TV
Looking for original, ground breaking telly on a Saturday night?
Me neither.
It’s easy going entertainment you want early in the evening, whether planning to spend your time glued to box or merely leaving it blaring away in the background while you tart yourself up for a night on tiles. X-Factor is perfect viewing in those circumstances.
The format is incredibly familiar, three hard hitting “experts??? run the rule over pop star wannabees, though many of them would probably get booed off at their local karaoke.
The so bad they’re-brilliant nature of the contestants would just be a mild diversion if it weren’t for the pithy put downs of the judges. If Simon Cowell’s dubious bad guy charm was wearing a bit thin, then a master stroke has been provided in the arrival of Sharon Osbourne who breathes new life into the format with her no nonsense approach. When Simon or Louis deliver a scything remark, the recipient can salvage some pride in thinking that they are just playing to cameras. Sharon means every withering word. It’s top quality stuff.
It may not have been the best idea to launch the show directly opposite a live World Cup qualifier which will certainly have cost them viewers in Sky Sports homes (yes readers, I did abandon my X-Factor duties to watch the match down the pub, thank heavens for Sky+) and I hope ITV holds it's nerve until the nights begin to draw in before taking any rash decisions if the ratings aren’t too high.
As for the contestants themselves, it’s interesting to see that so many people still see shows like this as a step to being a superstar. Granted, it happened for Will Young, though I wonder whether he’d have found success anyway. For every Will, there’s a David Sneddon, Alex Parks, One True Voice or Michelle McManus. Very fleeting success followed by obscurity.
Unfortunately the people who watch and vote in Saturday night variety shows such as this are not the people who regularly go out and buy, or even download music. That’s the rub. Winning such a show costs you credibility with the paying public even if you do have a sublime talent as Alex does.
Television taints you. Would you buy a single released by a Big Brother contestant for example, however talented they may actually be and if you would, would you admit it to your mates?
Back to Saturday’s opener though. No Ant and Dec or Davina in this one and frankly that was a bit of a plus. Kate Thornton professionally steered us through events in amiable fashion, though I must say that her counterpart on ITV2, GMTV blandy Ben Shepherd, was nowhere near as good. Perhaps he’ll grow into it.
The removal of the age barrier had meant that even more freaks and nutters are making their mark. Contestant 402, Mario was first to be shown and was a case in point, so bad he was truly glorious. He didn’t get through of course although later 81 year old Renee, crooning through her chosen number like, well, an 81 year old, inexplicably got through, presumably to the chagrin of those rejected contestants who were harshly turfed out.
One of those was 20 year old mum Michelle who didn’t sound that bad to me and certainly wanted more than angry young man Benjamin, who seemed to think that giving the finger to the camera and hurling abuse at the cameras was a good tactic. I suppose he’s had his fifteen minutes of fame but you can’t help thinking that the footage will come back to haunt him in letter life. Sharon’s “ginger pube??? jibe may have been very funny but not really fit for family viewing. A post watershed version would be good as I’m sure many of Mrs. Osbourne’s best moments are unfit for broadcast. Certainly she struggled to get through an appearance on This Morning without giving the hosts some nervous moments, describing Simon as an “arsehole??? at one point.
Nancy and Jenny “love entertaining??? apparently. You’d never have known it from their performance. They call them themselves Sweet Harmony without a hint of irony. I’m fairly sure that Nancy was singing through her nose. Sharon Osbourne suggesting they looked like a pair of old strippers was harsh but difficult to argue with. Nancy’s protest that, “I do not look a stripper???, as she stood there in a none too tasteful yellow and black bikini top was the show’s comedy high spot.
While the main purpose of the audition shows is to have a good giggle at the useless ones, the show was punctuated by some good performances. Shani was a shining example and together with a fantastic singing voice has a bubby personality, which should grab extra votes when the public starts voting.
A good start then and I’m sure the audience will grow as winter draws on.
Me neither.
It’s easy going entertainment you want early in the evening, whether planning to spend your time glued to box or merely leaving it blaring away in the background while you tart yourself up for a night on tiles. X-Factor is perfect viewing in those circumstances.
The format is incredibly familiar, three hard hitting “experts??? run the rule over pop star wannabees, though many of them would probably get booed off at their local karaoke.
The so bad they’re-brilliant nature of the contestants would just be a mild diversion if it weren’t for the pithy put downs of the judges. If Simon Cowell’s dubious bad guy charm was wearing a bit thin, then a master stroke has been provided in the arrival of Sharon Osbourne who breathes new life into the format with her no nonsense approach. When Simon or Louis deliver a scything remark, the recipient can salvage some pride in thinking that they are just playing to cameras. Sharon means every withering word. It’s top quality stuff.
It may not have been the best idea to launch the show directly opposite a live World Cup qualifier which will certainly have cost them viewers in Sky Sports homes (yes readers, I did abandon my X-Factor duties to watch the match down the pub, thank heavens for Sky+) and I hope ITV holds it's nerve until the nights begin to draw in before taking any rash decisions if the ratings aren’t too high.
As for the contestants themselves, it’s interesting to see that so many people still see shows like this as a step to being a superstar. Granted, it happened for Will Young, though I wonder whether he’d have found success anyway. For every Will, there’s a David Sneddon, Alex Parks, One True Voice or Michelle McManus. Very fleeting success followed by obscurity.
Unfortunately the people who watch and vote in Saturday night variety shows such as this are not the people who regularly go out and buy, or even download music. That’s the rub. Winning such a show costs you credibility with the paying public even if you do have a sublime talent as Alex does.
Television taints you. Would you buy a single released by a Big Brother contestant for example, however talented they may actually be and if you would, would you admit it to your mates?
Back to Saturday’s opener though. No Ant and Dec or Davina in this one and frankly that was a bit of a plus. Kate Thornton professionally steered us through events in amiable fashion, though I must say that her counterpart on ITV2, GMTV blandy Ben Shepherd, was nowhere near as good. Perhaps he’ll grow into it.
The removal of the age barrier had meant that even more freaks and nutters are making their mark. Contestant 402, Mario was first to be shown and was a case in point, so bad he was truly glorious. He didn’t get through of course although later 81 year old Renee, crooning through her chosen number like, well, an 81 year old, inexplicably got through, presumably to the chagrin of those rejected contestants who were harshly turfed out.
One of those was 20 year old mum Michelle who didn’t sound that bad to me and certainly wanted more than angry young man Benjamin, who seemed to think that giving the finger to the camera and hurling abuse at the cameras was a good tactic. I suppose he’s had his fifteen minutes of fame but you can’t help thinking that the footage will come back to haunt him in letter life. Sharon’s “ginger pube??? jibe may have been very funny but not really fit for family viewing. A post watershed version would be good as I’m sure many of Mrs. Osbourne’s best moments are unfit for broadcast. Certainly she struggled to get through an appearance on This Morning without giving the hosts some nervous moments, describing Simon as an “arsehole??? at one point.
Nancy and Jenny “love entertaining??? apparently. You’d never have known it from their performance. They call them themselves Sweet Harmony without a hint of irony. I’m fairly sure that Nancy was singing through her nose. Sharon Osbourne suggesting they looked like a pair of old strippers was harsh but difficult to argue with. Nancy’s protest that, “I do not look a stripper???, as she stood there in a none too tasteful yellow and black bikini top was the show’s comedy high spot.
While the main purpose of the audition shows is to have a good giggle at the useless ones, the show was punctuated by some good performances. Shani was a shining example and together with a fantastic singing voice has a bubby personality, which should grab extra votes when the public starts voting.
A good start then and I’m sure the audience will grow as winter draws on.
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