I’ve been surprised. I really did think this series of X Factor was going to be one huge inevitable fail.
I never thought the programme could recover from the embarrassment which was the 2015 series with a poor judging panel, terrible presenters (if you recall they ditched Dermot and hired Olly Murs and Caroline Flack), and the contestants lacked personality.
When ITV revealed it was the new home of The Voice (so possibly their new big music talent show) then I thought that this year really would be it. ITV were contracted to one more year of X Factor which is this series, then I assumed it would be axed.
Matt Terry, the winner of the 2016 X Factor. He is on Twitter here!
But surprise surprise, the programme I have to admit has been amazing- brilliant production values, set, lighting, choreography, story telling, audience engagement, building of characters. It has been brilliant TV (I say this after making entertainment programmes for ITV for ten years).
I really think that this years X Factor has been one of the best ‘come backs’ I’ve seen in a TV show of this nature. It is just throwaway TV to entertain us, and they are not saving lives, but as a TV Producer I think when a television programme that was destined to flop managed to turn things around I feel it’s worth mentioning.
More TV show opinion- ‘What’s wrong with Gogglebox’?
It’s worth mentioning that credit to Dermot to go back to do a show that sacked him (if his ego ruled his head he would’ve said no- I worked with Dermot on his first TV show and he has an excellent attitude) and how hopeless Sharon Osbourne is with reading out the shortest links (again, namedropping, I worked with her daughter Kelly on ‘I’m a Celebrity’ and presenting was not her forte either).
Saara was an amazing contestant and really did have the x Factor.
Goodness knows how much they raised the production budget this year to pull it off (maybe Simon dipped into reserves), but they have certainly set the bar high for themselves in 2017.
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Author: Jonathan Robinson is founder of Bellyflop.tv and a TV Producer / Director.
