The Voice: 5 Reasons It's Completely Underrated

By Charlotte Tobitt / May 5, 2013

Last year, the BBC finally found something that they thought could rival ITVs Britains Got Talent and The X Factor after The Voice of Holland introduced the concept of blind auditions and the format proved successful in the US. Although its ratings havent remained as consistently high this year in its second series as they would have liked, with overlaps with Britains Got Talent hardly helping, there is much to enjoy in this singing show that is easily at the top of its game of performance-based TV. Here are five reasons explaining why I think The Voice is criminally underrated.

5. The Live Band

An essential feature to support the credibility and talent of the singers, there is a live band present at all times with their own spin on any song the contestant wants to sing, and these guys dont get enough recognition. Even in the blind auditions when they have to rehearse with every contestant who walks onto the stage (except the odd solo guitarist), the band always sound absolutely tight and are not even just regurgitating any published versions of the songs. There are six blind audition episodes with at least ten singers shown in each, meaning that there is a lot of material, and yet every 90 second audition is made totally gripping.

This is a huge contrast to the singers auditions on ITVs talent shows, on which there is always an awkward nod backstage when the tape is ready to be played, and some of their karaoke tracks are absolutely cringe-worthily cheesy. We should count ourselves lucky that The Voice followed Strictly Come Dancings footsteps in the world of the live band, as it adds the feeling that everyone involved is taking the process seriously, and that allows the audience to take it more seriously too.