Check out The Voice season 18 format changes, right here.
The Voice Tuesday Shows Will Be Limited, Live Shows Cut Down to 3 Weeks
Fans who have attended The Voice tapings have reported slight format changes. We already know that there will be only 3 weeks of live shows rather than the typical 5 or 6. Also, Tuesday episodes will be limited. Only the premiere week and the 3 weeks of live shows are confirmed to include Tuesday episodes. However, Futon Critic lists tentative Tuesday hour-long shows for April 7 until the end of the season.
“It makes the stakes higher than ever,” executive producer Audrey Morrissey tells Parade magazine about the shortened live show schedule. “You can’t scoot by on any week thinking, ‘Oh, I’m doing pretty well and we’re only losing one person this week, so I’m going to take a risk with this unusual song choice. I’m not quite sure, but I’m going to give it a go.’ There are some ramifications to that and what we ended up doing is adding some really exciting twists to the show.”
The Voice Season 18 Contestant List Spoilers: Blinds, Battles, Knockouts
Hm. I suspect fewer live shows have more to do with the coaches schedule and/or accommodating for fewer episodes overall. To make up for a shortened schedule last spring, the producers ditched the Knockouts for Live Cross Battles + 3 weeks of live finals. Unfortunately, the Cross Battles were a disaster. So it’s back to taped Knockouts and OH WELL only 3 weeks of live shows. Producers will just spin the reasons why. Although, “we’re going to make the lives so brief artists will NEVER TAKE A RISK” is terrible reasoning. Risky choices can blow up in a singer’s face, but it can also produce incredible and memorable TV moments.
The Voice MAJOR TWIST: Saved Contestants Compete in Four Way Knockout, Winner Determined by Fan Vote
Those “exciting new twists,” Morrison speaks of concern Steals and Saves for the Battles and Knockout rounds. The changes have been spoiled by fans attending The Voice tapings. However, the details have been murky. While the Battles have always had two steals, Parade reports that this season instead, there will be a steal and save, which is how the Knockout Rounds used to be formatted. According to spoilers, The Knockouts will still include steals.
Here’s the big twist: The four artists saved during the Battles will face off against each other in a four way Knockout. An even BIGGER twist: The outcome of the Knockout will be determined by VIEWER VOTES. The winner will be announced during the first week of lives:
“What’s interesting is the steal is someone who joins their team,” Morrissey explains, “The person they save ultimately ends up being part of a four-way Knockout. So, each coach has one save and that person isn’t necessarily part of their team or part of a knockout between two people on their own team. All four of them go into the first-ever four-way knockout. And then instead of that four-way knockout being adjudicated by the coaches, that four-way knockout will be voted on by viewers. And we’ll reveal the winner of that knockout in the first week of lives, essentially our playoffs, so that’s very new. Viewers are able to vote in the show earlier than ever before.”
The Voice Season 18 premieres on NBC Monday Feb. 24 and Tuesday Feb. 25. Coaches Blake Shelton, Kelly Clarkson and John Legend return alongside new coach Nick Jonas. Carson Daly returns as host.
