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Media
BBC hopes changes will help Voice retain its audience
By Chris Cooke | Published on Monday 11 February 2013
The BBC will introduce a number of changes to the second series of ‘The Voice’, the talent show franchise it bought in from the Netherlands because of concerns amongst Corporation chiefs that there just weren’t enough telly programmes featuring wannabe pop stars on British TV screens anymore.
Although early editions of ‘The Voice’ – where the franchise’s principle gimmick, that judges can’t see the wannabes auditioning, is centre stage – performed well in the ratings, interest in the series waned as it became more and more like a mediocre ‘X-Factor’ rip off.
There was speculation that the show’s celebrity judging panel would be shaken up for series two, though in the end Will.i.am, Jessie J, Tom Jones and Danny O’Donoghue from The Script were all rebooked, as producers – probably rightly – realised that the problem with series one was in the format of later shows, rather than any of the people involved.
In series two there will be just three live shows – the bit where ‘The Voice’ becomes pretty much indistinguishable from ‘X-Factor’ – and a new section has been added to the series called ‘the knockouts’. Some other elements that have apparently worked on the US version of ‘The Voice’ will also be incorporated.
All of which means show bosses are hopeful that this time ‘The Voice UK’ will maintain momentum throughout its series, heightening interest in its climax, which will hopefully result in the winner’s first single at least going Top 40, and the accompanying finalists live show tour not being cancelled due to poor ticket sales.
