Even living under a rock wouldn't have shielded you from the endless hype for "The X Factor," which premieres tonight after years of planning.
Can the show live up to its impossible expectations? Mmmm, probably not. But it's still worth watching, if for no other reasons than to see how close it comes, and how far the show is willing to go to become a pop culture force on par with "American Idol."
Judges flying in on helicopters, sweeping aerial shots of the contestants and an expensive production overall are but a few of the ways Simon Cowell and company are trying to make sure viewers recognize "X Factor" as the next big show.
Talk about sibling rivalry; Fox is the only one almost certain to win in the "X Factor" vs. "American Idol" faceoff, unless the ratings (or ratings failure) of one chips away at the other.
For now, here are five reasons we recommend watching at least the first episode of "X Factor," airing tonight at 8 p.m. on Fox:
1. Simon Cowell. He was always the best part of "American Idol" when it was on. And now, His Snarkiness is back and ready to dash the dreams of many a delusional wannabe singer again.
2. The squabbling. Paula Abdul joins him at the "X Factor" judges table, and they pick right up where they left off with their "Idol" love/hate relationship. We should be able to find out pretty quickly tonight if the feuding is real -- or fabricated for the sake of drama.
Also read: Simon Cowell and His Crew Get Dreamy in 'The X Factor' Sneak Peek (Video)
3. No Randy. "Idol" judge Randy Jackson has the music industry credibility to make insightful comments and provide truly valuable advice to the singing competition contestants, but he continues to stick to his line-up of whooping, "Yeah, dawg!"-ing and "Pitchy, dawg"-ing, instead. "The X Factor" has super successful music producer L.A. Reid as Cowell's equally experienced industry counterpart on the judges' panel, and that should make for some interesting, pithy commentary throughout the season.
4. Nicole Scherzinger. She's likable, brings the perspective of pop star success and competing on a reality show -- remember, she became a member of the all-girl group Eden's Crush via "Popstars" -- and she has the potential to be more emotional than Abdul -- while providing a more steady baseline of calm.
5. $5 million. The stakes are high for that grand prize, the highest ever offered in a talent search series. The contestants are going to be held to an even higher standard if they hope to snag the life-changing check.
Also read: 'Idol' + 'X-Factor': A Sly Move for Fox
On the other hand…
Here are five reasons why "X Factor" might not live up to its hype:
1. Simon Cowell.
