Lost in last weekend’s TV blitz — the Sochi Olympics, the CBS “Ed Sullivan Show” Beatles special — was the news that, late Friday, Fox cancelled “The X Factor” after three seasons.
While it wasn’t a huge shock — the singing talent-competition show was never able to quite replicate the huge success of the English original — it means that Simon Cowell will not be an on-camera presence on US television.
And that’s a shame.
Ever since the US premiere of “American Idol,” way back in June 2002, Cowell was a prime-time constant, his snark to wannabe singers — always delivered with a devilish smile — providing watercooler fodder for an American TV audience who appreciated “The Merchant of Venom’s” honesty. And it never got old. After Cowell took a 16-month prime-time TV leave in-between leaving “Idol” in May 2010 and his reappearance on “The X Factor” in September 2011, he picked up without missing a beat. But “The X Factor” didn’t have the help of the still-huge “Idol” engine driving its ratings, and that, in the long run, hurt Cowell and his show, despite all the A-list judges he brought in to help him turn things around (including Britney Spears and Demi Lovato).
So now “Mr. Nasty” returns to England, and to the British version of “The X Factor,” which reclaimed its ratings mojo in the UK last season (without Cowell as an on-air judge). He’s still a behind-the-scenes presence here — as an executive producer of NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” — but don’t expect to see him on a regular weekly basis, though he’ll still be fodder for “ET,” “Extra,” “Access Hollywood” and “Inside Edition” given his personal situation as an expectant father (mom is girlfriend Lauren Silverman).
I won’t equate Cowell’s departure as Jay Leno-like in its departure — let’s face it, “The X Factor,” and even “American Idol” was/is not “The Tonight Show’ in terms of cultural impact — but it will be strange to not be welcoming Cowell into our homes in the coming TV season.
And, knowing Simon, who finds it hard to admit defeat, it’s not farewell to his US TV audience.
Only goodbye — for now.
“Late”-breaking news: In this age of media saturation — where it’s virtually impossible to keep a secret — how surprising was it to hear that Fred Armisen will lead Seth Meyers’ “Late Night” band when Meyers takes over from Jimmy Fallon on Feb. 24? No one had a clue on this one.
(Fallon begins hosting “The Tonight Show” this Monday, Feb. 17.)
“Fred will curate and lead the band, and continue to run it even when he’s off shooting Portlandia,” Meyers tweeted Monday, alluding to Armisen’s IFC series (in which he co-stars with Carrie Brownstein). As surprises go, this is a good one, and it’s certainly interesting — giving NBC’s late-night lineup an all-“Saturday Night Live” feel, since Fallon, Meyers and Armisen all cut their teeth on the network’s vaunted comedy franchise.
The band will be called The 8G Band with Fred Armisen, reflecting the studio at 30 Rock from which Meyers’ “Late Night” will emanate. Armisen (who plays several instruments) will play guitar and provide vocals, along with Seth Jabour (guitar), Syd Butler (bass), Eli Janney (keyboards) and Kimberly Thompson (drums).