RTÉ gets back in the karaoke saddle

Can TV audiences bear to watch yet another singing competition - or have we been there, seen that and paid the phone-vote bills?

TOMORROW, THE biggest entertainment show of the season on RTÉ will start. The Voice of Ireland, a singing competition in the style of The X-Factorthat airs on RTÉ One at 6.30pm, is looking to lure hundreds of thousands of young viewers to the programme, with Kathryn Thomas hosting alongside the XFM DJ and former TG4 presenter, Eoghan McDermott. The judges all come from a music background: singer Brian Kennedy; Sharon Corr of The Corrs; Niall "Bressie" Breslin, formerly of The Blizzards and now a solo artist and songwriter; and Kian Egan of Westlife.

But why, in a saturated market of reality television and one in which bigger, well-established UK formats draw large Irish audiences, is RTÉ getting back in the karaoke saddle? Partly, it's down to the format of The Voice.

In this programme, the twist comes at the start, with the initial auditions being conducted 'blind'. Because the judges aren't able to see the contestants, they are assessed on voice alone. After that, it's pretty much a standard vocal talent show, with singing battles, live shows, and performances from the judges.

Starting in late 2010 in the Netherlands, The Voiceis the brainchild of John de Mol, the producer turned media mogul who developed the first series of Big Brotherwith Endemol.De Mol's programmes work. Globally, television networks have purchased local rights to broadcast their versions of The Voice.In addition to the original Dutch version, more than 30 countries, including Ireland and Britain, have signed up over the past 12 months.

The BBC is preparing its own version of the programme where the mentors include Irish musician Danny O'Donoghue (the frontman of The Script), Will.i.am of The Black Eyed Peas, popstar Jessie J, and Tom Jones.

In the US, The Voice has been a ratings winner for NBC, and a second series has already been commissioned. It has the added gloss that it was where two of the show's judges, Adam Levine and Christina Aguilera, debuted their collaboration Moves Like Jagger, which was one of the biggest hits of 2011.

Will the Irish version of The Voicebe a hit? The success rate of such reality formats here has been variable. The All Ireland Talent Show,made by Tyrone Productions ran for three series, finishing in March of last year, but failed to replicate the buzz of Popstars. You're A Star,produced by Screentime SinAwiL, ran for six series until 2008, and there were three series of Charity You're A Starfeaturing Irish celebrities.

The fact that The X-Factoris broadcast on TV3 and attracts large audiences makes it hard for similar rival programmes to compete.

BUT THE MAIN problem is that new talent-led reality TV programming isn't as exciting as it once was. Even The X-Factor no longer has a monopoly, with the winners of this series, Little Mix, failing to net the traditional goal of the Christmas number one.

That was the first time in seven years a series winner failed to do so, apart from the protest-vote campaign that led to Rage Against The Machine topping the chart with Killing In The Namein 2009.

Ten years have passed since the band Six formed on the hugely popular RTÉ version of Popstars. (Ithe UK, the programme led to the creation of the band Hear'Say, and Popstars: The Rivalsspawned Girls Aloud.) And in those 10 years, the pool of reality-television programmes based on talent competitions has been diluted considerably.

The Voicecould win some viewers from The X-Factorand some of the revenue from subsequent phone voting. But The Voicedoesn't have the same buzz as it would have had a decade ago, with the emphasis more on the celebrity judges than an enthusiasm for the programme format itself.

There's also a growing cynicism towards karaoke-as-TV. Manufactured controversies and screams of "fix" are frequent, like the amount of attention given to the "did he leave or was he pushed" story of Frankie Cocozza's departure from the most recent series of The X Factor,and conspiracy theories over contestant Amelia Lily's readmission to the competition, after a technical error saw HMV add "winner's single" under her name to their online store.

And whereas once upon a time, winning a TV singing competition was seen as a golden ticket, viewers have realised how quickly even victorious acts flounder, and so the investment in supporting them and following their fortunes has gradually diminished.

Perhaps The Voice of Irelandwill unearth a diamond in the rough, and shine them up for chart success, but tell that to Little Mix.

The Voice of Irelandbegins on RTÉ One tomorrow at 6.30pm