Mark Burnett is adamant: There will be no William Hung moments on “The Voice.”
The “Survivor” and “The Apprentice” honcho, who’s executive-producing NBC’s addition to the singing-competition genre, took the stage at NBC Universal’s Summer Press Day 2011 in Pasadena with host Carson Daly and musical coaches Cee-Lo Green and Blake Shelton on Friday to promote the series. Burnett’s vow to the audience? They will see a lot of things on the show, but novelty picks among the contestants won’t be one of them.
“Other shows have made great television out of the comedy of having people sing who can’t sing,” Burnett noted. “We made a conscious choice not to do that at all. Everyone who stepped on that stage was good, and some were great. You will not see anybody up there as a joke, I promise you.”
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That’s not the only distinction that “The Voice” is hoping to make as it prepares to enter the fray with its April 26 premiere. The show hinges on the concept that talent alone — not looks, not image — is what counts. To that end, the show’s musical coaches — Green, Shelton, Christina Aguilera and Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine — will have their backs turned to the contestants as they listen to them sing and decide if they want to recruit them onto their team for the subsequent “battle rounds.” (The show’s grand prize is a recording contract with Universal Republic.)
Green, of Gnarls Barkley and “F**k You” fame, said one of the things that attracted him to the show was the lack of emphasis on finding the perfect-in-every-way, prepackaged music star.
“I picked this show because I don’t think that It’s imperative that you be ideal in any kind of way. You can just be yourself,” Green offered.
One other distinction that “The Voice” has from its peers is that it won’t disqualify contestants if they have professional backgrounds in music. So far, one contestant has had a recording contract in the past — but Burnett doesn’t think that should make a difference.
“Let’s give equal opportunity, and not discriminate about the fact that people have tried before,” Burnett said. “Let’s just give people a chance.”
As to whether “The Voice” will resonate with audiences in a crowded singing-competition field that’s already dominated by “American Idol,” Burnett is confident that not only is the genre not going anywhere soon, but there’s plenty of room for the new kid in town.
“Music shows have a universal appeal. There’s a play-along factor to these music shows,” Burnett posited. “I think that music shows will be around for a long time.”