X-hausting

The early ratings figures weren’t exactly spectacular for this Idol spin-off program. Devised by the despised American Idol judge, Simon Cowell, The X Factor is a variation on a theme in that instead of pitting only solo artists under a certain age against each other, groups are also admitted as well as oldies – 25 years and above.

Who can say why the fickle TV-viewing public goes for one show and not another made in its image? Maybe it’s the above mixing up of artists, maybe it’s the lack of pretty boy hosts Andrew G and James Mathison (to be replaced with Daniel McPherson and Chloe Maxwell), or maybe people are just tiring of watching the whole tiresome audition process.

And let’s face it – with a population as small as Australia’s, it’s difficult even for the most talented and hardworking artist to survive comfortably and maintain a dedicated following. Debut Australian Idol winner, the charismatic Guy Sebastian, became somewhat of a phenomenon and even took out the ARIA for the highest selling album last year. His second effort however didn’t repeat the massive success. Meanwhile, second Idol winner 16 year-old Casey Donovan has had only mediocre success with her recorded efforts. Ah yes, the fickle public.

And so to The X Factor and its struggling ratings. At the time of writing this, the first elimination program had been aired, with the public having had its first opportunity to vote. This followed the first live performance show with the contestants doing their stuff in front of a studio audience, which gave them the chance to prove they can connect with the masses.

No doubt the Ten Network is hoping the audience-participation factor will boost viewer numbers, maybe counting on all those SMS-obsessed teens out there wanting to play God by punching in their favourite’s voting code. The networks’ publicity usually cites viewer percentages for its target demographic of the 16-39 age group, with the first elimination show garnering 33.8% of the viewers . . . but only in that age group.

This brings me to what I see as one of the main glitches with the show – it would seem that it’s aimed fairly and squarely at a youth market. Sure, some people over 25 might’ve voted for their favourites on Australian Idol – I know my mum gave Anthony Callea a call of support after his performance of The Prayer – but on the whole the voters are largely young.

So, where does that leave the 25s-and-older contestants on The X Factor? Will the parents of the older voters make some calls just because they feel it’s unfairly weighted? But maybe that’s being unfair to Ten’s target demographic who perhaps can broaden their minds, not to mention their ears, and vote according to talent and that cryptic element known as “the x factor” rather than because so-and-so has got a nice butt.

What’s also interesting here is that the three judges are pitted against each other, which adds a whole new level of tension. Many a night on Idol we saw Mark Holden, Marcia Hines and Ian “Dicko” Dickson go at it as they argued the pros and cons of a certain performer. Now Holden and his fellow judges, Kate Ceberano and John Reid (who discovered such superstars as Freddie Mercury and Elton John) have been assigned a section of contestants each and have mentored them separately from the others, meaning that if the performer is rejected, in essence the mentor is too.

Holden is in league with the groups (one of them, The Brothership, having been voted out the first week), Ceberano has the youngsters (16-24), while the more mature Mr. Reid has been given the 25s-and-over (with Queenslander Janie Shrapnel at 47 being the oldest contestant). At the end of each Monday elimination show, the two acts with the lowest votes have to perform their song again with the judges then deciding which one of them goes home.

It’d be nice to think it’s all decided on talent alone, but of course it isn’t. Each judge is likely to support their own act (unless two from the same section are left standing there), which leaves the third judge to make it a two-against-one vote. And what if Mark Holden has been getting up everybody’s noses with his increasingly irritating behaviour? Wouldn’t it be just a little bit tempting to put him in his place and vote out one of his groups? Hmmm.

Time will tell if The X Factor starts to become a phenomenon rather than just a TV show, but the questions will still remain when it’s all over – how long are the voting viewers’ memories and will they buy the singles and albums when the excitement has died down?

Vicki Englund

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The X Factor

On: Network Ten
Time: Sundays and Mondays at 7.30 pm