The X Factor: A 12-Step Plan to Salvage Season 3

Think fast: Would you rather get a root canal from your car mechanic or set your DVR to record Season 3 of The X Factor?

Okay, maybe Fox’s other reality singing competition isn’t quite that painful. But with sagging Season 2 ratings and rumors that mentor Britney Spears is about to get pink-slipped, it’s pretty clear Simon Cowell will have to consider an overhaul at least as big as …READ MORE & VIEW PHOTOS

Simon Says NBC Pitting The Voice Vs. X Factor Is 'Dirty Tricks,' Frets Britney Will Be 'Devastated'

Simon Cowell, alleging that he had a “gentleman’s agreement” with NBC that The Voice and Fox’s The X Factor wouldn’t tread on each other’s turf, calls the Peacock’s decision to expand its singing show’s Season 3 premiere to a third night — thus pitting it against The X Factor‘s sophomore opener — is a “cynical, cold-hearted, unprofessional way of doing business.” READ MORE

Britney Spears Rumored as X Factor Mentor: Would Live TV Really Be a Good Fit for Her?

I didn’t take it too seriously when Britney Spears’ name first surfaced as a possible replacement for exiting judges/mentors Nicole Scherzinator and Paula Abdul on The X Factor. After all, the pop diva isn’t exactly renown for singing live. And what’s more, …READ MORE

Simon Says: The X Factor, Idol and Voice Champs Should Face Off – Do You Like the Idea?

Reality competition guru Simon Cowell has come forth with a notion that, if enacted earlier, would have thrown The X Factor‘s Melanie Amaro, American Idol‘s Scotty McCreery and The Voice‘s Javier Colon into a steel cage for a Showdown of the Singing Show Champions (TVLine’s proposed title patent pending). READ MORE

TVLine Items: Boss Hires Jonathan Groff, Justified and Gossip Girl Casting News and More!

Jonathan Groff is about to raise some Kane on the second season of Starz’s Boss.

The Glee grad joins the cast of the political drama as …READ MORE

The X Factor Shakeup: 5 Ways — and 3 Cast Changes — to Save the Show in Season 2

The news that X Factor host Steve Jones and judges Paula Abdul and Nicole Sherbetflavors won’t be returning for Season 2 was as brutal as it was predictable. After all, producer/judge Simon Cowell had told People after the Season 1 finale to expect a “bloodbath” in the wake of the show’s decent ratings failing to live up to its megasized hype.

And yet while I applaud Cowell for attempting to reboot a show that was on many levels a creative disaster, I’m concerned …READ MORE

TVLine Items: Flashpoint Cops Season 5 Renewal, 30 Rock Tackles Death of Kim Jong-il and More

The members of Flashpoint’s Strategic Response Unit will keep on reporting for duty, now that the cop drama’s new home, ION Television, has picked up the Toronto-produced series for another season.

Season 5, to consist of 13 episodes, begins … READ MORE

TVLine Readers Share Their 2012 Wish List For Supernatural, Glee, NCIS, Gossip Girl and More!

TVLine asked you, our savvy, faithful and discerning readers, to send us your TV wishes for 2012, and you got back to us in droves! Even though the year gone by served up many fantastic shows and characters, it’s clear that there’s still much you desperately desire. READ MORE & VIEW GALLERY

The X Factor Season Finale Recap: And the Winner Is… [Updated]

The word “FINALE” — spelled out in all caps using pure molten lava — bubbled and exploded across a giant electronic screen. A lithe young woman in a red-and-white striped, fur-trimmed bathing suit writhed seductively inside an oversized snow globe. And Melanie Amaro, Chris Rene, and Josh Krajcik …READ MORE