 16. But since Beiber arrived on the scene, Simon saw the £ signs and has been obsessed with finding a child star just like him hence the really low age limit that just doesn't work.
It's VERY uncomfortable, for me, to sit watching 14 yr olds like Drew and Rachel singing songs that are way too old for them. Rachel singing "I Can't Get No Satisfaction" springs to mind. :eek: That is just plain wrong. Astro however, is 14/15 but as he writes his own lyrics he is singing stuff he relates to and us going through so gets away with is, but no I don't want to hear 14 yr old Rachel (who appears younger than 14 as she's very immature) singing a song about orgasms!:eek:
I agree but the flaw in Simon's plan is that you have to wade through 100's of kids to get the one that will sell loads. You cannot be mean to kids on tv and going down the route of looking for a child star is holding him back.
The few times I've seen Astro I've really liked him. He will have a great career ahead of him whether he wins or not.
I hope they learn from the mistakes they made this year and simon comes back on form next year.
Chris remains my favourite but will probably get kicked out soon - although ideally I'd like Shirley Temple and Marcus out tonight ( and I don't dislike Marcus but find he lacks star quality).
I haven't seen any of it yet, but the poll on MJs blog suggests a bottom 3 of Rachel, Marcus and Chris and those polls have been accurate every week so far. Drew, Melanie and Josh are winning favourite polls each week and pretty much represent mainstream tastes. All very good vocalists, but Chris or Astro in the final would keep things interesting. I can only presume that Simon prefers the other 2 girls over Rachel, because as an A&R guy, there is no way he could keep choosing the wrong song week after week.
So Tinie Tempah on tonight then. As much as i like him, it feels like Simon is just showcasing British talent and doing a bit of penny pinching, what with Jessie J the other week! Neither have had a top 10 Billboard hit to my knowledge.
I really hope Beiber performs with Drew in the final, because she's going to be so disappointed if it's anyone else! Hopefully the budget is being saved for 3 top stars to appear in the duets.
Also have to say, reading the brief remark about Simon's depression from time to time, it did make me shudder, in light of what happened with Gary Speed. He seems to know how to deal with it. I hope so, because you just know he would never see a therapist or doctor. Sorry to bring such a sombre thought, but it's not something that Simon or anyone should brush aside either.
http://www.celebrific.com/22687/simon-cowell-and-the-x-factor-%E2%80%93-is-he-likeable/
Interesting little piece, thanks for posting Mich. Ive noticed on the twitter feeds that many Americans are sorely disappointed with Nice Simon - I dont think we have noticed it so much as he has softened gradually over the years here. Whereas many Americans only remember him as "The Mean Guy From Idol" and cant understand why they are getting Simon The Pussy Cat.
As for the depression, hmm thats a subject close to my heart. I know from experience that its often when things are going WELL that depression can strike out of nowhere and it can be crippling. This is harder to deal with than if it happens during a crisis as people are more "understanding" of the illness. When your world looks rosy to everyone, depression can be baffling and hard to deal with for loved ones. You dont want to talk to anyone and just want to lock yourself away and obviously for some, like poor Gary Speed feel they can no longer handle life). Id like to think Simon is stronger than that but its certainly NOT something to take lightly.
It's true, we have seen more of the softer Simon over the years so i hadn't realised what a big change it would be for America. One thing that supports this is that whenever Simon does a chat show like Oprah or Leno, there are always so many comments about what a nice, funny guy he is - like this is something previously unknown!
With the depression, that is exactly what worries me with Simon, because he has made a remark before about everything going so well for him and his team will be celebrating their success, but he cannot. I think it's partly fear of losing it all again, so he doesn't allow himself to enjoy it properly, but there's also probably many other reasons - quite irrational as despression often is - which i haven't thought about, but probably plague Simon's mind.
There's also a worry that Simon's family and friends are aware of his depression and follow his supposed needs of being left alone. You can get into a habit of letting someone just "deal with it" thinking that is what they want. Simon does seem very self aware, so i guess that is a good thing, plus the huge positive that he has actually spoke about depression, rather than hiding it completely.
Yeah, I dont want to get into this too much as its a very personal issue for those who suffer with it, but I think you have hit the nail on the head there. It IS an irrational illness and I would imagine from what we know of Simon's personality that he would feel he was letting people down by "moping about" and embarrassed that someone who has everything he has (fame, wealth, good looks, celebrity lifestyle etc) has anything to be depressed about. Its a common problem for the "ordinary person" who suffers from it to feel hatred of themselves for feeling SO low that they cannot handle "everyday life" but it must be even worse for a man like Simon who appears to "have everything" on the surface. Im sure this would bother him and in turn make his depression a fairly serious issue he has to deal with.
Family and friends can often feel frustrated as there is often very little that can be done to help loved ones. One would hope Simon has a good support network he can rely on.
ANYWAY, onto lighter things - who do we think is on the chopping block tonight? Id love to see the back of Rachel and think Marcus is the other likely candidate. Drew was looking shaky earlier in the week but she seems to have gained more support whereas Chris has dropped back a bit. Id like to think Chris would be saved over Rachel or Marcus but he wouldnt survive if up against Drew
Probably a lot of things will change for the next series.
He is the best judge of this panel though. There's no real chemistry with him and the others and I think that is one of the problems.
Simon is a perfectionist and always wants to get it right. So he will push and push until the show is where he wants it to be. Well that's how I see him anyway.
http://www.thisistotalessex.co.uk/Celebrities-including-Leona-Lewis-make-sanctuary/story-13997453-detail/story.html
Not a big story, but probably shows Simon's sweet side.
http://www.metro.co.uk/tv/883671-simon-cowell-storms-off-x-factor-usa-as-judges-vote-off-his-act-drew
Thats what we need a bit of the drama queen ( pardon the pun
Anyway viewing figures were up, so MJ night and dragging out his family seems to have done the trick
I think he's generally too disappointed in this series to even comment on these finalists. IMO it's been a shambles for all sorts of reasons that i wont go into now, but if Simon doesn't make any on-screen contribution this year, then i would believe the story i read last week - which claimed that he just wants to draw a line under this series as fast as possible and make a fresh start next year.
Who knows though. Simon has been quite unpredictable lately so you can never tell. The logical answer would be no, as you say Mich he just wants to draw a line under this year and forget it - but I suppose the final 3 aren't too bad - its a good mix of acts and maybe he will show some support for it. I can see his ego kind of liking marching out at Wembley arena in a blaze of pyrotechnics, Dermots frenzied twirling and a hyper audience.
I know, i was sure he wouldn't be able to resist it! A video message would be a nice touch, but i think you are right, the general public are still a bit resentful that he has "abandoned" the show in their eyes (urgh, i hate even saying that) and many people like myself are still watching but are not enjoying it as much as usual, so it's probably best not to 'glory seek' and come back for the final. Under normal circumstances it would be ok, but it's been an unstable year for many reasons - probably inevitable after Simon has dominated these shows for so long.
I don't feel the finliasts are particularly special, but between the 3 of them, there is someone to suit most tastes. I feel that Gary has taken Marcus in the wrong direction, but there is no denying that he and Amelia can sing. I never like girlbands, so it's hard for me to judge Little Mix fairly, but i'm sure they will win.
It's been a testing year for Simon, but i suppose he was due for one after so many years of unchallenged success. I hope 2012 is more settled for him.