By Patrick Hester
With "The Voice" set to premiere on Tuesday, many fans are wondering, "Will this reality show succeed in an era when singing competitions can be a person's ticket into the music biz?"
Regardless of how you answered that question, "The Voice," whose coaches include Christina Aguliera and Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine, has a lot going for it. It's one of the only singing competitions on TV that won't be based on a person's looks. The contestants are solely chosen by the coaches based on their voices and then coached by celebrity judges who've been successful in the music industry.
With all that going for it, we thought it would beneficial to list a few things "The Voice" should NOT do, in order to ensure it says on the air. (With a few reality talent competition shows already canned, here's hoping they take a look at this list as a bit of a warning!)
Don't Be Unoriginal
As mentioned before, "The Voice" has the whole "blind audition" going for it, but a lot of reality singing competition shows fail because they use a formula that has already been done before. A panel of three judges offering praise or giving criticism can be seen Wednesdays on "American Idol." There are no "judges" on this show, as they are "coaches" who coach the contestants for the viewing public through a variety of stages. This could work, especially since it hasn't really been done before.
Don't Exclude Raw Talent
Not many Americans are fans of country music but that little show "Nashville Star" may have faltered because it featured artists who have already been working in the country music industry. Americans like to see a story of someone who came from nothing, or sang in the church choir, belting it out on the big stage in front of millions. It seems as though, based on the promos, "The Voice" is featuring familiar faces, but here's to hoping the majority of the contestants are people we've never met or seen before.
Don't Have the Contestants Choose Who Goes Home
Does anyone remember "The One: Making a Music Star" on ABC? This defeats the purpose of having America decide who the winner should be. Sure, America gets it wrong. Sure, sometimes the votes don't match up, but if we're watching, we should decide. By having contestants vote on who stays and who goes, it gives them added pressure and makes the show a popularity contest, opportunistic, and not necessarily about who's the best singer.
Don't Make the Show About Something Other Than 'The Voice'
Sure this a reality show and, sure, we love drama, but cutting to footage of our favorites arguing at home with other contestants, having emotional breakdowns, or living their everyday lives could take away from the show's message, as it did on "The One." The beauty about this show is that it focuses on how people sing. America shouldn't have to see great editing and production of a misinterpreted fight between two contestants. America should vote on TALENT.
