I'm starting to get the feeling the producers are trying out new twists on the UK version to see how they go down before moving them to the American version. If the big drop at Boot Camp had been successful we would've seen it appear in the US version next year. We've already seen the top 16 cut being used on both the UK and US versions, with the UK as a test run, and now I think this later 're-introduction' twist is to measure the public's reaction and, if it goes well vote and ratings wise, they'll use it on the US version if required.

From being the leading series of the show, I'm of the opinion that the UK show is little more than a lab rat now. The US is key for Syco.

If they try these underhand tricks in the USA they will be sued left right and centre. I hope they go bankrupt.

Its definately an interesting thought! However I dont think they can really say that considering it was Simon's only version of the show he was a part of for 7 years...X Factor wise.

I think in this series they just have had some bad luck, trial and error.

Remember though Contraversy Creates Cash! All brings publicity!

I don't think so - they can only sue someone if they've broken a contract or rule and I bet there's nothing in the rules this year regarding returning acts. The public haven't lost any money on it so...sueing is not an option.

It's far too late to do this, though. After a couple of weeks, I can accept, but past the halfway point???

He's now part of the American version, though, and financially that has to be a success. No doubt ITV and FOX are both putting pressure on Simon to return next year, and there's no doubt where he'll be come the autumn of 2012. Why risk harming they're new baby when they can test trial a few things on the OAP to see if it works?

I dont think the show NEEDS Simon Cowell. Its good to have him there but its kind of like Channel 4 when they first axed Big Brother or coincidentally when BB announced Davina wasnt coming back. Channel 4 finally seem to be finding replacements and Brian Dowling is fitting in to Davinas place.

Neither Ch 4 or Brian Dowling had it right at first. Its just trial and error till they got the right formula. Same with X Factor UK without Cowell

They've always used the UK as a testing ground, inviting Paula Abdul as a guest judge in series three was a test for the four judge line up to come in series four with the introduction of Dannii Minogue.

US versions of shows are notorious for changing things for the sake of it, though.

I agree the show doesn't need Simon necessarily but they're either trying to over compensate for his absence or the production team have lost the plot...or, as I think, they're trying out new ideas to see how it goes.


But Paula did not hang around for a long period of time and it was an experiment for the UK version itself; not for another version.


True, but The X Factor has a very British base. So's American Idol and has it changed that much from series one?

i think the initial live show idea of each judge losing an act was definitely a test run.

I don't think this week is a test run though for USA, I think it's just a decent enough twist that's fallen into place

I think it's a twist that will be watched very carefully by the FOX execs in case the same happens over there. If it works it saves money on returning vote money or missing a week of results.

The first week twist was nearly brilliant. All it needed was a public vote...but then if it had that they wouldn't have been able to do this twist now. Hmmm.

I don't think so. The top 16 thing wasn't trialled on X Factor UK, it was always going to happen on both shows this year. And the big bootcamp cull has been done on America's Got Talent.

This is just a reaction to current events. They've spotted an opportunity to get something out of it.

I don't understand why they didn't involve the public in the twist, unless they saw the opportunity to have acts on 'standby'.

I'd argue that the two X Factor's are closer to each other than Got Talent is to the singing contest. FOX want the American version to be as successful as the British version was; if Simon's nervous about something, why not give it a trial run first on the version that's smaller in importance?

I have the feeling if the twist had completely died over here, they would've shoehorned the public vote into the American show.

My guess is that the idea might have actually started in the US. They needed a week of shows between judges houses and proper live shows but could only do a performance show (World Series Baseball was on Wednesday and Thursday). So they came up with this "top 16" judges elimination twist and the UK show tried it as well. Of course, they could have done the public vote on the UK show. But judges voting has tended to be quite controversial in the past.

In terms of television, I think you'll find the UK is just one big testing ground for American shows a lot of the time. The US remakes our shows far more than we remake theirs and usually the writers/producers/execs etc. are doing their best on the UK version in the hope that it will be picked up for a US version.

If the UK's approach had been a disaster, they could've opened the phonelines in the US and cut acts at the start of the next live show (like Australia's Got Talent). I think they were measuring how well it went in the UK, and now they'll be watching how this latest twist does when considering bringing back acts if required.

I would still say the UK version is a measuring stick for the US version; to prevent the US version taking too many risks in it's fledgling season.

But how would that twist have worked with a public vote? An act from each category going? Each category would've gained different numbers of votes - so it would've been possible for the lowest ranking girl to still have more votes than a 2nd place group for example. It would've been a mess. The first week twist was just an extension of what happens at judges' houses - they were just judged on how they compare to their own category.

If you mean there's indications they no longer CARE about the UK version, that could be true.

But in terms of twists being "tested" on the UK for the US... that's kind of impossible to prove with the US version being brand new. Give the same argument in a year or two (if either, or both versions are even still on the air) and we shall see.

In terms of the "top 16 cut", by the way, the US use of that was SO close on the heels of the UK version's use, its clear they were conceived and carried out on both pretty much simultaneously.