• by Wayne Friedman , August 5, 2011

Simon Cowell, executive producer/judge of Fox' new "The X Factor" show, says new competition from other reality singing shows, such as NBC's "The Voice" -- as well Fox's ongoing juggernaut, "American Idol" -- will only up the game for new TV performance/singing series.

"You are going to have to make better shows," says Cowell, in speaking at the Television Critics Association meeting here.

A part of this comes with more mentoring of singing talent, as well as offering up different kinds of off-stage video. He says: "When you make reality TV you have to make it as real as possible. Cameras are hidden all through this process."

Are there too many singing shows?

"I see it as the same way as movies. You can have ten great movies in one year and in another years you don't have any," says Cowell. Also, he says, television, in general, has many similar dramas on television at different times of years.

"You are going to hear performances you generally haven't seen on TV," says Cowell, which will include performers as young as 12 years old.

"X Factor" will have four different categories in the singing competition -- boys, girls, groups, and older contestants.