On the box

If you’d asked me a few months ago, if a new reality singing show would gather enough momentum to dominate the TV ratings and capture the attention of the nation, I’d probably have said: “What?”

The Voice has been a highly successful format the world over – and, after originating in the Netherlands in 2010 (who knew they had pop music there?), it has also been very successful in the UK and the US.

Despite being a sure ratings success for the Nine Network, it’s definitely worth asking: in a world where reality singing programs are in abundance, what makes The Voice any different?

Well, let me tell you.

There are plenty of differences, because The Voice is unlike any other singing competition you’ve ever experienced. Sort of.

The Voice doesn’t have judges. They’re called coaches instead.

This may be a simple case of semantics, but the initial approach to the contestants themselves is more of a nurturing one as opposed to the norm which is mainly critical.

So don’t expect a venomous tirade from a diva-like personality, because The Voice is more about helping the contestants reach their potential.

The Voice has spinning chairs for its coaches. They spin around if a coach likes you.

So basically, The Voice is built around the ideal that no matter what you look like, because the “coaches” can’t see you perform initially they’re not judging you on your appearance.

A noble ideal, however the contestants heading into the Live Battle Rounds still happen to be averaging above the usual 65 per cent attractiveness-benchmark set by X Factor and Australian Idol.

Another clear distinction is that the coaching team of Delta Goodrem, Joel Madden, Keith Urban and Seal are all still relevant in the music industry – as opposed to being burnt-out has-beens, or people that aren’t actually recording artists (a certain Sandilands springs to mind).

The Voice has a coaching team that still experiences the dizzying heights of a pop-star status.

Despite these differences, the outcome of The Voice is still being dictated by the Australian public (and by the Australian public, I mean 13-year-old girls on prepaid mobiles).

This is on par with similar TV-talent shows like Australian Idol, X Factor or Australia’s Got Talent – that latter of which has famously anointed a blond-haired Bieber look-a-like and some sort of half-human, half-android.

As the Live Battle Rounds unfold, the number of contestants will typically dwindle, until a winner is announced.

Until then, expect more perfect harmonies, expect more genuine advice and nurturing and expect more pearls of wisdom from Seal – a figure almost too cool for the format itself.

The Voice is definitely worth a look – if you aren’t already watching