[Laurapalmer]

I watch X Factor these days and get so bored of the pantomime way it is played out every year.
Some one to hate , Judges full of cliches , an obvious talent , a backstage diva... The list goes on ...

I miss the Pop Idol format where the judges were there to be impartial and to judge on a performance not based on an allegiance or a desire to win to impress the boss.

Nicky Chapman , Foxy , Pete and Simon were an honest bunch that gelled well together , had a laugh and clearly enjoyed making the programme. These days it seems nobody enjoys the show anymore. The contestants are shaped by the producers and the judges snarl and snipe at each other. It's uncomfortable viewing and everyone on the show seems so dislikable.
Bring back Ant & Dec - the kings of light entertainment and scrap the whole category / Judge nonsense and let all the acts be themselves. I personally hate the themes each week too so would be happy to see the back of that also.

No more 'X Factor' - it's a croc of crap ... The format could still work I think , if it had a major overhaul.

Your thoughts?

[Treewatcher]

Yeah it's been discussed before but Pop Idol was a better all round show for me.

[QuiteInterested]

Pop Idol.

[Laroc]

Pop Idol

[jackbell]

X Factor.

I don't think the format is to blame, just the twists, judges decisions and recent manipulation.

When X Factor first started I remember thinking "Okay, this is like Pop Idol but better!" I still think the today.

Look back on Pop Idol sometime. It's dreary.

[cas116]

Pop Idol, so that the judges can just judge impartially.

The change i'd really like for X Factor though is for the first auditions to go back to being just in front of the judges, with no audience. I could just about live with an audience for the last boot camp performances like they have now, but my preference would be none at all until live shows.
I think the auditions have turned into a bit of a pantomime now and some of my favourite clips from over the years have been ones from the first auditions, where Simon, Foxy or Pete Waterman got the giggles and completely lost it - you just don't see that as much now.

[Gill P]

Pop Idol without a doubt. That programme produced the most successful talent show contestant in Will Young.

However, X-Factor also produced a great singer in Joe McElderry. I like them both!

[Laurapalmer]

Originally Posted by Gill P

Pop Idol without a doubt. That programme produced the most successful talent show contestant in Will !

I agree with this ! I loved Will Young. He really was the deserved people's champion. It made me vote when I knew how much Simon wanted Gareth.
I didn't mind Gareth but I am not a fan of a sob stories and that one was really pushed.

I do really miss Ant & Dec though , they dealt with everyone in much more light hearted manner and made it fun. Dermots cruddy dancing and pointless questions really don't do it for me. He is a big brother presenter at best and he doesn't look like he gels with any of the celebrity guests either.

[Jackk]

I prefer the complexity of X Factor, the format of categories, mentors, groups, sing-offs is just one that I think makes for more interesting viewing (in fact, it pretty much makes the show for me) as opposed to the simplistic format of Idol. Looking back, as much as I enjoyed it at the time, it'd be a really dull show in comparison to the beast that is X Factor now.

Just see the show as an entertainment show, because that's what it is first and foremost. It's Saturday night entertainment, and it's bloody good.

[danielleh]

Pop Idol is much better. The X Factor's concept is actually quite a good one, except executed terribly.

[foxy23]

Pop Idol, definetely!

It was the first and LAST time I ever voted in any of these singing-type competitions.

LOVED Will Young, the format of the show, Pete Waterman...and Simon Cowell's star was just rising......

...all made it very new and fresh!

Unfortunately X Factor is now too manipulated by the producers, and they insist on putting through joke acts (Wagner, Rylan).
If any contestants who proved to not have the potential, this was done so in the live shows - A person was not picked for comic value...

Does anyone remember the contestant Laura (?) I think, from the first series of PI? She was adequate, but was forever in the bottom two. After a few weeks, Pete named her the 'sofa queen' - I think she even made an advert to this effect after the show.

But as far as I can remember, everyone put through, was through potential and some sort of singing talent - Not like these days! And Pop Idol was STILL entertaining without the 'Joke Factor'.

Wish PI would return!!

[Laurapalmer]

.... and to be fair we all knew what a 'pop idol' was. The term 'X Factor' is too broad these days and they seem to make it apply to whatever they fancy. Just because you prance around on stage like a tit it doesn't mean you have talent. I am always astounded when I see that guy Dappy from Ndubz on TV. He is scarily stupid and unintelligent. He obviously has the 'X factor'

[**Julie**]

Pop Idol was a relatively new concept back in 2001. We had encountered Popstars which I loved and the new reality era was just beginning.

What I loved about PI was the fact that it was all about the contestants.. they chose their own songs, their own outfits and if they got it wrong then there was no one to blame but themselves.

The judges gave their verdicts & criticism which sometimes I agreed with & sometimes not (Distinctly Average Will Young? I think not!)

I think a mixture of both shows would be best in todays climate as things have moved on. I hate however how now it is all about the judges, their tantrums & arguments, their tactical voting arghh! Xfactor has got was too cheesy & big for its boots yet produced less & less talent every year IMO.

It needs to go back to the public choosing the live finalists like in PI, the favourite would win and remember in PI that to vote cost just 10p!

I voted in 2002 but never since.

[amelie74]

Much preferred Pop Idol - it was about all about the singers. XF is more about the judges scoring points off each other. The last straw for me was the inclusion of entertaining or novelty acts aka those who can't sing or don't have a cat in hell's chance of being a recording star.

[staceyxxx23]

I really liked Pop Idol but that version and the judges seem sorta outdated now, as much as I liked them.

XFactor would be great again with Sharon, Cheryl & Simon back though, I'm sure it'd boost the ratings. Ant and Dec are fabulous, but not as hosts of a show like this, they're more suited to BGT & IAC as the programs revolve around lots of humour (waiting on a quote that says XFactor is a joke show, but whatevs). I'd bring back Kate Thornton to present in place of Dermot also.

[RecordPlayer]

Pop Idol.

[jackbell]

I think Pop Idol rebranded as British Pop Idol with an all-new jury/judges would work.

One producer, one manager a male pop star and a female pop star. Who would you have?

[Clancey83]

X Factor.

I always find it funny when people talk about Pop Idol as if it was an innocent show that was all about the singing. It was just as bad as the X Factor in terms of PR stunts and publicity. The only thing that's changed is that we (the audience) have wised up to the gimmicks.

[C14E]

Originally Posted by Clancey83

X Factor.

I always find it funny when people talk about Pop Idol as if it was an innocent show that was all about the singing. It was just as bad as the X Factor in terms of PR stunts and publicity. The only thing that's changed is that we (the audience) have wised up to the gimmicks.

Indeed. Series one wasn't a hit because of the singing, it was a hit because of the stories. Will vs Mr Nasty, Gareth overcoming his stutter. Rik Waller was the first finalist who became a figure of fun - he got ill and had a bye week as well! The whole "Mr Nasty" routine in the auditions as well became a huge deal. After all, who was the biggest star to come out of Pop Idol? Simon Cowell. The judges are always a key part of these shows because they're the returning characters from series to series. It was also the show that really catapulted Ant & Dec to stardom.

Simon and Pete used to bicker and had a big falling out in the second series. Michelle McManus would never have won if she wasn't fat. Contestants had criminal pasts and dodgy relatives exposed in the media. Conspiracy theories abound that the producers sabotaged Susanne Manning by leaking negative stories. All the same stuff we hear now!

The judges on X Factor don't really care about their acts. And on Pop Idol at least two of them had genuine vested interests in the contestants and winners (Simon and Nicki). People think Simon had Leona picked as his winner early on, they should have seen American Idol 2005 with Carrie Underwood. The rest of them might as well not have bothered.

Neil Fox's job was originally being touted around tabloid showbiz editors. When Fuller & Cowell pitched the idea the second note taken by the TV executive was "Sun In" - they were determined to get the tabloid press on board.

Both shows were produced by Thames TV. Many of the key people on Pop Idol are still in senior positions at Thames and Syco on X Factor.

Ultimately we don't know how Pop Idol would have turned out. But I do think the rose tinted glasses have a habit of coming out.

Certainly for ITV, it proved to be an extremely good decision in the end. I think they were well aware that it was a risk at the time.

[Helbore]

Fame Academy.

[maninthequeue]

Pop Idol Series 1 was brilliant, one of the other reasons not so far mentioned was on the ITV2 Xtra show hosted Kate Thornton, the contestants picked a number out of a hat to decide what position they would sing in the following week's show. With the act that pulled out the number 1 meaning they had the worst draw of going first, so had first choice of selecting what song they wanted to sing on (Abba, Elton John, etc theme week).

Imagine the producers of X-Factor today not being able to fix the running order to maximum effect..

[AMS13]

Pop Idol - Simon Fueller cared more about the show and his artist's future. Simon Cowell (X Factor) is mainly Simon C and what his ego wants. Guess that is why Will Young is still going strong - he had Simon Fueller behind him. Cowell wishes he was Fueller.

[C14E]

Originally Posted by AMS13

Pop Idol - Simon Fueller cared more about the show and his artist's future. Simon Cowell (X Factor) is mainly Simon C and what his ego wants. Guess that is why Will Young is still going strong - he had Simon Fueller behind him. Cowell wishes he was Fueller.

Both Cowell and Fuller care about their shows and the artists they sign because that's how they make their money and build their empires. Particularly with regard to the show, it's ridiculous to suggest that Cowell doesn't care about it.

Will Young is a success story from Pop Idol and 19. But just like with Syco and X Factor, for every success you have a few failures.

[Tyjet]

X Factor. I enjoyed Pop Idol at the time, but it's very outdated and it's format compared to X Factor's is just plain dull. The problem with X Factor isn't the format and no doubt those same problems would be with Pop Idol if it had remained on air.

[C14E]

Originally Posted by Tyjet

X Factor. I enjoyed Pop Idol at the time, but it's very outdated and it's format compared to X Factor's is just plain dull. The problem with X Factor isn't the format and no doubt those same problems would be with Pop Idol if it had remained on air.

Agreed. They can't go backwards.

In fact, I think it might be a good idea for Cowell to do what he did with Pop Idol and X Factor - move on completely but obviously still in the singing talent show genre. He was "involved in the development" of Pop Idol and took that and made some changes here and there, created a new brand and it worked wonders for him. And Pop Idol itself was just an evolution on Popstars (at least in Cowell's mind, I believe Fuller claims to have had the idea in the 90's).

I think Cowell coming back but on a whole new show, like he did with X Factor, might work. Obviously they'd need to get the format right and do something a bit different. And no Cheryl or Dannii. A clean break would be best.

X Factor has a renewal for next year. The safe option is just to do it all again. But the way things are going, that might be the last time. Now is the right time for Cowell to push something new because if X Factor gets cancelled in the next couple of years, the slot will be the subject of pitches from every TV production company out there. In theory, he could preempt that and give his own company a crack at it first. And if it works, then he has something he can sell to international markets when networks are cancelling X Factor/The Voice/Idol over the next few years.