'The X Factor' is coming back for a second season.

"I am absolutely thrilled with the news," Simon Cowell said in a statement. "I have loved making the show and I want to thank Fox, our sponsors and most importantly, the fans for supporting 'The X Factor.'"

So far Fox has aired 20 hours of the new reality series, averaging about 13 million viewers per episode.

"'The X Factor' is a monumental success," Mike Darnell, president of alternative entertainment at Fox, said in a statement. "It's won every night it's been on the air, the talent is phenomenal, the live shows are spectacular and picking it up is a complete no-brainer. Simon and his team have done an incredible job with the show, and I'm absolutely thrilled to bring back 'The X Factor' for another fantastic season."

['The X Factor' - 'Season 1, Episode 9']

You've got to admire the tenacity of 'The X Factor' producers, attempting to milk two hours of TV from what basically amounts to a ten-minute announcement. I doubt that any self-respecting audience member actually appreciates these wasteful episodes (I can't recall if 'The Voice' devoted two hours to who the judges picked to advance to the voting rounds, but 'Idol' has been guilty of it for years) -- let's face it, they're the reality equivalent of a clip show and reduce most of us to teeth-gnashing, garment-rending frustration about fifteen minutes through.

All you really want to know is who the judges chose for their respective final fours, right?

In that case, I'll delay you no longer -- hit the jump and save yourselves two hours of boredom, or, if you were unfortunate enough to sit through last night's episode, hit the jump so that you can vent your frustrations about Simon Cowell's baffling life choices.

['The X Factor - Season 1, Episode 7]

An audition round is an audition round, and Hollywood Week by any other name ("Boot Camp") would smell as sweet, but now we've reached the "Judges' House" portion of 'The X Factor,' and this is where the show should really start to differentiate itself from its rivals.

Did it succeed? Partially. Whether any of the judges actually occupy these lavish abodes is questionable (I'm especially suspicious of Cowell), but it was a refreshing change to actually see the entirety of the contestants' performances (aside from Over 30 waiter James Kenney, who, I guess, the producers deemed too boring). Seeing only two artists between every ad break got more than a little tedious, though, as did the constant recapping of last week's events. But aren't we all jealous of Steve Jones and his jetsetting job?

Hit the jump for our four favorite performances of the night -- we picked one from each category, just to be fair, though right now I think that L.A. Reid's boys should eliminate almost everyone else.

As his fellow Brits would say, it was "handbags" time on 'The X Factor' last night as Simon Cowell lost his temper with his fellow judges.

Teenage singer Tiah Tolliver split the judging panel straight down the middle, with Cowell -- "I'm saying 'yes' a hundred percent" -- and L.A. Reid voting to put her through to the next round, and the female judges voting to send her home.

When Nicole Scherzinger said "I'll have to pass," the crowd started booing, and an irritated Cowell exclaimed "Oh, for god's sake!"

Paula Abdul's decision to say no was greeted with Cowell hurling a piece of paper to the floor and turning away in disgust.

The first of this week's 'X Factor' episodes was a little lacking in actual talent, but it's reassuring to know that we only have to suffer through one more audition round before we can get to the good stuff.

(I wonder if all of the true stars are being left on the cutting room floor so that they can shine during Hollywood Week bootcamp instead?)

Though not every contestant can be like Chris Rene, there were still a few memorable performances this Wednesday night, so we waded through the filler to dig up the Top Five most memorable acts -- good and bad -- for our video highlights.

Hit the jump for more!

Simon Cowell's much-hyped latest show 'The X Factor' finally launched stateside last night. It's sure to have done well in the ratings, but was it any good?

Following the same format as its British predecessor, 'The X Factor' showcased the tried and tested mix of producers' auditions and live performances in front of the judges and a live audience.

There were some inspirational tales, some great singers and some well, pretty bad performances.

Critics have praised the slick production values, but many feel we've been here before. 'New York' magazine described it as "'American Idol' meets a more lucrative contract for Simon Cowell."

The judges -- especially Nicole Scherzinger -- have been criticized for their contributions (or lack thereof). And some critics have questioned the possible exploitation of poor contestants.