Britney Spears and Demi Lovato join 'The X Factor' - NOLA.com

Britney Spears makes her "The X Factor" debut. James Carville to appear in a new TCM documentary about politics in film. TV tweet of the day so far.

FoxSimon Cowell.

TV Linkzilla Daily for 9/12/12 starts now.

The premiere season of “The X Factor” fell short of ratings expectations, so mastermind Simon Cowell has retooled. Two of the new tools are judges Britney Spears and Demi Lovato, who make their debuts at 7 p.m. Wednesday (Sept. 12) on WVUE when the show returns for its second season.

“Both bring different things,” Cowell said during the Hollywood Summer TV Tour. “I always said the No. 1 person I always wanted on one of these shows was Britney, because I was fascinated with her as a person (and) as a pop star, and there’s something intriguing about her. I didn’t know her as a person, and I thought it would be interesting to have her on one of these shows so you see another side of her. And she’s a really, really good judge.

“Demi is a brat, but there’s something really likeable about her as well. And I think the show, because it has such a young audience, it needed someone younger -- because I’m in my 30s â€" (for) the people who watch the show. And that’s what they both bring. And it’s worked brilliantly.”

Cowell is in his 50s. Spears is in her 30s. Lovato entered her 20s in August. Expect intergenerational jibes to be a substantial part of the judges-table shtick.

Ditched in the off-season for the new women were Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger, herself an early replacement for the ditched Cheryl Cole. Judge L.A. Reid returns, but none of them should get comfortable. As the recent judge-churn on “American Idol” proves, there’s no such thing as job security on these shows.

“Not much,” Cowell said. “No one has any job security really anymore, including myself. I mean, you’re at the hands of the audience who watch the shows. We’ve always made a point on these shows of changing the shows whenever we think it’s necessary. And for certain reasons we thought, even though the girls did a great job last year, that we just felt we needed a change, and we were learning as we went along last year.

“But I don’t envision this changing for a while. We all seem to be getting along really well. The panel works. The girls seem happy. I’ve got my buddy L.A. back, so we’re having a good time.”

Further reading about “The X Factor:”

Lynn Elber @ Associated Press via WashingtonPost.com:

There are more changes to “X Factor” than the addition of Spears and Lovato, who replaced season one Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger after the show fell short of Cowell’s high-flying ratings predictions.

The revamped “X Factor” retains the pro forma mix of oddballs and genuinely talented singers, but it’s less grandiose. One example: The addition of a reality TV-style backstage glance at contestant rivalries, but with a light touch.

Debra Yeo @ TheStar.com:

It looks like Simon Cowell could have the last laugh.

Last year, after the U.S. debut of The X Factor failed to top American Idol in the ratings, Cowell fired half the judging panel and the host, and set about retooling the series for its second season.

The multimillionaire chose Britney Spears and Demi Lovato as new judges, a move that raised eyebrows at the time. However it's looking increasingly savvy â€" at the very least, Spears' presence makes Wednesday's X Factor debut (8 p.m. on CTV and Fox) a TV event.

By contrast, Cowell's old show, Idol, seems in disarray as producers hunt for replacements for Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler. Mariah Carey is reportedly the only new judge signed with less than two weeks until auditions begin.

Gil Kaufman @ MTV.com:

Early indications are that Spears is a bit more forceful, and meaner, than you might expect, and Lovato told MTV News last week that the chemistry between herself, Spears, Cowell and music-industry veteran L.A. Reid is "amazing."

Pardon the pun, but the one X factor facing Cowell is the competition from "The Voice." Whereas he had the field to himself last year, with the first fall season of "The Voice" airing Mondays and Tuesdays â€" "Factor" will air Wednesday and Thursday â€" Cowell suddenly has to figure out how to keep fans tuned in to a more crowded field.

Meanwhile,

To launch a monthlong series titled “American Politics on Film,” Turner Classic Movies will air a new documentary, “A Night at the Movies: Hollywood Goes to Washington,” for which James Carville was interviewed.

Also in the documentary, which premieres at 7 p.m. Oct. 5: Oliver Stone, Rob Reiner, Gary Ross, Rod Lurie, Illeana Douglas, James Cromwell and Fred Thompson, among others.

The complete TCM news release:

As Americans prepare to head the polls, Turner Classic Movies (TCM) will explore how Hollywood has portrayed the democratic process with the all-new documentary special A Night at the Movies: Hollywood Goes to Washington. Produced by Amblin Television and award-winning filmmaker and author Laurent Bouzereau, the one-hour special will premiere Friday, Oct. 5, at 8 p.m. (ET) as part of a month-long film series entitled American Politics on Film.

A Night at the Movies: Hollywood Goes to Washington will provide an in-depth look at the treatment of politics in cinema. Beginning with the genre's most defining movies, the special will explore how filmmakers have approached politics in their storytelling. A Night at the Movies: Hollywood Goes to Washington will examine films about political campaigns and political conspiracies, and the portrayal of American presidents in the movies.

Among the many interviewees featured in A Night at the Movies: Hollywood Goes to Washington are filmmakers Oliver Stone (JFK, Nixon, W.), Rob Reiner (The American President), Gary Ross (Dave, The Hunger Games); and Rod Lurie (The Contender); actors Illeana Douglas (To Die For) as well as granddaughter of Melvin Douglas and James Cromwell (The Queen, W.); actor/politician Fred Thompson (The Hunt for Red October, In the Line of Fire); producer Marc Frydman (The Contender); political consultant and commentator James Carville (The War Room); screenwriter Bob Gale (Back to the Future); author and film critic Julie Salamon (The Devil's Candy); and Projecting Hollywood co-author Terry Christensen.

Each Friday in October under the banner American Politics on Film, TCM will showcase some of Hollywood's most notable films with political angles or storylines. Following the premiere of A Night at the Movies: Hollywood Goes to Washington on Oct. 5, TCM will present two Frank Capra classics: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), starring James Stewart, and Meet John Doe (1941), starring Gary Cooper.

On Oct. 26, CNN News anchor Wolf Blitzer will co-host the night with such films as Advise & Consent (1962), Seven Days in May (1964) and All the President's Men (1976) in support of the upcoming November Presidential election.

The following is a complete schedule of TCM's American Politics on Film (all times Eastern):

Friday, Oct. 5

8 p.m. â€" A Night at the Movies: Hollywood Goes to Washington (2012) â€" Premiere

9 p.m. â€" Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)

11:15 p.m. â€" A Night at the Movies: Hollywood Goes to Washington (2012) â€" Encore

12:15 a.m. â€" Meet John Doe (1941)

Friday, Oct. 12

8 p.m. â€" Born Yesterday (1950)

10 p.m. â€" A Night at the Movies: Hollywood Goes to Washington (2012) â€" Encore

11 p.m. â€" The Great McGinty (1940)

12:30 a.m. â€" I Married a Witch (1942)

Friday, Oct. 19

8 p.m. â€" A Face in the Crowd (1957)

10:15 p.m. â€" The Glass Key (1942)

11:45 p.m. â€" Flamingo Road (1949)

1:30 a.m. â€" A Night at the Movies: Hollywood Goes to Washington (2012) â€" Encore

Friday, Oct. 26

8 p.m. â€" Advise & Consent (1962)

10:30 p.m. â€" All the President's Men (1976)

1 a.m. â€" Seven Days in May (1964)

TV tweet of the day so far

Dalton Ross ‏(@DaltonRoss):

Russell Swan says he will try his best to not almost die this time around on #Survivor: Philippines. http://bit.ly/OGMMRJ

TV Wednesday

See above, plus: “Parole Diaries” airs at 9 p.m. on TV One. A new episode of “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo” airs at 9 p.m. on TLC.

Dave Walker can be reached at dwalker@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3429. Read more TV coverage at NOLA.com/tv. Follow him at twitter.com/davewalkertp.