There is still life in shows like the X Factor but there remains a question over whether there is enough talent to sustain them, a TV executive has said.
Questions have been asked over the future of the X Factor since the celebrity spin-off recorded the show’s lowest ratings in 15 years.
A planned Sunday results show was pulled by ITV while the launch of X Factor: All Stars, which will feature previous winners, has been postponed.
However, another iteration, X Factor: the Band, is in production and show creator Simon Cowell remains bullish about its future.
Michael Grade, the only executive to have run the BBC, Channel 4 and ITV, told the Radio Times magazine the X Factor should still have a future – for now.
“Every show has a saturation or sell-by date,” he said.
“Apart from Coronation Street, EastEnders and Casualty, there comes a point where the audience has had enough and there’s nothing new to do.”
However, Grade added: “I don’t think The X Factor has reached that stage yet.”
Asked what he would do if he were still running ITV, Grade said “I would see how it goes. I wouldn’t be worried about Simon or the format, but I’d want convincing that there is still the talent out there to sustain the show.”
Grade also raised the prospect of ITV replacing the X Factor in the prized Saturday night slot.
He said the choice often boils down to what the alternative show is, adding: “And I suspect ITV hasn’t got anything else that will get anywhere near The X Factor.”
The full interview is in this week’s Radio Times magazine.
