Americans may not know that many of their favorite television shows originated from the United Kingdom. The Office, American Idol, Who’s Line Is It Anyway and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire are all American adaptations of British television. In 2004, Simon Cowell’s television series X Factor aired in the United Kingdom as a replacement for the British music television series called Pop Idol, the British version of American Idol. There had been numerous reports in 2009 that Simon Cowell was attempting to launch X Factor in America after his American Idol contract ended. After nine seasons, the reports were confirmed. Cowell was leaving American Idol and bringing the X Factor to America.
The British phenomenon, X Factor made its American debut on Sept. 21, 2011 on Fox bringing in nearly 12 million viewers after only three episodes.
This summer I was invited to be in the studio audience during the live auditions. My friends Jessie, Ellyssa, Brooke, Jenna and I were lucky enough to be able to sit just a few rows behind the judges and experience everything up close and personal. It is probably because of this experience that I’m also a little bias toward how am I like the show and am a fan.
The judges of the show are Simon Cowell, L.A Reid, Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger. Simon Cowell was a previous judge on Pop Idol and X Factor in the United Kingdom, as well as American Idol in America. Paula Abdul was also a judge on American Idol. Nicole Scherzinger was a member of the musical pop groups Eden’s Crush and The Pussycat dolls. L.A Reid is a music producer who has helped sign and produce artists such as, Mariah Carey, Pink, Avril Lavigne, Justin Bieber and Rhianna
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One part of the experience that I like to re-tell is that the show was delayed 2 hours for the arrival of Simon Cowell. While waiting for him to arrive, the crew members told us the rules and regulations that needed to be followed. They told us when to scream, cheer, and applaud for the contestants. They stressed how important for us to be enthusiastic.
With the contestants ranging in ages from 12 and up, it is really interesting to see the different talents that come onto the show. One of my favorite performers from the live auditions was a 12-year- old boy by the name of Astronomical Kid who sang a rap song called “Stop lookin’ at my mom”. The tryouts range from awesome to awful, amazing to hilarious, and those are my favorite episodes. I believe this show has a great chance of continuing past season one. Each week you never know what to expect from each constant.
Millions of viewers have tuned into what some believe to be the next American phenomenon, X Factor. While the X Factor judges are deciding if the contestants have what it takes to be successful, America is deciding if X Factor has what it takes to become a must-see show. What do you think? Have you seen the show? Leave your comments below.
