March 2012 will see the launch of new reality television series The Voice in the UK, but with an already crowded market for singing contests, will the show be a success?
The Voice, a new talent show format created by Big Brother producers Endemol, was brought by the BBC last year in a two-year, £22 million deal in a bid of competing with rival ITV1 shows The X Factor and Britain's Got Talent 2012. With both these shows attracting over 10 million viewers in the summer and autumn, there is clearly an uphill climb for any new programme.
The BBC however will be hoping that The Voice UK will capitalize on a different format to its rivals.
As opposed to The X Factor and Got Talent, The Voice sees hopeful singers audition for the judges with their backs turned, hence the name. The idea being is of course to make sure that the show focuses on the talent of the contestants, rather than their looks or personality.
In theory, one might assume that this is the way to go, however shows like The X Factor prove that talent alone will not guarantee success.
Indeed, The X Factor doesn't hide the fact that has a quite superficial outlook on its budding performers, with judges such as Gary Barlow and Kelly Rowland emphasizing time and again that it's not just about the voice, but rather the 'whole package'.
Over the years, The X Factor has seen various contestants who are clearly not the best singers, often even by their own admission, go on to do well in the competition. Sometimes the success of such 'novelty acts' even outdoes that of the more serious contenders, which has left some viewers frustrated with the format.
Nonetheless, the figures speak for themselves, The X Factor was the most watched TV show in the UK in 2011, a having also topped the ratings charts in 2009 and 2010.
Therefore the success of the BBC's new series will come down to viewers and their changing attitudes, ultimately the Beeb will be hoping that enough people will have become tired of The X Factor over the last eight years and will want to see a change.
There is however no reason why all three shows - The Voice, Got Talent and X Factor - cannot all share the limelight. The trio of reality series will never air at the same time, with The Voice in the Spring, Got Talent in Summer and X Factor in Autumn.
Which of the three shows will come out on top in 2012 will be interesting, with its declining ratings there is the chance that The Voice UK will be a surprise hit, or The X Factor may well bounce back.
Kevin Scott is a reality TV blogger who writes about Britain's Got Talent 2012 and The Voice UK
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