The X Factor (TV series)
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This article describes the British version of The X Factor. For the Australian version, see The X Factor (Australia).
| The X Factor | |
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| Format | Reality / talent show |
| Starring | Judges: Simon Cowell, Sharon Osbourne, Louis Walsh Host: Kate Thornton |
| Channel | ITV1 |
| Production company | FremantleMedia, talkbackTHAMES, SYCOtv |
| Air dates | August 2004 – |
| No. of series | Currently on 3rd series |
| No. of episodes | 15 (Series 1) 18 (Series 2) 18 (Series 3) |
The X Factor is a British popular TV music talent show, broadcast on Saturdays on ITV1, with spinoff "behind-the-scenes" shows The Xtra Factor and The X Factor 24/7 screened on ITV2. It is produced by FremantleMedia's talkbackTHAMES and Simon Cowell's production company SYCOtv. The "X Factor" of the title refers to the undefinable "something" that makes for star quality.
The judges are Simon Cowell, Sharon Osbourne and Louis Walsh, and the show is hosted by Kate Thornton. Voice-overs are provided by Peter Dickson and Enn Reitel.
The X Factor was devised as a replacement for the successful Pop Idol, which was put on indefinite hiatus after its second series, largely because Simon Cowell wished to launch a show that he owned the television rights to. (The perceived similarity between the shows later became the subject of a legal dispute.) The first series of The X Factor began in September 2004 and ran to December 2004. It was hugely popular and a second series ran from August to December 2005. The third series, sponsored by mobile phone manufacturer Nokia, is currently airing on ITV; it started on 19 August 2006 and will conclude on 16 December 2006.
The show is primarily concerned with identifying singing talent, though appearance, personality, stage presence and dance routines are also an important element of many performances. Some acts also accompany themselves on guitar or piano, though almost always over a backing track. The single most important attribute that the judges are seeking, however, is the ability to appeal to a mass market of pop fans. The prize is a £1,000,000 (sterling) recording contract (in addition to the publicity that appearance in the later stages of the show itself generates, not only for the winner but the other highly ranked contestants).
The X Factor is billed as the UK's biggest ever talent search, as it was the first such contest to have no upper age limit (although the minimum limit is 16), and to allow both solo singers and groups to compete. Usually those who audition are between the ages of 16 and 60. Over 50,000 auditioned for series 1, around 75,000 for series 2 and around 100,000 for series 3. Viewing figures of around ten million are claimed for series 2. Over three million public votes were cast in the series 2 semi-final, and six million in the first part of the final.
At the British Comedy Awards 2005, The X Factor beat Friday Night with Jonathan Ross and Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway to take the award for Best Comedy Entertainment Programme (rather bizarrely, since it is not intended as comedy). The award was presented by Ricky Gervais.
A celebrity special edition – The X Factor: Battle of the Stars – was shown in May–June 2006.
It was revealed by the Daily Mirror newspaper on the 9th of December 2006 that Simon Cowell has intentions of launching a "Euro X Factor" within two years [1]. The show, if launched, would feature European countries staging their own X Factor contests, with a winner being announced for each. The individual winners would then take part in the "Euro X Factor". The concept is similar to that of World Idol and the Eurovision Song Contest; however, unlike these shows "Euro X Factor" would progress over a number of weeks, with an act being eliminated each week, until an eventual international winner is found. If launched, the show is expected to attract over 100 million viewers per episode, which would undoubtedly make it the biggest talent competition on the planet, even more so than the popular US show American Idol.
Contents |
[edit] Format
| The X Factor | |
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| Presenters | Judges |
| Series 3 (2006) finalists | |
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Winner: TBA Runner-up: TBA Current finalists: Leona Lewis, Raymond Quinn. Eliminated: Ben Mills, The MacDonald Brothers, Eton Road, Robert Allen, Nikitta Angus, Ashley McKenzie, Kerry McGregor, Dionne Mitchell, 4Sure, The Unconventionals. |
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| Series 2 (2005) finalists | |
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Winner: Shayne Ward Runner-up: Andy Abraham Others: Journey South, Brenda Edwards, Chico Slimani, The Conway Sisters, Nicholas Dorsett, Maria Lawson, Chenai Zinyuku, Phillip Magee, 4Tune, Addictiv Ladies. |
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| Series 1 (2004) finalists | |
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Winner: Steve Brookstein Runner-up: G4 Others: Tabby Callaghan, Rowetta Satchell, Cassie Compton, Voices With Soul, 2 To Go, Verity Keays, Roberta Howett. |
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There are four stages to The X Factor competition:
- Stage 1: Auditions
- Stage 2: Boot camp
- Stage 3: Visits to judges' homes
- Stage 4: Live shows (finals)
The competition is split into three categories: vocal groups (including duos), solo singers aged 16–24, and solo singers aged 25 and over. There is, however, only one final winner.
[edit] Auditions
In the initial weeks of the show, public auditions are held at various locations across the UK. Each act enters the audition room (often after waiting for hours), and delivers a stand-up unaccompanied performance of their chosen song to the three judges. If at least two of the three judges say "yes" then the act goes through to the next stage. If two of the three say "no", the act is sent home.
Only a small selection of auditions are broadcast – usually the best, the worst and the most bizarre (although the oddest are asked to return for a special appearance in the final as seen in the past seasons). Much like Pop Idol, many acts face harsh criticism from the judges, especially from the controversial Simon Cowell.
[edit] Boot camp and visits to judges' homes
After all auditions are complete, each of the three judges is allocated a category to mentor. The contestants who survived stage one are then further refined through a series of performances at "boot camp" and at the judges' homes, until a small number eventually progress to the live finals (nine in series 1 and twelve in series 2 and 3)
[edit] Live shows
The finals consist of a series of two live shows each Saturday evening, usually with one act eliminated each week. In the first few weeks of the finals, each act performs once in the first show in front of an auditorium audience and the three judges. Acts usually sing over a pre-recorded backing track, though sometimes live musicians, backing singers and/or dancers are featured.
In the first two series acts usually chose a cover of a pop standard or contemporary hit. In the third series an innovation was introduced whereby each live show has a different theme (for example, Motown). The contestants' songs are chosen according to this theme, and a celebrity guest connected to the theme is invited onto the show. Clips are shown of the guest conversing with the contestants at rehearsal, and the guest also performs in the later results show, immediately before the results are announced. (See the series 3 article for a full list of themes and guests.)
After each act has performed, the judges comment on their performance, usually focusing on vocal ability and stage presence. Once all the acts have appeared, the phone lines open and the viewing public vote on which act they want to keep.
In the results show, screened an hour or so later, the two acts polling the fewest votes are revealed. Both these acts perform their song again in a "final showdown", and the judges vote on which of the two to send home. Ties should not be possible, but in the event that a judge refuses to cast a vote the act who came last in the public vote is sent home. The actual number of votes cast for each act is not revealed, nor even the order (this is presumably to maintain interest in the event that there might be a clear winner from an early stage). In series 3, a twist was introduced in one of the live shows where the act with the fewest votes was automatically eliminated, and the two with the next fewest votes performed in the "final showdown" as normal.
Once the number of contestants has been reduced to four (series 1 and 3) or five (series 2 ), the format changes. Each act performs twice in the first show, with the public vote opening after the first performance. The second show reveals which act polled the fewest votes, and they are automatically eliminated from the competition (the judges do not have a vote; their only role is to comment on the performances). In series 1 the acts also reprised one of their songs in the second show.
This continues until only two (series 1 and 3) or three (series 2) acts remain. These acts go on to appear in the grand final which decides the overall winner by public vote.
[edit] Judges' categories
- Simon Cowell: 16 to 24s; runner up (TBA)and winner (TBA)
- Sharon Osbourne: 25 and overs – third place (Ben Mills)
- Louis Walsh: Groups (Best 4th place) with (The MacDonald Brothers)
- Simon Cowell: Groups
- Sharon Osbourne: 16 to 24s – runner-up (Matt Stevens)
- Louis Walsh: 25 and overs – winner (Lucy Benjamin) and third place (Chris Moyles)
- Simon Cowell: Groups – third place (Journey South)
- Sharon Osbourne: 25 and overs – runner-up (Andy Abraham)
- Louis Walsh: 16 to 24s – winner (Shayne Ward)
- Simon Cowell: 25 and overs – winner (Steve Brookstein)
- Sharon Osbourne: 16 to 24s – third place (Tabby Callaghan)
- Louis Walsh: Groups – runner-up (G4)
[edit] The Xtra Factor
The Xtra Factor is a companion show presented by Ben Shephard. The show airs on digital channel ITV2 every Saturday night. It features exclusive behind-the-scenes footage of The X Factor and shows the emotional responses of the contestants after the judges comment on their performances.
Cameras follow the finalists during their day, and some of the footage is aired in a spin-off show The Xtra Factor: The Aftermath, which is broadcast in the middle of the week on ITV2. The Xtra Factor: Xcess All Areas is a live show in which there are interviews, games and trips around the contestants' homes. The show also lets viewers know what songs the contestants will be singing in the next live show.
[edit] Dispute over rights to format
Simon Fuller, the creator of Pop Idol, claimed that the format of The X Factor was copied from his own show, and, through his company 19 TV, filed a lawsuit against The X Factor producers FremantleMedia, Simon Cowell and Cowell's companies Simco and Syco [2]. A High Court hearing began in London, England in November 2005, and the outcome was awaited with interest by media lawyers for its potential effect on the legal situation regarding the copyrighting of formats. However, in the event the hearing was quickly adjourned and an out-of-court settlement was reached at the end of the month. [3]
[edit] Controversy and criticism
The series was controversial from the beginning. Tabloid reports claimed that the show was fixed, after it emerged that Louis Walsh had allegedly cheated and tried to help a band that he used to manage get through to the final stages of the show. Footage of Simon Cowell and Sharon Osbourne coaching contestants to argue back to the judges was also being sold over the Internet to the highest bidder.
Sharon and Louis were rapped in October 2005 for tactical voting, due to an alleged pact against Simon Cowell carried forward from the first series. Louis was alleged to have told Chenai Zinyuku in the second live show of the second series that she was safe, because "Sharon owed him one" from the previous show. Later in the same series Louis was heavily criticised for casting the deciding vote to keep Irish group The Conway Sisters in the show at the expense of the popular Maria Lawson, especially after it was revealed that he had known the Conways personally prior to the show.
There is a suspicion that some of the controversy surrounding the show, such as the bickering between the judges, is deliberately orchestrated to attract publicity. On one occasion, judge Louis Walsh announced after the live Saturday show that he would quit the series, on accounts that the other two judges had been 'bullying' him. This included various verbal assaults on Louis, and Sharon Osbourne even throwing water over him, live on air. Louis' announcement was claimed by many to be a publicity stunt, especially when Louis decided to return to the show the following Saturday night.
In comparison to the American equivalent American Idol, the show has been criticised on a number of occasions for producing inferior talent on the live shows, with American Idol's much higher production values (allowing for a weekly live band and a huge concert-size stage) making The X Factor look comparatively tawdry.[citation needed] Many people in the press, including Simon Cowell himself and Rod Stewart, who recently guest starred on the show, have pointed out a huge gulf in talent and scale between the two shows.[citation needed] It seems that recent contestant Leona Lewis may be an exception to this accepted view, having been the only contestant cited as 'good enough' to compete in America.[citation needed]
Similarly, the previous winners of The X Factor have been criticised as short-term balladeers who produce multiple cover versions[citation needed], whereas their American counterparts (such as Kelly Clarkson) are Grammy winning, multi-million selling worldwide critical and commercial successes.
[edit] The X Factor beyond the UK
The "UK" version of The X factor effectively includes the Republic of Ireland on an equal footing, and viewers in the Republic have been able to vote in all three series via SMS or telephone. The first series was available to Irish viewers only through the Northern Ireland channel UTV, but subsequent series have been shown on Irish terrestrial TV station TV3. The show has held auditions in Ballsbridge, Dublin for all three series, and Irish acts reached the finals in both series 1 (Tabby and Roberta) and series 2 (The Conway Sisters and Phillip).
- The X Factor (Australia) began screening in February 2005 on Network Ten. The judges were Mark Holden (Australian Idol judge), Kate Ceberano (singer), and John Reid (a Scottish events manager). Daniel MacPherson (from the soap opera Neighbours and British police drama The Bill) was the show's host.
- X Factor (Belgium) began screening in September 2005 on VTM; Udo Mechels won the competition with the Cappaert Sisters in second.
- X Factor (Netherlands) will be appearing on RTL 4 after the autumn of 2006.
- The X Factor (Iceland) will premiere October 17, 2006.
- El Factor X The first Latin American version (El Factor X), which was made in Bogotá, started screening in September 2005 and ended by December.
- The X Factor (Kazakhstan) The first Kazakh version due to air in late 2006/early 2007.
- Секрет Успеха, the first Russian series premiered on RTR in late 2005.
- A pan-Arabian version will air under the name The X Factor, XSeer Al Najah (The X Factor, The Essence of Success) from March 26th 2006.
- As part of Simon Cowell's deal to remain on American Idol, a United States version of The X Factor cannot be produced.
[edit] DVDs
- The X Factor: The Greatest Auditions Ever 2004, 8 November 2004
- The X Factor: The Greatest Auditions Ever 2005, 7 November 2005
- The X Factor: The Greatest Auditions Ever 2006, 6 November 2006
