'Thieving' New Format In Store For Nbc's 'The Voice'

There's going to be a few tweaks going on for NBC's reality singing contest 'The Voice', with the show reportedly adding an element of thievery to its format. The initial format of the program, starting in the Netherlands in 2010, really freshened up the reality contest genre, with judges on the show turning their backs to the competitors during the first round in order to mark them purely on their vocal ability.

The unique change has seen the show rolled out across the world. However, the UK version proved that just the one gimmick wasn't enough; once that round was out of the way, ratings for the program dropped steadily as it reverted to a more traditional 'X Factor'-style show. The nadir came when the eventual winner failed to make the UK top 40 singles chart with their debut release, and the subsequent live tour for the finalists was cancelled due to poor ticket sales.

You suspect that Nbc might well have noticed what was going on over the Atlantic, as their executive producer Mark Burnett has moved to announce that the contest will allow judges - or coaches, as they're known - to "steal" contestants from each other to mentor, in "battle rounds". Additionally there will be a "knockout round" in order to slice the number of contestants on each coach's team. The show beings again on September 10th, and it will be interesting to note whether the tinkering has the desired effect, or whether it's simply made the show more confusing than it needs to be. Christina Aguilera's rivalry with Adam Levine may just step up a notch!