Last night,
American Idol premiered in its new iteration, brought back by ABC with new judges, but the same host (Ryan Seacrest) and basic tone and approach. That was one test – but another arrives tonight, as the musical competition series that formerly ruled television now goes up directly against the reigning champ in that genre, NBC’s
The Voice. And when you put the two head to head, to me it’s no contest at all. Katy Perry, the most attention-demanding of the new
Idol judges, didn’t really connect fully in her initial turn – and the first time a self-delusional, overly confident singing “talent” faced the rejection of the three judges,
American Idol revealed the mean underbelly that separates it so clearly from
The Voice. There are times, in these early audition episodes, when
Idol not only allows itself to be cruel, but revels in it.
The Voice is just as emotionally manipulative in framing its contestants’ stories, but in a positive way. Go there. Skip this.
For a full review, see Roger Caitlin's TV Eye.