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Media
BBC rethinking The Voice for series two
By CMU Editorial | Published on Monday 18 June 2012
As the Australian version of ‘The Voice’ reaches its conclusion for the first time tonight, finalists in the show occupied nine spots in the country’s iTunes Top 10 this weekend, which I think could be considered something of a success for the talent show franchise. As The Music Network points out, it’s even rare for the Australian Top 5 to be completely filled by home grown talent.
Of course in the UK things turned out very differently, with the winning track from the overall winner – Leanne Mitchell’s cover of Whitney Houston’s ‘Run To You’ – not even making it into the UK Top 40 the week after release. Some blamed the fact the song was only available digitally, others that its release clashed with the Jubilee festivities – but the singles market is almost exclusively digital these days, and which idiot decided to put the Voice finale on at the same time as the Queen’s big bash?
It was a disappointing end for the Beeb’s latest attempt to take on the Cowell-talent-show-machine over on ITV, and as much as BBC1 boss Danny Cohen insisted that the UK version of ‘The Voice’ had “broken all records for a new entertainment show on the BBC”, that slipping ratings dominated media reports on the show in the latter half of its first series, and that the winning single performed so badly, makes the whole venture look like one big misfire.
Of course some in the commercial media had already questioned the logic of the BBC, as a public service broadcaster, buying in such an expensive talent show franchise, given ITV has that domain so well covered in the UK already. And you do sense that a constant paranoia at the BBC about being seen to be feeding the commercial pop industry at the licence fee payer’s expense (Universal Music picks up the winner), further hindered the show. As did the tabloids’ tendency to slate the Beeb by default.
Still, the Corporation remains committed to the programme, meaning any other pop wannabes out there who dream of having that number 45 single one day could as yet have their dreams come true. According to the Daily Star, the show’s bosses are working with the BBC to revamp to programme for series two, with a bigger budget, and bigger production values.
Speculation has also begun over which judges will remain, with rumour having it that will.i.am has already hinted he won’t return, though a BBC spokesman insists producers were happy with all four judges on series one, and that talks have begun about rehiring all of them. Though everyone also seems convinced Annie Lennox will be a judge on series two as well.
