X FACTOR...... oh, come on! Someone had to bring it up!

[Harbinger]

As one of the resident DD Brits who have had X Factor UK thrust down our throats for the past number of years, I figured if Idol gets a thread, X-Factor should.

So at the risk of losing all credibility (if I have any ) and outting myself as an Idol/Factor watcher, here we go.

Thing is, for me, this is a guilty pleasure. What I like about X Factor is the diversity afforded by the age limit and catagories (Group, Over 30's etc etc).

I've wondered for a while why it took so long for X Factor to cross the pond. It ultimately is a better format than Idol. I was beginning to think the rationale was something horribly cynical like TV execs reluctant to put older people on TV. To countries outside looking in (perhaps perpetuated by Shows like 30 Rock and that Lisa Kudrow mockumentary thing) there's a feeling like US programming is aggressively targeted at youth culture at the expense of anyone over the age of 30.

Glad to see that's not the case. Because on UK Factor we've had some AMAZING over 30's and it always seemed like Idol's age cut-off was a missed opportunity. Good to see Factor redress the balance.

That said, don't get me wrong. This show is tripe. You have to switch your brain off at the channel changer. It's ludicrously manipulative. Insanely melodramatic. Ridiculously overblown. And obviously staged.

But who cares. Sometimes it's fun to ride the sachrine tidal wave. Just try not to get any of it in your mouth..... Said Simon to Paula

SIDE NOTE: Interested to hear what US viewers made of my future wife Cheryl Cole. Still amazes me when people say they've never heard of her across the pond. The girl is never out of the press over here.

[Why One]

Probably because Miss Cole is homebred. We've watched her rise to fame as Pop Idol contestant back in 2002, coupled with the success of GIRLS ALOUD, which didn't have much of an impact across the pond. And of course her roller-coaster relationship with footballer Ashley Cole ("Who?" asks the Americans). So, yeah, plenty of press fodder in the UK.

I don't think she has a "big" enough personality for US audiences to accept her out of the blue. Methinks she's gonna have to be involved in numerous press stunts before general audiences start accepting her on the box.

But, yeah, X-Factor ain't so bad. Good to see people off the street taking a shot to reach for a dream. Esp the ones humbled by it.

[Madbandit]

I'm sorry, but I'm TOO SMART for bowtie-wearing b.s. Surprisingly, the only reality show I'm looking for to seeing is Kevin Smith's on AMC.

[Mac H.]

Originally Posted by Harbinger

What I like about X Factor is the diversity afforded by the age limit and categories (Group, Over 30's etc etc).... I was beginning to think the rationale was something horribly cynical like TV execs reluctant to put older people on TV.

The rationale was much more mundane -there was a lawsuit between X-Factor & Idol over whether one stole the format from the other.

Basically some of the people developing one show were still employed by the other - so it was disputed whether they owned the IP for it.

As part of the settlement, Idol agreed that they wouldn't open up the age range like X Factor does.

So Idol contractually can't open up the age limit.

Mind you, as part of the trademark dispute between Apple Computers & Apple Music, Apple Computers 100% agreed that they would never ever enter the music business.

And we know how that turned out.

Mac