"The X Factor" Review: Will It Live Up to the Hype?

So tonight’s the night. Simon Cowell returns to television in “The X Factor.” But will it live up to all of the hype?

After seeing chunks of tonight’s and tomorrow night’s two-hour episodes, I can say yes, it is. But there are some issues…

The #1 issue in the premiere is Cheryl Cole. To me, it’s pretty obvious why she was let go/walked away. She’s pretty stiff and reports that she was difficult to understand were correct. On day two of the Los Angeles auditions, they switched up the judging table and put Cheryl next to Simon. I’m guessing that was a move to try and loosen her up a little bit, but it didn’t work. From the moment, Nicole Scherzinger sits down, it’s a huge improvement. And I think Nicole is a much better as a judge than she would have been as a co-host. Steve Jones handles it fine all by himself…

The #2 issue is the audience. There are many times when it seems like someone is flashing them signs to get them to cheer at certain points. That gets a little annoying. But by the second city, they settle down considerably.

But at the heart of the show are the same components we love about talent competitions. It’s great to have Paula back where she should be—at a judging table with Simon. And L.A. Reid is a perfect foe for Simon as they find themselves on different sides on contestants more than once. When they get to the mentoring/coaching rounds and the judges compete against each other, they will be a lot of fun.

You’ll tear up more than once during this week’s episodes, as there are some great singers with great stories. And there are some bad singers too that will make your skin crawl. In fact, one nearly makes Paula throw up…

In all honesty, at this stage, there are very few differences between “Factor” and “American Idol.” But the changes will become more evident as the show continues. And I think there’s a chance that Simon is right and this show could very well blow “Idol” right out of the water.

Welcome back, Simon, we’ve missed you…

Photo Credit: Ray Mickshaw/FOX