ITV haven't really tried to change XF. Real changes would be...

Starting the auditions in October and lives from Dec to Feb.
Giving each judge one category of each.
Having no judge have any categories and just let them judge.
Run a series where there only under 30s or even over 30s (that would be brave or crazy), maybe with no groups.
Allow proper groups in who play instruments.
Make it a true singing competition like Idol was. Though TVUK should do that.
Move it to midweek like you say.

I'm not sure Midsommer at 7pm would work but it'd be interesting. Robin of Sherwood certainly worked.

Note to many posters of this thread: your opinion is not necessarily reflective of the whole country. That's why speculating over the reasons for XF's decline is pointless as everyone has a different perspective.
You yourself may think the music is "bland", others won't.

Dannii and Cheryl did not make TXF unmissable TV. The show naturally was on the up because of Leona's success, and the judges were there at the right time.

TXF lost its mojo years ago, and people are frankly sick of the charts clogged up by wannabe stars. The winner most likely won't get the Christmas Number 1 and will be at the mercy of every song they release.


Yes, Britney hadn't been on primetime TV in Britain for a good four years before that performance. The world feels a smaller place now, having a guest to perform isn't 'must-watch-TV' when they probably have promoted it on thousands of shows and you can watch it on demand.

TXF arguably peaked when they got Beyonce, which took a lot of grovelling on Simon's part because of previous comments he made about her.

Getting rid of Simon Cowell from the judging panel and replacing him with someone who makes a real contribution might be a start.

Top Gear was one of the youngest skewing shows on TV and the hosts were older. Like you say, it doesn't matter that much. It's the appeal of the programme.

Simon is still a draw, he brings something to a panel in terms of charisma.

A bad show is a bad show. But the same programme has more chance of success on 1 than 3. GBBO didn't get 10m on 2 and I am not sure it would on ITV.

The younger the programme or the channel, the less relevant overnights are. I'm surprised SCD doesn't do better.

For years ITV had light entertainment from 6.45-7.30pm on Monday nights. XFactor's grandfather, Opportunity Knocks, was one if them.

Saturdays had the LE from sixish and the older skewing dramas later in the evening, when the kids had gone out.

The X Factor fanclub on this thread is really pathetic and boring, isn't it? Only one or two posters, mind you. But they do ruin things.

I do find it amusing how well Strictly is doing. I enjoyed it far more in years gone by where it was less fake and had more complicated routines, really stunning dances from the celebs and naturally funny joke acts. It's gone a bit too knowing for me. I guess X Factor's demise has seen people who have never watched Strictly before finding something else - so really you could say Strictly have XF to thank for their renewed success

Only just these days. Since he became a parent he doesn't really seem to give a toss about any of it! Is he different on America's Got Talent, I wonder?

But that's the route The X Factor went down - that's why it's in the mess it's in now; because it came far too obvious and fake for people to take to it in their 10m's. Strictly has to be careful but I think they're treading the line reasonably well so far, especially considering the issues they've had to deal with this year.

Oh I think they'll be totally fine in this respect, it's not like the possible meddling XF liked to engage in with real people's lives in the balance, just from a personal perspective it's all got a bit plastic on BBC1 for me. I go to XF for something more natural these days

If a show either remains the same or increases its audience by a marginal number, and its 'competition' plunges in audience number, does this say that the first show is in battle with the second and is 'destroying' it, or that the second show has destroyed itself? The press and ratings thread are talking about a non existant battle here me thinks.

Tutankhamun does not sound in the least bit appealing to me. Am I alone?

I agree, people are tiring of him. Once a year on BGT is enough. He's not the draw he once was.

I've not seen any evidence of this; the negativity is all towards the novelty acts.

No.

I do wonder if it will retain Victoria's audience (especially if there's an overlap between them and Poldark, and the Victoria viewers catching up with Poldark will watch live tonight instead).

Also, what genre is it supposed to be? Mummies coming to life? Or just a romantically elaborated docudrama? The pre-publicity I've seen isn't clear at all (and Radio Times suggesting it's in some way like DA when the only thing they have in common is a location just confuses matters).

If it was anybody else they would have got rid of him ages ago. Is he another ''close friend'' of Kevin Lygo I wonder ?

Correction: you're tiring of him. You don't speak for 60 million Brits.

Because TXF is actually a serious, significant musical event?

The trouble is, it never has been, and Cowell's obsession with credibility has killed what the show once was. It needs the novelty acts.

However, as the ratings for last year's TXF and this year's TVUK indicate, there is audience fatigue with the format. And yet ITV signed a three-year deal for more, and took the rights to TVUK. I wonder what they're thinking about that now …

Ooh hang on, let's have a long, hard think about why Cowell hasn't been removed from XF or BGT...

Nope, I've still not got it...

🙄

God yes...60 million Brits, 5 million of which are watching XF...really puts it into context actually

I haven't been watching but I've seen criticism of Simon doing an about turn re: his previous stance on novelty acts and coming out with what feel like fake comments in support of them.

Maybe not, but 54 million of them were making some kind of comment weren't they?

Losing Cowell badly hurt the show. It's decline was immediate. Idol was never the same without him either. There's no reason to change the panel. You can tweak the format as I detailed earlier, or radically change it up, but panel changes are pointless.

I actually would stick to the idea of singing songs people over 25 know. You aren't going to win back Radio 2 people in a few weeks. Either you have a long-term plan or you just flit from one idea to the other.

ITV needs to stick with shows and ideas rather than throwing stuff against a wall and hoping something sticks.