X Factor Recaps from Around the ‘Net
‘The X Factor’ premiere review: Simon Cowell and his shocking, brief sincerity
This U.S. edition of the British hit features auditions, to be followed by mentoring, to be followed by a $5 million prize. On the Wednesday-night, two-hour premiere, X showcased some fine performances, including those of Rachel Crow, Stacy Francis, and Melanie Amaro. Add one or two more depending on your taste (sorry, but to me Marcus Canty sounded like a nice fellow doing an impression of Al Green singing Stevie Wonder), and that’s not much talent to hold one’s interest over two hours.
The X Factor Series Premiere Recap: Homie Is Where the Heart Is
Seriously, though, for all its America’s Got Talent-ish contrivances — the gasping audiences, the contestants’ relatives crying tears of joy in the wings, Simon’s withheld-till-the-last-second grins of approval — there were moments during The X Factor‘s long-awaited premiere that resonated with genuine emotion and a sense of the unexpected (starting with the decision to retire the word “singer” in the intro package for “choreographer and performer” Paula Abdul).
Read more at TV Line
‘X Factor’ Premiere Recap: Go Big or Go Home
But interestingly, the show worked because, in the end, he didn’t make “The X Factor” all about him. Instead, after introducing the judges–his old BFF Paula Abdul, his new TV nemesis L.A. Reid, since-ousted judge Cheryl Cole (whose Los Angeles footage surprisingly didn’t end up on the cutting-room floor, and who did a fabulous job), and Cheryl’s replacement Nicole Scherzinger (who took over halfway through the episode)–Simon got right down to business and started trotting out the Los Angeles and Seattle contestants. And those contestants went on to hog the majority of the screen time.
Read more at Yahoo.com
‘X Factor’: Singing competition kicks off its first night
Imagine “American Idol” produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber and you have Fox’s new singing competition series, “X Factor” — a giant, teetering, button- pushing contraption.
The premiere episode opens with the toff who serves as the Ryan Seacrest of this show, Steve Jones, in the passenger seat of one of three “X Factor” big rigs, heading to the show’s first audition, in Los Angeles.
Read more at Washington Post
‘The X Factor’: First impressions of Simon Cowell’s return
Breaking up may have been the best thing for American Idol and Simon Cowell both.
Idol did just fine this past season without Simon. But, judging from Wednesday’s two-hour premiere of The X Factor, leaving Idol will benefit its former judge, as well.
However, Simon clearly doesn’t have an original idea in his head, unless you count trying to make everything bolder and brasher than Idol, which he uses as his template.
Read more at USA Today
The X Factor: First impressions
From what I can tell, X Factor relies much more on emotion and, ideally, focuses on the talent. It’s also bringing out the haters. Tweeters either immediately embraced it (“Better than Idol!”) or furiously dismissed it (“I miss Idol!”).
I’m somewhere in between. I honestly think it’s too early to form a full opinion. It will depend on the eventual talent pool and the chemistry between the judges. But once we hit the live shows, I fully expect a few doses of Paula cray-cray.
Los Angeles is first up in the auditions. Poor Cheryl Cole. Barely a blip. (I’m more puzzled by the hair than the accent.) She’s immediately replaced by Nicole Scherzinger.
Read more at the Houston Chronicle
X Factor Debut: Now With More Penis!
After more buildup than America’s invasion of Iraq, X Factor finally makes its American debut tonight. There’s $5 million on the line, $1.33 of which the winner will get after Simon takes his cut. And we’re ready for Cheryl Cole’s grand American premiere, which is bound to go well despite the fact that no one’s ever heard of her and she can’t speak English. We begin in Los Angeles, which always has an endless supply of famewhores for shows like these.
Read more at Vote For The Worst
‘X Factor’ debuts with pants-dropping performance
It’s official. Simon Cowell is back on television, crushing dreams and feuding with his fellow judges.
And let’s be honest … you missed him. At least a little.
He’s returned to TV with “X Factor, ” a new reality show that made its U.S. debut Wednesday night, and he hasn’t changed much since his “Idol” days. The cockiness, the one-liners, the willingness to smack down or roll his eyes at a top record executive because he wasn’t agreeing with Simon’s critiques … it’s that extra spice of drama and snark that makes two-hour audition episodes bearable.
Read more at MSNBC
‘X Factor’ Watch: All Hail the Return of Simon Cowell
This, it turns out, set the tone for the show, which apparently has been declared a subtlety-free zone. Not that the reality-competition genre has ever been known for nuance, but “The X Factor” seems determined to ignore the fact that we’ve been watching these types of programs for a number of years now. It gives the audience no credit for being able to recognize drama or humor or incongruity; these things must be announced with syrupy music and smarmy backstage profiles and close-ups of the judges looking astounded or appalled. Mr. Cowell and friends seem desperate to create more Susan Boyle moments, but they don’t get that Boylemania — she’s the plain-looking Scottish singer who surprised everyone on “Britain’s Got Talent” a few years ago with her knockout voice — was a one-shot.
Read more at the NYTimes
PEOPLE’s TV Critic Assesses The X Factor
The X Factor arrived on Fox Wednesday night like a bumblebee alighting on a pussy willow.
The bumblebee was the size of a food truck.
The much-hyped, heavily anticipated singing competition, which first began in England, was exactly what the previews indicated it would be and what Simon Cowell intended it to be: a show to out-idol American Idol, out-voice The Voice and outdo any other conceivable reality show. Cowell doesn’t have to reinvent the wheel here: Just ramp things up.
Read more at People
The X Factor Recap: Dave Holmes Tries to Figure Out How This Is Not American Idol
But now it’s 2011. America is riven asunder by new Netflix pricing structures and evolving Facebook notification layouts. Will CGI lightning strike twice? Can The X Factor heal us? And what is The X Factor exactly? Tonight, we have two hours to discover the answer together.
Oh. It’s American Idol.
There are differences, of course: There is no age limit. The hopefuls will audition in front of a crowd. The judges will drink Pepsi and the finalists will ho themselves out for Chevrolet. Otherwise, it’s Idol. I’m okay with that.
Read more at New York Magazine
