Who would have thought it was even remotely possible to come up with a new singing show after ten years of Idol, Talent and others. But, in the viewer's opinion,The Voice was a stunning reboot for the genre.
THe idea for this singing show couldn't be simpler: the judges don't get to see the contestants they listen to them first, and boy does that make for good viewing. The four judges are obviously enjoying themselves and this is a very well-done professional production that will be interesting to see once the auditions over and we get to the knockout rounds whether it reverts to a more gladiatorial approach.
The show emphasizes that the judges are coaches here to help the contestants rather than simply "judge" them.
All in all, we loved the first show; it is a real breath of fresh air, and here's hoping it lives up to this fantastic start! In an entertainment industry where looks dominate, The Voice offers a refreshing format which reassures us, that talent alone CAN prevail. Unlike rival programmes such as American Idol and X-Factor, the coaches on this programme are unable to see what the contestants look like when they first hit the stage. The auditions are essentially 'blind' auditions, where the judges sit in a chair with their back to the contestants so that their entire focus is on the voice of the contestant. Only if they like the contestant's voice, do they push a button which enables them to turn around and to see the contestant. In short- beautiful, talentless people don't get a look in here.
Living in a time that is dominated by celebrity, image and 'z-list' culture in which talentless people can make it big for being pretty, The Voice is taking things back to basics- good old fashioned raw talent. This original twist is not alone in making the show a success. The chemistry of the four coaches (Christina Aguilera, Cee-Lo Green, Adam Levine and Blake Shelton) makes the show endearing and entertaining.With more focus on singing and great voices in particular, this show changes the usual multi-talent showcasing shows which have become rather too annoying to watch. As far as the favoritism and bias goes, well, there's nothing much to talk about as there's no show which comes without it on television anyways. And it happens both on-stage as well as backstage. Just watch it for the neat songs and the competition.It's yet to be seen how the second season will do. The judges reaction's especially the ones between Blake, Adam and Cee-Lo are comical. Christina Aguilera does the usual prima donna act and the pressure on her team feels like it's much higher than the rest. All the guys love their female contestants and it's pretty obvious that the women stand much better chances to qualify and win. Who doesn't love women? I'd personally have loved to see the Indian chick Sonia Rao get selected for voice and personality.Too bad she doesn't!!