With Cheryl Cole and George Michael as possible judges, the British version of the US hit show The Voice has started a contest between the BBC and ITV
The judges on the US edition of The Voice - Blake Shelton, Adam Levine, Christina Aguilera and Cee Lo Green - with its executive producer, Mark Burnett. Photograph: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images
The BBC and ITV are locked in a bidding war for a new Saturday-night talent show being marketed as the "world's hottest new TV music property".
The Voice, already a hit in the US, offers a twist on the standard talent show by supposedly adopting a kindlier and less image-obsessed approach to its performers.
Its potential arrival on British TV screens, say some observers, could not be more timely: from Cheryl Cole's dramatic firing by The X Factor USAto allegations that this year's Britain's Got Talent had been "fixed" by Simon Cowell's production company, the talent show landscape has become convulsed with spats and rumours of skulduggery.
The Voice, with "blind" auditions in which contestants are rated on their singing alone and judges who dole out more constructive criticism than one-liners, is touted as a soothing alternative to the world of Cowell and his shows. And if that alternative happens to hire Cole as a judge, luring her away from her former mentor, so much the better.
The prospect of Cole signing up is a huge attraction for the BBC, where Danny Cohen, controller of BBC1, has taken personal command of negotiations with the UK production company handling the deal, Shed Media. He sees the show as the answer to a gap in his schedule's armoury.
His ambitions, however, could be thwarted by an 11th-hour move last week from ITV's director of television, Peter Fincham: on no account does he want to lose Cole to his biggest rival. Nor, of course, does he want to pass on what could be the next talent show that the British take to their hearts. And in case the next series of X Factor – without Cowell as a judge – does not perform as well as usual, Fincham would dearly like a backup.
Warning signs have already been detected in Britain's Got Talent, which has performed erratically this year. Last week the programme became engulfed in a row over 12-year-old finalist Ronan Parke, whom an anonymous blogger claimed had been spotted two years ago by Cowell's production company Syco. The claims have been denied by Syco and the boy's mother.
Compared with this, The Voice may seem a safe bet. The latest idea of John de Mol, the Dutch media tycoon who made his fortune through the reality show Big Brother, it began in Holland and was an instant hit in the US on the NBC network. On its debut in April, its 12 million viewers took it past Glee and Dancing with the Stars in the ratings.
Its star coaching panel of Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo Green, Adam Levine – lead singer of Maroon 5 – and country music star Blake Shelton has been credited with pulling in viewers. Along with Cole, the singer George Michael has been mooted as a potential judge for the British version.
Not everyone, however, is convinced by the new show. Channel 4 says it quickly decided against bidding for The Voice "because it's derivative, a rip-off", while viewers in the US appeared to cool after the show's debut, with ratings sagging in the so-called "battle" round, where singers engage in one-to-one duels.
As for the promise of a fresh approach to finding and nurturing talent, many have expressed scepticism. Critics in the US have dubbed the "blind" auditions – in which the judges turn towards the audience so they are not swayed by performance or appearance – a gimmick. The majority of contestants they have to choose from, point out critics, are already suspiciously attractive.
A seasoned expert producer in the UK said The Voice's claim to be different because of its coaching and development was spurious. "All contestants in talent shows are coached furiously behind the scenes," the producer said.
None of this is likely to dampen the enthusiasm of the BBC. Cohen, who oversaw Big Brother when he was at C4, recently briefed journalists on his pressing need to find fresh Saturday evening entertainment.
The BBC's controller of entertainment, Mark Linsey, has dropped a heavy hint that So You Think You Can Dance will be cancelled after a lacklustre series this spring. This means a British version of The Voicewould slot in neatly on BBC1 when Strictly Come Dancing finishes before Christmas.
However, any deal is still some way off, caution insiders. The BBC could be hampered because it cannot run premium phone line votes, or offer instant downloaded songs or product placement by advertisers. It would also not be able to offer Cole the kind of million-pound-plus deal that ITV could provide.
"This is not a money move for her, this is a career move," insist BBC sources, who hope Cole will be swayed by the chance to widen her appeal and relaunch herself. They also believe her record label, Universal Music, favours a BBC show for her.
The judges on the US edition of The Voice - Blake Shelton, Adam Levine, Christina Aguilera and Cee Lo Green - with its executive producer, Mark Burnett. Photograph: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images
The BBC and ITV are locked in a bidding war for a new Saturday-night talent show being marketed as the "world's hottest new TV music property".
The Voice, already a hit in the US, offers a twist on the standard talent show by supposedly adopting a kindlier and less image-obsessed approach to its performers.
Its potential arrival on British TV screens, say some observers, could not be more timely: from Cheryl Cole's dramatic firing by The X Factor USAto allegations that this year's Britain's Got Talent had been "fixed" by Simon Cowell's production company, the talent show landscape has become convulsed with spats and rumours of skulduggery.
The Voice, with "blind" auditions in which contestants are rated on their singing alone and judges who dole out more constructive criticism than one-liners, is touted as a soothing alternative to the world of Cowell and his shows. And if that alternative happens to hire Cole as a judge, luring her away from her former mentor, so much the better.
The prospect of Cole signing up is a huge attraction for the BBC, where Danny Cohen, controller of BBC1, has taken personal command of negotiations with the UK production company handling the deal, Shed Media. He sees the show as the answer to a gap in his schedule's armoury.
His ambitions, however, could be thwarted by an 11th-hour move last week from ITV's director of television, Peter Fincham: on no account does he want to lose Cole to his biggest rival. Nor, of course, does he want to pass on what could be the next talent show that the British take to their hearts. And in case the next series of X Factor – without Cowell as a judge – does not perform as well as usual, Fincham would dearly like a backup.
Warning signs have already been detected in Britain's Got Talent, which has performed erratically this year. Last week the programme became engulfed in a row over 12-year-old finalist Ronan Parke, whom an anonymous blogger claimed had been spotted two years ago by Cowell's production company Syco. The claims have been denied by Syco and the boy's mother.
Compared with this, The Voice may seem a safe bet. The latest idea of John de Mol, the Dutch media tycoon who made his fortune through the reality show Big Brother, it began in Holland and was an instant hit in the US on the NBC network. On its debut in April, its 12 million viewers took it past Glee and Dancing with the Stars in the ratings.
Its star coaching panel of Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo Green, Adam Levine – lead singer of Maroon 5 – and country music star Blake Shelton has been credited with pulling in viewers. Along with Cole, the singer George Michael has been mooted as a potential judge for the British version.
Not everyone, however, is convinced by the new show. Channel 4 says it quickly decided against bidding for The Voice "because it's derivative, a rip-off", while viewers in the US appeared to cool after the show's debut, with ratings sagging in the so-called "battle" round, where singers engage in one-to-one duels.
As for the promise of a fresh approach to finding and nurturing talent, many have expressed scepticism. Critics in the US have dubbed the "blind" auditions – in which the judges turn towards the audience so they are not swayed by performance or appearance – a gimmick. The majority of contestants they have to choose from, point out critics, are already suspiciously attractive.
A seasoned expert producer in the UK said The Voice's claim to be different because of its coaching and development was spurious. "All contestants in talent shows are coached furiously behind the scenes," the producer said.
None of this is likely to dampen the enthusiasm of the BBC. Cohen, who oversaw Big Brother when he was at C4, recently briefed journalists on his pressing need to find fresh Saturday evening entertainment.
The BBC's controller of entertainment, Mark Linsey, has dropped a heavy hint that So You Think You Can Dance will be cancelled after a lacklustre series this spring. This means a British version of The Voicewould slot in neatly on BBC1 when Strictly Come Dancing finishes before Christmas.
However, any deal is still some way off, caution insiders. The BBC could be hampered because it cannot run premium phone line votes, or offer instant downloaded songs or product placement by advertisers. It would also not be able to offer Cole the kind of million-pound-plus deal that ITV could provide.
"This is not a money move for her, this is a career move," insist BBC sources, who hope Cole will be swayed by the chance to widen her appeal and relaunch herself. They also believe her record label, Universal Music, favours a BBC show for her.
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