It's all about The Voice … judges Tom Jones and Jessie J. Photograph: BBC/PA
It's the battle of the talent shows and The Voice
(BBC1, Saturday) sets its stall out early: with the first contestant in
fact, 17-year-old Jessica Hammond from Belfast. Bloo-dy hell, she's
amazing, sounds a bit like Dolores O'Riordan from The Cranberries.
The judges – Jessie J (whose song Price Tag Jessica H sings, incidentally), will.i.am, Tom Jones, and this other fella called Danny O'Something from The Script – agree, and all turn their seats around. That's how The Voice works – it's a sort of musical chairs. The judges have their backs to the acts; they can't see them, because this show PUTS VOCAL ABILITY FIRST, as we're constantly reminded; it's not about LOOKS or AGE or any of that trivial ITV stuff, it's only about THE VOICE. (Hang on though, but doesn't the real music industry totally take that stuff into account? Yeah well, then this is better than the real music industry.)
Anyway, if a judge likes what they hear, they turn round. And if more than one judge turns round, the contestant gets to pick who they want to be mentored by in the next stage. Jessica picks Jessie, of course. I think Jessica's the winner, give it to her, game over.
But then the standard stays up there, they keep on coming, all these amazing voices. OK, so no one turns round for Sean, and that's desperately sad because he used to be in boy band Five. And there are a couple more who don't get through. Most do though, and quite rightly. This is only show one and we're already at the level of an X Factor/Britain's Got Talent final. So it certainly has the talent. And the tears (poor Sean). Tension too, because it really builds when you're waiting to see if anyone turns or not.
What it doesn't have is the pantomime early stages, with all the really crap acts and the judges shaking their heads and rolling their eyes. Which the BBC would say makes it not just less cruel, but also more serious about singing. And they'd be right. But it also might make it less fun. I enjoy that part; and it gives the whole series a sense of progression, from rubbish to quite good. The danger here is that it's starting so strongly, musically, that there's nowhere to go, no journey.
The lack of fun isn't helped much by the judges either. will.i.am is best; he puts on a bit of a show. The others talk sense about the music, but that doesn't necessarily make great television. "What's your inspiration?" they ask. And: "why The Voice?" Come on, you can do better than that. Hosts Holly Willoughby and Reggie Yates aren't a barrel of laughs either – they are no Ant'n'Dec. If there is a problem with The Voice it's probably that – a lack of humour, or joy outside the music. Brilliant singing, though.
So how does Britain's Got Talent (ITV1, Saturday), with which The Voice overlaps, counter? Well not with talent, that's for sure. This kid with a guitar from Norfolk the judges think is so brilliant doesn't pass the radio test (close your eyes: if you heard him on the radio, would you sit up and take notice? Answer: no). And the kid with the big opera voice, the show's SuBo moment, is more extraordinary, than something you would actually want to sit down and listen to.
The big news on BGT is that Simon Cowell is back on board, to fend off the broadside aimed at them from The Voice. and to try to rescue the ship after Michael McIntryre and The Hoff's valiant attempts to sink it last time out.
But the big news isn't the best news, which is that David Walliams joins the crew. He's great: properly funny, cheeky (he asks most contestants inappropriate questions about their love lives), but charming and generous enough to get away with it. He makes Cowell look short and mean. Oh, and he's also very often right. Of course Dennis the camp German who has extendable wings and turns into a gold dragonfly should go through, he's the best thing so far.
The judges – Jessie J (whose song Price Tag Jessica H sings, incidentally), will.i.am, Tom Jones, and this other fella called Danny O'Something from The Script – agree, and all turn their seats around. That's how The Voice works – it's a sort of musical chairs. The judges have their backs to the acts; they can't see them, because this show PUTS VOCAL ABILITY FIRST, as we're constantly reminded; it's not about LOOKS or AGE or any of that trivial ITV stuff, it's only about THE VOICE. (Hang on though, but doesn't the real music industry totally take that stuff into account? Yeah well, then this is better than the real music industry.)
Anyway, if a judge likes what they hear, they turn round. And if more than one judge turns round, the contestant gets to pick who they want to be mentored by in the next stage. Jessica picks Jessie, of course. I think Jessica's the winner, give it to her, game over.
But then the standard stays up there, they keep on coming, all these amazing voices. OK, so no one turns round for Sean, and that's desperately sad because he used to be in boy band Five. And there are a couple more who don't get through. Most do though, and quite rightly. This is only show one and we're already at the level of an X Factor/Britain's Got Talent final. So it certainly has the talent. And the tears (poor Sean). Tension too, because it really builds when you're waiting to see if anyone turns or not.
What it doesn't have is the pantomime early stages, with all the really crap acts and the judges shaking their heads and rolling their eyes. Which the BBC would say makes it not just less cruel, but also more serious about singing. And they'd be right. But it also might make it less fun. I enjoy that part; and it gives the whole series a sense of progression, from rubbish to quite good. The danger here is that it's starting so strongly, musically, that there's nowhere to go, no journey.
The lack of fun isn't helped much by the judges either. will.i.am is best; he puts on a bit of a show. The others talk sense about the music, but that doesn't necessarily make great television. "What's your inspiration?" they ask. And: "why The Voice?" Come on, you can do better than that. Hosts Holly Willoughby and Reggie Yates aren't a barrel of laughs either – they are no Ant'n'Dec. If there is a problem with The Voice it's probably that – a lack of humour, or joy outside the music. Brilliant singing, though.
So how does Britain's Got Talent (ITV1, Saturday), with which The Voice overlaps, counter? Well not with talent, that's for sure. This kid with a guitar from Norfolk the judges think is so brilliant doesn't pass the radio test (close your eyes: if you heard him on the radio, would you sit up and take notice? Answer: no). And the kid with the big opera voice, the show's SuBo moment, is more extraordinary, than something you would actually want to sit down and listen to.
The big news on BGT is that Simon Cowell is back on board, to fend off the broadside aimed at them from The Voice. and to try to rescue the ship after Michael McIntryre and The Hoff's valiant attempts to sink it last time out.
But the big news isn't the best news, which is that David Walliams joins the crew. He's great: properly funny, cheeky (he asks most contestants inappropriate questions about their love lives), but charming and generous enough to get away with it. He makes Cowell look short and mean. Oh, and he's also very often right. Of course Dennis the camp German who has extendable wings and turns into a gold dragonfly should go through, he's the best thing so far.
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