The BBC is to launch a UK version of the hit US show as Simon Cowell struggles ? but will it go the way of Fame Academy?
It's the news that neither Simon Cowell nor ITV must have wanted to hear. After a brief bidding skirmish, BBC1 has won the rights to the hit US singing contest The Voice. And in the wake of this, a smattering of doom-mongers have taken it upon themselves to herald the death of The X Factor.
In a way, you can sort of see their point. The X Factor has never been more vulnerable than it is now, not even back in the days when an average episode would involve Kate Thornton forlornly trying to break up a protracted slap fight between Louis Walsh and Sharon Osbourne. The recent series of Britain's Got Talent proved that people find it hard to care about Simon Cowell shows that don't actually feature Simon Cowell, while the loss of both Dannii Minogue and Cheryl Cole from the judging panel means The X Factor faces an uphill battle if it wants to retain its Saturday night supremacy.
The Voice, on the other hand, has been a sensation in America. It's warmer and more nurturing than The X Factor or American Idol. Thanks to its sole gimmick, more of which later, it's not quite as superficial. And, best of all, its judges are contemporary recording artists with huge profiles ? Cee Lo Green, Adam Levine from Maroon 5, county singer Blake Shelton and Christina Aguilera. Rolling Stone called it "The best Dutch import since tulips and Eddie Van Halen" and ratings have been through the roof.
However, let's be sensible for a moment. The judges don't come with the show. And what's more, The Voice is untested over here. It's based entirely around the hokey premise that the judges have their backs to the contestants, so they have to base their decisions on vocal talent alone? and it's not guaranteed that British people will lap it up as it as readily as the Americans did. Pointless gimmickry doesn't always translate into viewers ? as Don't Scare the Hare proves to our eternal credit.
What's more, BBC1 traditionally isn't very good at this kind of thing. So You Think You Can Dance is huge in America, but it was hard to find anyone who cared about it in this country. And last time the BBC attempted to stage a singing contest to rival Simon Cowell's glittering empire, it ended up producing Fame Academy. The less said about that the better.
On the other hand The X Factor ? even without Simon, Cheryl or Dannii - is still X Factor. It's an all-consuming cultural monolith so vast that ITV and Cowell can't let it fail. Even if the wheels have fallen off, as some have claimed, it's still bound to scrape along the ground destroying everything in its path for a few more years.
That's not to write off The Voice entirely. But for the show to succeed, it needs to get the judging panel right. Some have suggested that X Factor rejects such as Dannii Minogue, Sharon Osbourne and Cheryl Cole would make great judges. I'm not convinced. To mimic the success of the American version, the BBC will need to shell out and find the biggest, most current pop stars it can lay its hands on. Who that is, I don't know. The X Factor has Gary Barlow. Robbie Williams, perhaps?
So what do you think? Does The Voice stand a chance against the might of X Factor? Will you even give it a chance? Let me know below.
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2011/jun/17/the-voice-x-factor
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