German Deal for The Voice Of

UNTERFÖHRING: Germany’s ProSiebenSat.1 is to get its own treatment of the John de Mol talent format The Voice Of, co-produced by Talpa and Schwarzkopff TV. 

The format originated in the Netherlands as The Voice of Holland in September 2010. It drew in market shares of up to 54 percent with the 20-to-49 demo. The show is based on the search for real artists with extraordinary vocal talents. The coaches must select the participating hopefuls through an initial phase of "blind auditions," where they must choose solely based on the voices they hear. The coaches are each successful artists with experience in the music industry. After contestants have been selected, the second phase is the "battle round," in which the contestants within each team sing against each other in one-on-one duels. The third phase is when the singers perform live and compete for votes. The viewers will ultimately decide who has the chance to launch a successful career in music. The series is also set for U.S. treatment on NBC.  

Andreas Bartl, TV Deutschland CEO of the ProSiebenSat.1 Group, said: "The Voice of Holland was the television event of 2010 in Holland. With this new singing contest show, John de Mol has again shown his unique sense for creating hit shows. I am happy that we were able to secure The Voice of Germany for our network."

John de Mol, owner of the Talpa Media Group and creator and developer of the show, added: "The Voice of Germany is not a showcase for freaks or wanna-be stars. We are not looking for 16-year-olds who think they are the next Justin Timberlake but can´t hold a tune. Only the best of the best will make it to the blind auditions. You might say that The Voice of Germany begins where Idols leaves off."

Jürgen Hörner, the managing director for ProSieben, commented: "The Voice of Germany is a perfect fit for ProSieben. With this hit franchise ProSieben will set new standards in Germany and will further expand its range of talent shows. For the very first time in a music contest, the only thing that counts is the contestants’ voice—without exception."

Karsten Roeder, the managing director for Schwarzkopff TV, remarked: "With The Voice of Germany we look forward to bringing a completely new and outstanding show to German television. The Voice of Germany will be a life-changing experience for the best contestants and will completely enthrall the viewers."