American version of the hit UK show, Simon Cowell and his fellow judges search for a singer who has the "X factor". Since its debut in 2004, "The X Factor" has remained the U.K.'s #1 program for the last seven years, peaking with an audience of 21 million for its 2010 finale. The format swiftly broke similar records around the world, where local versions have consistently rated #1.Live Streaming Video Free Online Tv at Home Game online for Live stream Video on your Online TV Broad cast The series has received numerous honors worldwide, and more than 100 million records have been sold by artists launched through the series, including over 90 #1 singles and albums and 150 Top Ten records. In a departure from other singing competition series, the first time contestants audition for "The X Factor" judges, Simon Cowell, Antonio "L.A." Reid, Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger, they will do so in front of an audience of thousands - raising the stakes and increasing the pressure to impress not only the judges, but also a potential legion of fans. This will be the ultimate test to prove they have the vocal ability, charisma and stage presence that it takes to win an unprecedented $5 million recording contract with Syco/Sony Music. This year they will be judged by Simon Cowell, "L.A" Reid, Britney Spears and Demi Lovato.This kind of show has been seen and done a dozen of times. Due to my travels I was able to see The X-Factor in the UK, Germany and Australia already and the US Version is not much different but bigger.
Obviously you need to like casting shows to enjoy the program, having said that, people giving this a 1 star rating should be banned from further reviews and ratings since there is more to the production of a TV Show than the likable factor. This program is produced and directed very well, there is a nice flow and speed going on, the scenery shots from the cities alone are worth more than 1 star so what's it to ya? Let me be very clear, it is Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and LA. Reid, you get exactly what is on the package and someone who's rating 9 stars for American Idol and 1 Star for The X Factor is a hypocrite. If you like American Idol you like this show, if you don't like American Idol you won't like this either. Opening the age limits is a fantastic decision because that gets really interesting later when the contestants will be split into Boys, Girls, Groups and over 30s and receive personal training from the judges and coaches. This is where the show will be different from Idol and since it has worked in other countries very well, it will work in American just fine, despite the hypocritical ratings on this website.
If you're looking for something entirely different you won't find it here, but if you feel entertained by great voices and quirky auditions this is a great show to watch. As long there are 20,000 people auditioning in every city this show clearly deserves it's space. As it was, with the over-saturation of Simon's smug puss on GAWD-only-knows how many promos about it, I was sharpening up my knives for this, ready to cut a "b" (finish the spelling on that one yourself.) I'd already stuck a fork in American IDOL...I had reached my limit of seeing anyone who had even a remote lick of talent get tossed to the side, while some twit barely out their teens shrieking a cover of some great rock or blues song got to take home the Grand Prize, instead of a "booby prize" they were more than worthy of. (Sorry, but when the greatest agony of your life is running out of ProActiv, you have no business attempting to sing Rod Stewart, Aretha, Al Green or anything that grown-ups SHOULD be singing.)
I was mostly familiar with the Brit version because of the overwhelming successes of both Paul Potts and Susan Boyle, two talents possessed of great voices, but with 'faces for radio,' as the old joke goes. Still, I was intrigued by the idea that it would be a singing competition now open to ALL ages and ALL styles, (unlike AMERICA'S GOT TALENT, the more big-budgeted version of THE GONG SHOW, where anything goes...and I do mean ANYTHING!)
But with Simon involved, I mostly expected an 'American IDOL' clone for much older people. Fancy my shock and surprise when I gave it a chance, and discovered that even though it's just as slickly produced as its ageist counterpart, it actually has something shocking...people who really CAN sing! Now that it's reached the latter stages of the competition, where the judges have been assigned the groups they'll be working with, things are starting to get even more interesting than with the Audition phase, though it was a lot more entertaining to watch than AI, with less of an emphasis on nutjobs and what I like to call the 'granola' contingent (fruits, nuts and flakes of every kind).