'The X Factor': 3 Ways it's Different from 'American Idol' (and Similar to 'The Voice')

Tonight marks the premiere of "The X Factor" on U.S. soil, and since it's a vocal competition show on Fox that features Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell as judges, the comparisons to "American Idol" are inevitable.

But there are a number of ways that "The X Factor" and "Idol" differ. Interestingly enough, you're likely to find more similarities between "X Factor" and NBC's "The Voice." Here are a few of them:

1. Not Just a Solo Act

Sure, people duet on "American Idol," and there are always those awkward group numbers. But when it comes down to it, it's a solo show...the contestants are on their own and (just like the Highlander) there can be only one.

"The X Factor" will have plenty of solo contestants, but duos and even groups are also allowed to enter. At first they will be competing against other groups, but in the later rounds we could potentially see a solo artist going up against a group of two or more. You won't see that on "Idol," but we did see it on "The Voice," which had a couple of duo acts competing against the solo artists. None of them made the final four, but we could see one go far this year between the two shows.

2. More Family Time

We don't see much of the contestants' families on "American Idol," but "The Voice" had a delightful gimmick that provided lots of tearjerker moments: as each contestant auditioned on stage, their loved ones were herded into another room where they would watch the proceedings on the monitor.

"The X Factor" is planning a bit of the same, having families watching the auditions in a separate area where they can feel free to cry up a storm. We'll see if the idea lends itself to "X Factor" as well as it did to "Voice"...those turning chairs always provided a moment of joy for families to jump up and down and weep.

3. Bring On the Old People

"American Idol" has some fairly strict age and experience requirements. Think about it: have you ever seen an old lady on "Idol?" Of course not.

But "The X Factor" will be a different story. As long as contestants are over the age of 12, they are free to audition...that means that we may not only see some talented youngsters (like another Jackie Evancho), but we might also see some older folks who never got the chance to shine. Susan Boyle: The Sequel might be on the way. And hey, it worked out well for "The Voice," who had an older contestant in Beverly McClellan reaching the final four.