Simon Cowell's X-factor limps to a finish: 'Bloodbath' ahead, he says
With Simon Cowell's X-Factor finishing its first American run , how has the super-confident Brit's show done in the US? Not so hot, according to the New York Times or as the paper put it " Well short of x-cellent."
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Winner Melanie Amaro snagged a $5 million deal. The show has improved the Fox network’s overall ratings in the autumn - but it did not lived up to expectations that it might be a phenomenon . Fox even charged advertisers some of the highest prices in television, But the series ended "with a decided sense of ho-hum," said the Times.
Fox has committed to another series. But questions are being asked about what changes will be made to the show.
Simon Cowell told People magazine "Can we make the show better? Yes. I will never ever go into anything going forward unless I can believe I can make it better. Next year will be a bloodbath. We have to come out with something better than the rest, and that's what we aim to do."
Cowell once famously said that if the show didn’t attract 20 million viewers it would be considered a disappointment. The final of the show brought in 12.4 millon viewers The average for the Wednesday show was 11.5 million viewers. It was about half as popular as Fox’s other big talent show, American Idol
Cowell told People he plans to sit down back in the U.K. with the X Factor brain trust. They will get the views of the sponsors and Fox before any decisions are made regarding the show in 2012.
The New York Times said this first series was surely not what the network expected "after engaging in a high-stakes negotiation with Mr. Cowell for the rights to the show,."
The Times said, "If it limped to the finish this season what will happen next fall? "