- 'The X Factor' is undoubtedly the show that just keeps going. Now in its tenth year, it has seen nine previous winners and has made success stories out of One Direction, Little Mix and Olly Murs to name a few. This is the thing - there's no doubt that when the show is successful it does really well but these days it seems to have more critics than fans.Before the current series even began it was thrown into crisis. Whilst viewers were applauding the fact that Sharon Osbourne would be back in her judges chair, displaying some of that amazing chemistry with Louis "Lou Lou" Walsh, she had already announced that she had no intention for her return to last more than one series and Walsh and Gary Barlow confirmed they're also tempted to jump ship.
Over the years, the show has never adapted to get rid of the elements that grate on the audience as we're still being plagued with the sob stories that shouldn't really influence public perception. It also continues to show the more comedic characters who get a bad edit that often seems genuinely cruel and, with more people acknowledging the fact that the format is repetitive, the show is doing little to keep viewers tuning in.
The credibility of the series has also been put into doubt as most of the show's successes have been runners up. In recent years, acts such as One Direction, Olly Murs and JLS have had more hits than the winners of their series. 'The X Factor' is more often regarded a platform now, winning doesn't guarantee long-lasting popularity and you don't have to win to sign a record deal, ultimately discrediting viewers' votes.
In theory, changing the show's audition format this year so that we see contestants performing in front of just the judges on Saturday night and then in front of a 4000-strong crowd on Sunday means we can embrace the Sunday nights without seeing too many novelty acts. It's also intriguing to see if performers cave to the pressure of a crowd whilst they're still fresh in the viewer's mind. However, the repetition of the same acts over the weekend defeats the point in watching on Sunday if nobody stands out on the previous show.
If 'The X Factor' is to continue for an eleventh series, many changes will have to take place for viewers to remain on-board. It may be a blessing to have an all new judging panel who are currently popular in the industry. For the live shows bringing in guest judges, who rehearse with the contestants throughout the week, could be a popular move that would bring a breath of fresh air and excitement to each episode.
The show could also benefit from having a break and coming back fresh if people genuinely start to miss it. Each year you can guarantee that 'The X Factor' will churn out a winner, who will then proceed to have a number one cover single over Christmas or the New Year and that anti-X Factor movements will be made so we see the most random songs appearing in the top 10. The predictability of the process means critics have issues before the show even starts so having a break and coming back fresh could be a popular move.
All the time viewers are tuning in it's likely to continue but, as is the case with most series that run their course, people now seem indifferent to the talent show and would probably appreciate a dramatic change to the format or the dismissal of it altogether.
Do you think format changes could save The X Factor?
No comments:
Post a Comment