A year ago, no one, not even the powers that be at NBC, expected The Voice to pose a real threat to American Idol. Simon Cowell had taken his talents to The X Factor and between the two shows, Fox would out-yell and outspend any and all other music competitions.
But then The Voice and its big red swivel chairs and its panel of feisty, funny judges surprised everyone. Rather than repurposing the Idol formula, The Voice gave America a much-needed break from painful auditions, "dawgs," "songs that inspire" week, and judges critiques that ranged from "you really made it your own" to "that was beautiful, perfect." The show also beat X Factor to the punch in having judges act as mentors to the contestants, and in lining up a group of...
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From the sound of it, American Idol's Randy Jackson wishes rival competition show The X Factor the best, especially in light of its massive shake-up.
"I'm sad to hear about all what's going on with that show," Jackson told reporters on a call on Thursday. "But all of those people are dear friends of mine as you know. I have not spoken to Paula [Abdul]. I mean, we texted back and forth. "
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Some time in recent days and weeks, Simon Cowell realized that The X Factor wasn't shaping up to be the singing competition to end all singing competitions. The money was there, as was the support from Fox, but with little more than 12 million viewers tuning in to see who would win a $5 million windfall, it became clear something hadn't clicked with America.
And so on Monday, we learned that he had cleaned house: Gone are stiff host Steve Jones and simpering, whimpering judges Nicole Scherzinger and Paula Abdul. Reports that Cowell was looking for more star power next season quickly followed. Mariah Carey's name has already been bandied about as the kind of A-list celebrity he wants, and she did serve as Simon's right hand during the at-home coaching sessions.
But is she enough? Is she even the right Hail Mary play? The truth is The X Factor has strong elements going for it, boasting auditions in front of a live crowd, Simon's bitter tongue and the most diverse lineup of contestants of any of the broadcast talent shows.
Now if only it could rid itself of any remaining similarity to American Idol. Some ideas:
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And the housecleaning continues: Paula Abdul is leaving The X Factor.
Shake-up at The X Factor: Steve Jones and Nicole Scherzinger out
"Yes, it's true; I won't be returning to The X Factor next season," Abdul said in a statement Tuesday. "I've learned through my longevity in this industry that ...
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Steve Jones and Nicole Scherzinger are leaving The X Factor after one season, and Paula Abdul may not be far behind them.
Jones, 34, tweeted Monday afternoon that he would not be returning to the show. Hours later, Fox confirmed to TVGuide.com that Scherzinger would also be exiting. And still later that night, Deadline reported that Abdul had also been cut. Fox did not respond to an e-mail asking about Abdul's status.
Deadline cited series insiders who said that...
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