The Voice UK

Precisely what I think - "it's all about the voice" is just a gimmick to get people who don't like The X Factor to think this is the good alternative.

Well sure - but the audition is where they find the contestants for the season.



I read along to Facebook last night. Two TVF members (both of you being big Cowell show fans) were critical. You called it "X Factor for ugly people" and the other person said it was "boring telly".

I think if you're a fan of Cowell shows you're maybe not going to like this show.

Conversely, I hate Cowell shows, and I really liked this.

My appreciation as a viewer was very high. I don't particularly care if its "water cooler" chat on Monday or all over the tabloids - because I don't necessarily need my enjoyment to be reinforced in a group session and I don't buy the tabloids.

If anything its "X Factor for people who hate exploitation and Cowell".

Sorry - it gives me no pleasure in saying that to you because I appreciate you like his productions, but you were insistent on drawing a comparison, so there's mine.

x

I enjoyed it nice not seeing novelty acts and people that are a bit mentally challenged being ridiculed.

There's room for more than one type of talent show and this one appealed to me.

That is true but I believe the format once the auditions are over is quite different to The X Factor

It was 'faking' the viewers though!! Contestants and family turned up in Belfast, then the performer walked through a door and in and out of a lift and arrived in TVC in London to do their performance!! Very bad continuity with hair, clothes and jewellery.

Then they were back in Belfast again!!

What were the family watching on the screen? Did they do the Belfast sequences days apart (before and after they went to London to sing? Or were they watching a blank screen?

I think its brilliant, I love the fun the four judged are having trying to get each other to hit the button, theres minimal sob story which is good, the lack of negativity is also good, and the contestants are actually normal.

I think if they get the live shows right this could be huge. As a yard stick my wife who hates all music talent shows and wont watched them sat and enjoyed it, so I think it will do well.

Agree about the astons though, and the lack of opening titles, I thought id missed the start

I believe in the next round, acts are drawn out of a hat and pitched against each other in 'battles' and the judges have to choose who goes through - presumably the best singer out of the two. I suppose it's still open to them choosing the hotter contestant, but they've gone so heavy on 'The Voice' that they'd look a bit stupid saving the worse singer, and by the looks of it, there won't be any bad singers in the next round anyway as they don't put them through.

Of course, once it's open to public vote I'm sure the hot contestants will go further than the balding ones, but we'll see.

Re: Theme tune, thank god they didn't use it, it's so, so cheesy.

Also, the end credits were hard to read in that dreadful font they're using.

I completely agree.

And the fact that the singers have already been picked by the producers and researchers makes it all the more similar to every other talent show. Surely the whole point is that none of us see the performer, and judge them on the voice only?? Why aren't they performing behind a screen or something?

The fact this show was promoted without having all the sob stories, makes it all the more worse when in fact that's all there were.

Only just seen the first episode. It really isn't that different to The X Factor and it's ilk at all. The over-emphasis on the judges, the flashy editing, the "uplifting music" as someone gets through, whooshing text filling the screen...even the sob stories are there, which they made quite a point about not having! The blind audition thing is just a gimmick. They seem to be hoping to draw people in who have a problem with The X Factor and then keeping them hooked by being largely the same - because if you think this is a completely different format then you're kidding yourself. The only difference is the lack of obviously "bad" singers at audition stage who never get through anyway - so it's no more about "real talent" than the rest.

Oh and Jessie J is insufferable. Talking about hamming it up when choosing whether to press her button or not. She's only been in "the business" twelve months. At the least The Bloke From The Script keeps his mouth shut most of the time to match his status...

There are a lot of similarities in terms of production, but then it's not uncommon for one TV programme to influence a whole genre - no talent show is going to go back to pre-Pop Idol conventions.

There were a few 'sob stories' but not in the same way as the Cowell shows use them. They've chosen to give a bit of background to each contestant and so of course some things are going to be mentioned... we'd have thought it odd if the bald woman appeared on stage without any explanation of why she had no hair! But unlike the X Factor, they weren't dwelled on, or shown with dramatic music and slow fades, and most importantly the backgrounds weren't told to the 4 on the panel


That is a big difference though. The 'freak show' element of The X Factor and BGT is such a major part of their formats, in fact some people (including myself I'm embarrassed to say) only watch them until the bad ones are whittled out.

Obviously there's a whole series to go but I would say in terms of "real talent", The Voice will have the upper hand. The X Factor as proved by it's name isn't purely about talent and BGT is more about being entertaining rather than talented.

She's been in the business for years, writing music for other people. She always wanted to be a pop star but was set back somewhat after having a stroke when she was 18.



I know my parents do this, and I have a few friends who do the same, and yet oddly the ratings don't seem to match that pattern. Surely you'd expect ratings for a series like this to go down as the final approaches and peoples' favourites have been voted off, as opposed to go up and up - why do people who have no interest or buy-in to the series start tuning in towards the end?

The "sob stories" give context about the people performing to the viewer. The coaches don't know that so aren't swayed. People on here keep talking like every single person in Britian wants to laugh at the freaks. Well this might be a shock to people but not everybody does.