The Daily Star - Stay Tuned
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/82161
The Daily Star, Oneonta, N.Y., Friday, September 7, 2012 2 coverstory By Andrew Warren TV Media T right, it's that time of year again: the season for musical competition. The talent searches are on across the na- tion, seeking out superstar wanna-bes and wanna- won'ts to belt out their tunes in front of televised audienc- es. epid tunes, sultry songs, shattered dreams and dreams come true. That's Idol" ruled the roost, there are now two more shows bat- tling it out for the top spot amongst vocal talent search- es. NBC is launching the third season of "The Voice" on Monday, Sept. 10, followed closely by the second season premiere of rival series "The X Factor" (former "American Idol" judge Simon Cowell's baby), which debuts Wednes- day, Sept. 12, on Fox. With the addition of Brit- ney Spears to the judging panel on "The X Factor," and the return of Christina Aguil- era for a third season as a coach on "The Voice," much is being made of the onetime pop princesses going head- to-head. It seems, though, that de- spite their respective shows being in competition, the per- formers remain supportive of each other. "I came up with Britney," said Aguilera while promoting "The Voice," refer- ring to the time they spent to- gether in Disney's "The Mick- ey Mouse Club." "I welcome her to this family." Where once "American Britney Spears (left) joins Simon Cowell, Demi Lovato and L.A. Reid in Season 2 of "The X Factor" don't just judge performances and offer off-the-cuff advice; they also act as coaches, as- sembling teams of talented hopefuls who they mentor in the hope that a member of their hand-picked team will go on to be named the win- ner. With the field becoming more crowded, and with the rival shows all attracting top- tier talent, "The Voice's" for- mat is what helps it stand out. In a departure from the suc- cessful formula established by the competition, the celeb- rity coaches in "The Voice" Competing against Aguil- era are Maroon 5 front man Adam Levine, country super- star Blake Shelton and rap- ping sensation Cee Lo Green. And in what's become some- thing of an anomaly among talent-search shows, "The Voice's" slate of celebrity tal- ent has remained consistent through all three seasons. The first phase of the com- petition begins with blind au- ditions. It's from this audi- tioning process that the show takes its name; the four ce- lebrity coaches have their backs turned to the hopefuls who are trying out for a spot in the competition. The coaches are each assembling a team of 12 amateur artists, and the only criteria that they have from which to pick the members of their team is their vocal talents. Image means nothing at this stage of the competition -- it's all about the voice. Once each coach has a team of 12, they work with their hand-picked teams as the field is whittled down to six before the live round be- gins. Battle of the vocals NBC's 'The Voice' kicks off a musical rivalry perience that can only be gained by achieving superstar status. Like Aguilera, she's been in the limelight that the aspiring artists are seeking, and that wealth of experience plus her outgoing personality may be a winning combina- tion. Over on Fox, "The X Factor" gets its start just a few days after "The Voice." The rival show was created by former "American Idol" judge Cow- ell, who was looking for more creative control than the Idol franchise could allow. Unlike "The Voice," "The X Factor" is open to both individuals and groups, and the judging is based not only on the artists' voices, but also their overall style, stage presence and per- sonality. Of course, the big news this season is the addition of Spears to the judging panel. Despite this being her first foray into reality television, Spears brings the kind of ex- But Spears isn't the only new face on "The X Factor." Joining her is another star who got a big boost from Dis- ney. Demi Lovato got her big break in the Disney Channel's musical "Camp Rock" (2008), and despite being only 20 years old, she should bring far more experience to the judge's role than her young age would suggest. The competitors find them- selves divided into four groups based on gender, age and whether they're a solo or group act, and the four judges are each paired with one of these teams as mentors and advisers. Season 1 saw Cow- ell's team emerge victorious from the competition, with Melanie Amaro taking the top spot, along with a $5-million recording contract. It was an especially sweet victory for a girl who'd had all the odds stacked against her. Not only had she been turned down for the show the first time she tried out, but she was also eliminated from the competition when the Top 32 were being whittled down to 16. Two weeks later, Cowell invited her to return to his team, a change of heart that definitely paid off. Chirstopher's Coins 2 x 2 hollywoodQ&A By Adam Thomlison TV Media recognize him from somewhere. A: The villainous and politically cunning vampire Russell Edgington on HBO's hit "True Blood" is played by screen supporting man and stage leading man Denis O'Hare. He won a Tony award in 2003 for his lead in the baseball- themed play "Take Me Out," but is probably best known for his work as a supporting star on film and television. On that front, it's hard to say where to start. He's ap- peared in at least two films a year since the mid-2000s, ap- pearing in notable films such as "J. Edgar" (2011) and "Milk" (2008). On TV, apart from "True Blood," he's best known for his supporting turn on another cable hit, FX's "American Horror Story" -- he's up for an Emmy later this month for his role as the burn victim, Larry Harvey. He has also had a recurring role on "The Good Wife" since 2009 as Judge Charles Abernathy, popping up for an episode or two in each of the show's three seasons so far, and appeared for two seasons on "Brothers & Sisters" (as Travis March) from 2007 to 2009. Q: Who plays Russell Edgington on "True Blood"? I Having roles in multiple hit series at the same time hasn't gotten in the way of his stage career, though. He recently finished a run in the Stephen Sondheim musical "Into the Woods" at the Delacorte Theater in New York's Central Park. Q: I was watching the MTV show "Teen Wolf" and saw that Jeff Davis credited as the writer. Is that the same Jeff Davis who writes for "Criminal Minds"? The shows seem so different. A: He doesn't just write those shows, Jeff Davis created them. show, but one thing you can't really call it is "fun." That's what makes it so different from Davis's next creation, the al- so-popular, successful series "Teen Wolf." While "Criminal Minds" is one of the bleakest, most so- ber shows on the dial, "Teen Wolf" is a teen-centric comedy- thriller based on a rather goofy '80s movie. Their success is pretty well the only thing they have in common. "Criminal Minds" is a flagship series for CBS, rak- ing in millions of viewers for years, and "Teen Wolf" has been a big hit for MTV, enough that it was recently renewed for a 24-episode third season -- double the number of epi- sodes in the first two. "Criminal Minds" is a hugely popular and successful Have a question? Email us at questions@tvtabloid.com.