"X Factor" Preview Blows Things Up

From left to right: Steve Jones, Nicole Scherzinger, L.A. Reid, Paul Abdul and Simon Cowell

Doesn't it seem like we've been waiting forever for the U.S. version of The X Factor to start? After over a year of build-up, Simon Cowell will make his return to talent contest television on September 21st along with his handpicked fellow judges: music producer L.A. Reid for industry cred, singer/dancer Nicole Scherzinger for sexy glamor and Paula Abdul for... buckets of crazy.

This show has a lot of hype to live up to, and in this teaser video Simon really drives that point home, explaining that he "left the number one show in America" to do it and Sony is committing to a five million dollar recording contract for the winner.

Then we see the judges walking across a windblown airport tarmac, like they're the A-Team or something. Was this thing directed by Michael Bay? One half expects the Gulfstream IV behind them to blow up without them even bothering to look back.

Now that would have been cool.

What's missing from this preview is dashing host Steve Jones, who is certainly easy on the eyes and promises to be much more compelling than his Idol counterpart Ryan Seacrest. "Seacrest Out." Jones In!

But Jones might just be the only component of this new show that improves upon its obvious template: American Idol. With Idol and The Voice already trolling for talent, does U.S. television really have room for yet another singing competition?

Check out the teaser below and lay odds in the comments as to whether you think Simon Cowell's new venture will succeed.