Each year, the premiere of fall television brings both new shows and changes to our old favorites. Two shows, “Glee” and “The X-Factor,” have been the focus of most of the buzz this fall. Viewers have been patiently waiting to see if “Glee” could continue to bring in big ratings with its spilt story lines between main characters, while “The X-Factor” fans hoped the show could hold its own against other popular singing competitions, such as “The Voice.” Warning, there are some spoilers, if you haven’t seen the shows.
Premiering on Thursday night instead of Tuesdays was the first of many changes for the new season of “Glee.” As promised, the episode was filled with new renditions of songs such as “Call Me Maybe” by Carly Rae Jepsen. Another reminder of “Glee” from seasons past was the endless supply of Brittany quotes, including one directed toward newcomer Unique: “That’s a great haircut Mercedes, I thought you graduated.”
The theme of replacing old characters carried on through the entire episode including a “new” Rachel, Marley, who steps onto the stage at tryouts singing the same song Rachel has chosen for her first day of class in New York, while a “new” Quinn, cheerleader Kitty, begins her reign of terror on the no-longer-popular Glee Club.
As for how well these changes went over with loyal fans to the show, most of the students interviewed agreed on two things; one being they were glad they got to see what was going on with Rachel in New York, and two, they were a little disappointed in the lack of airtime for other main characters, like Finn and Puck. Overall, “Glee” seems to have come back strongly, and will continue to dominate Thursday night television.
One of the other most highly anticipated shows this fall is season two of “The X-Factor.” Ever since the announcement of its two new judges, Demi Lovato and Britney Spears, fans and gossip magazines alike have been guessing at how they would handle the new responsibilities. In the days prior to the premiere, #QueenD had been trending on Twitter in response to how excited fans were for Lovato’s new gig. As for Britney, a good portion of the show was dedicated to her judging techniques, and surprisingly, Simon Cowell crowned her the new “mean one.” It is a fair title considering some of the comments she made toward contestants including, “I thought I was listening to Alvin and the Chipmunks.”
The show was able to deliver in both jaw dropping talent and comic relief. There were a few stand out contestants, but the shining moment came at the end of the two hour premiere from Jillian, who was able to bring almost the entire audience to tears with her rendition of “Who You Are” by Jessie James. It is easy to tell that “The X-Factor” will have no problems bringing in ratings for its second season.
lquaglin@ramapo.edu
