HD Heads-Up: September 21-27
September 12, 2013 
5 Comments
TV3 will launch season three of The X Factor USA two weeks after its Fox TV premiere.
It goes to air today in the US but is being held back here until September 26.
TV3 again will air the Simon Cowell talent quest on Thursdays and Fridays but the first few episodes won’t be hot off the satellite because of scheduling issues in the US.
Fox will be interrupting the pre-recorded auditions stage of the season to accommodate sports coverage.
Rather than pre-empt the season here so soon, TV3 has opted to delay it and expects to be fast-tracking the live shows within hours of their US telecast.
Even before its launch, season three has been making headlines for a shake-up that The Hollywood Reporter says will put more pressure on the judges (Cowell, Paulina Rubio, Demi Lovato, Kelly Rowland).
“While some fans may welcome the change, which mirrors the format of the various international X Factor shows, others may be put off by the anti-climactic effect.
“Because the judges hear all 10 of their team members back-to-back and make their decisions after each performance, there isn’t much incentive to send someone packing until the first four chairs are filled up.
“Then, the judge can swap a new performer for someone who is already safely seated. The result is a bit of boredom until the last few acts in each category learn their fates.”
Meanwhile, a former TV3 identity is switching channels to TV2: Tabatha Takes Over, which succeeds Devious Wives 9.30 Wednesdays from September 25, stars Tabatha Coffey, the Tabatha’s Salon Takeover makover queen, in an extension of the original.
Said the San Francisco Chronicle: “Now, instead of just making salonistas hop to, she’s expanding her business world domination to all kinds of enterprises.”
Tabatha’s Salon Takeover morphed into Takes Over in season four but TV2 is picking it up from season five.
In other HD programming of note for the week starting September 21:
❑ Call the Midwife will have its season finale on Sunday (TV One, 9.00) and The Almighty Johnsons its series finale on Thursday (TV3, 8.30)
❑ Movie re-runs of Around the World in 80 Days (TV2, 7.30 Saturday), Employee of the Month (TV2, 11.50 Saturday), I Love You Too (TV2, 1.50am Sunday), Aliens in the Attic (TV3, 7.00 Sunday), Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (TV2, 7.30 Sunday), The Devil Wears Prada (TV3, 8.50 Sunday), The Children of Huang Shi (TV3, 11.10 Sunday), Nightmare on Elm Street (TV2, 12.15am Monday) and Die Hard: With a Vengeance (TV3, 8.35 Monday).
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September 12, 2013 at 9:35 am
So TV2 has given up on drama at 9.30 and now its wall to wall reality with the exception of 20/20, where is the variety! Interesting that a former TV3 property is screening on TV2! So is next week the season finale for Devious Maids or is it being rested? The X Factor’s return is great news for fans but I would rather have seen the Australian version considering the amount of Kiwis competing.
It’s good to know X Factor USA will be up to date when we get to the live shows … wish we could vote 🙂
Maids is being pulled three weeks shy of its proper season finale, which is not surprising given the dismal ratings. Couldn’t agree more about the depressing onslaught of reality at the expense of drama, a trend that’s rampant across all the networks.
“Wish we could vote”: If it’s same-day screening, you most likely can. Online voting is free.
Thanks, Philip, for the info on Maids, one can’t help but think that TV2 should of persevered on with Maids until it’s conclusion, I mean three episodes isn’t that long to go. I guess we will have to wait for it to return in a 10.30 slot at some point.