Simon Cowell insists ‘The X Factor’ USA wasn’t canceled
Remember when there was at one point three major singing competitions on network TV? That period of time that included “The X Factor,” “American Idol,” and “The Voice” was so much singing that it probably made heads explode across America, and the country did respond courtesy of the dwindling numbers for several of the shows.
However, even in spite of this Simon Cowell is doing his part to make it clear that the U.S. version of “The X Factor” was actually not canceled after three years; instead, he simply didn’t want to continue with it anymore. Here is what he had to say to People Magazine:
“The interesting thing is everybody thinks X Factor was cancelled – that wasn’t the case. What happened was that after three years, I said, ‘I can’t do this any more’ – it was just too many shows … Fox offered us another season, but I couldn’t do it, so that’s why we stopped the production, because I couldn’t do it any more.”
In some ways, we do think this is just a matter of semantics. Let’s say, for example, that the American version of “The X Factor” did return for a season 4; if the ratings continued to decline at the rate that they were, it probably would’ve been canceled shortly. We have the utmost respect for Cowell, especially for the “Got Talent” franchise and his ability to find stars and really cultivate him. (The U.S. “X Factor” produced Fifth Harmony, which is more than any other singing show can claim over the past few years.)
The real problem that “The X Factor” had in the States is that it was a miserable show. It wasn’t fun to watch, it took itself far too seriously, and there was never any chemistry among the judges. “The Voice” is a show that is super-entertaining but does a terrible job with its artists after the fact; “The X Factor” is basically the inverse of that.
Still, we’d give a revamped version of the show a shot someday — just give it a few years. We need a break from all the singing.
If you want to get some other TV news on all we cover sent right over to you, sign up over here to get some other news on all we cover, courtesy of our official CarterMatt Newsletter. (Photo: Fox.)