#pop-industry

#pop-industry

1. Cowell is chasing a new direction Simon Cowell: The Next Act, which hit Netflix on Wednesday, follows Cowell in his bid to put together the next One Direction, and do his bit to reassert western dominance in the only sphere that matters: the pop charts! There hasn't been a boyband from the UK or America who I think is as exciting as these K-pop artists, Cowell declares. But while he's convinced of the ginormous opportunity for a male version of the Spice Girls, the six-part docuseries has been widely panned, with reviews describing it as anachronistic and even bleak.

Girlbands, then. Shimmering icons of empowerment or Pygmalion projects for middle-aged A&R men? Here's a radical idea they're both. Two become one, baby. That's the sense you get from Girlbands Forever (Sat, 9.20pm, BBC Two), the documentary executive produced by Louis Theroux charting the fortunes of 90s bands such as All Saints, Eternal, Atomic Kitten and Mis-Teeq through to 00s stars Little Mix.