Fox’s X Factor Scheduling Debacle, Episode to Re-Air Tuesday

Update: Fox has recently updated their plans regarding the debacle below. In doing so, Fox will extend their usual primetime lineup by 30 minutes and conveniently avoid going up against Dancing with the Stars or more importantly, The Voice. According to the new lineup, Fox will air Raising Hope (8pm ET), Ben & Kate (8:30pm ET) and New Girl (9pm ET). The Mindy Project will be pre-empted this week. Then at 9:30pm ET, Fox will air a carefully edited hour of The X Factor – recapping what many saw on Wednesday night amidst the baseball delay before focusing on the groups of Demi Levato and Simon Cowell. Fox’s primetime lineup will then end at 10:30pm ET on Tuesday night only.

After what can really only be described as a scheduling fail, Fox announced that tonight’s episode of The X Factor, which was to name the 16 acts headed to the live shows, will re-air in its entirety on Tuesday October 23. With the rain delay during the NLCS Game 3 this afternoon, Fox was forced to make last minute adjustments to it’s primetime lineup. To kick off the night, Fox aired the Ben & Kate pilot, with execs noting on Twitter that The X Factor would still air in the game ended by 9:30pm ET.

But then, plans changed and at 8:40pm ET, Fox abruptly started the X Factor episode. What’s even more confusing was that the episode aired simultaneously in the West coast, as well – yes, at 5:40pm PT. As the MLB announced the NLCS game will continue at 10:05pm ET, Fox cut off the final 15 minutes of the X Factor hour just as abruptly as they started it.

Simon Cowell, whose group’s fate was not aired tonight, took to Twitter to share his thoughts. “It what’s known as a total f up,” Cowell tweeted. Canada’s CTV reportedly carried more of the episode but then was subsequently also cut off and an X Factor repeat randomly came on air.

And so … tonight’s episode of The X Factor will re-air in it’s entirety on Tuesday, pre-empting Fox’s comedy line up. Personally, I want hidden cameras in the exec offices at Fox tomorrow. That outta be fun.