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The Voice of Holland compared to The Voice UK
Rose*~*
Posts: 7,008 Forum Member
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I've mentioned this before in other threads, but there are a few things that The Voice UK does differently compared to the Dutch version (I haven't seen other ones) that I don't think have been in the show's best interest.
First off: the Mentors.
On the Dutch version, they appeared at the Battles, behind the scenes. They are people the Coaches have worked with, be it people they perform with, producers, musicians, people 'in the business' that they know and trust. Not just someone thrown in for the sake of the show, which it seemed like over here.
They also play a big part during the LIve shows. It's not just the Coaches sitting there, there are rounded booths almost, where the Coach sits with their Mentors, usually two or three per team, who provide their point of view and help the Coach decide who to go with.
It makes it less of a personal choice, if the Coach didn't like your performance you're out.
Workshops:
We've only seen Tom take his team out playing miniature golf and Will took his team to a studio, but in the Dutch version, there are workshops given by the Coaches. They are truly coaches, they take them places, let them meet people who might be helpful along the way, take them on the road to perform on their stage. They really take them under their wing, as apprentices, showing them the tricks of the trade and preparing them for their lives after The Voice.
Duets:
Whenever there are guest performances on the show, like the Scissor Sisters tonight, one or two of the hopefuls will sing with them. The teams get to meet the artists during the week, sing for/with them, and then perform together on that week's live show. And yes, it is live, so when Duffy's plane was late, they had to think quickly and replace her with someone else, only for her to perform the week after.
This is the winner, Ben Saunders (born in London, I'm sure he'll perform at the final, he's been to near enough all finals all over the world) with Duffy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHSBbMagHq
Presentation:
There's a male and female presentor, taking turns introducing the acts. There's also someone in what they call the Red Room, talking to the hopefulls, looking at Twitter responses etc. There is more emphasis on the candidates than the Coaches, you get to know them quite a bit, where over here it feels like the emphasis is more on the Coaches and you hardly know anything about the candidates.
Results:
The results show is about an hour after the performances, live that evening. Only once have they done a pre-recorded show, but the results were online before anyone could even blink, so that was a lesson learned. Not sure why the BBC decided to have a show on Sunday, pre-recorded, making it very easy for results to leak.
I had been looking forward to The Voice coming to the UK ever since the first series started in Holland, hoping I would enjoy it as much as I do the Dutch version which I watch online. Unfortunately, the changes that the BBC has made leave me feeling mehhh about the show. I still watch it, and hope the candidates do well, but they have turned it into yet another singing contest, and have taken away all the extra's that make The Voice so special.
First off: the Mentors.
On the Dutch version, they appeared at the Battles, behind the scenes. They are people the Coaches have worked with, be it people they perform with, producers, musicians, people 'in the business' that they know and trust. Not just someone thrown in for the sake of the show, which it seemed like over here.
They also play a big part during the LIve shows. It's not just the Coaches sitting there, there are rounded booths almost, where the Coach sits with their Mentors, usually two or three per team, who provide their point of view and help the Coach decide who to go with.
It makes it less of a personal choice, if the Coach didn't like your performance you're out.
Workshops:
We've only seen Tom take his team out playing miniature golf and Will took his team to a studio, but in the Dutch version, there are workshops given by the Coaches. They are truly coaches, they take them places, let them meet people who might be helpful along the way, take them on the road to perform on their stage. They really take them under their wing, as apprentices, showing them the tricks of the trade and preparing them for their lives after The Voice.
Duets:
Whenever there are guest performances on the show, like the Scissor Sisters tonight, one or two of the hopefuls will sing with them. The teams get to meet the artists during the week, sing for/with them, and then perform together on that week's live show. And yes, it is live, so when Duffy's plane was late, they had to think quickly and replace her with someone else, only for her to perform the week after.
This is the winner, Ben Saunders (born in London, I'm sure he'll perform at the final, he's been to near enough all finals all over the world) with Duffy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHSBbMagHq
Presentation:
There's a male and female presentor, taking turns introducing the acts. There's also someone in what they call the Red Room, talking to the hopefulls, looking at Twitter responses etc. There is more emphasis on the candidates than the Coaches, you get to know them quite a bit, where over here it feels like the emphasis is more on the Coaches and you hardly know anything about the candidates.
Results:
The results show is about an hour after the performances, live that evening. Only once have they done a pre-recorded show, but the results were online before anyone could even blink, so that was a lesson learned. Not sure why the BBC decided to have a show on Sunday, pre-recorded, making it very easy for results to leak.
I had been looking forward to The Voice coming to the UK ever since the first series started in Holland, hoping I would enjoy it as much as I do the Dutch version which I watch online. Unfortunately, the changes that the BBC has made leave me feeling mehhh about the show. I still watch it, and hope the candidates do well, but they have turned it into yet another singing contest, and have taken away all the extra's that make The Voice so special.
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Comments
Was hoping for someone like her on The Voice UK
It sounds very much the BBC have copied the US version then rather than the original. It sounds very much it was designed as a Fame Academy style show in Holland with the coaches actually teaching them about what will be useful in the industry. I'm amazed that was lost in translation to the BBC
The Dutch coaches are really famous over here. They are (or were, one of them was in the Dolly Dots in the 80's) at the top of their respective genres. And they can all sing very well.
There's also a lot more informal banter and good fun between the coaches. You can see they all really love to do the show. Plus they're not per se looking for a clone of themselves.
If they don't like a performance, they will tell. Nicely, but they will tell. Unlike the UK version where the coaches are tripping over themselves to praise all the performances.
I totally agree with OP. I was really looking forward to the UK version, but it has been a bit of let down compared to the Dutch version. It's all a bit contrived. Like OP wrote, it looks like they've stripped the show of all the things that make the Dutch version so unique and compelling to watch.
I love their coaches- they seem a lot more sincere but also more passionate than our coaches.
Yes they are. Two of the four (I should say five, as one of them is a duo.) are a bit older and have been around for a good couple of years now, the other two a bit younger but still having been in the charts for a while now, with at least a few number one hits to their name.
They're all very much involved, you constantly see tweets by them to their team members, when being interviewed on the show candidates will say things like 'I called my Coach on Tuesday and...' and then there's the workshops, rehearsals, which you get to see bits of during the live show, again making the audience feel much more part of the show.
I have to say I'm very surprised that John de Mol did not insist it was a direct copy of the original. I'm sure he's now kicking himself...
Yes, you are right IMO