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The spinning red chairs and charming coach bickering are back

By MSN TV Sep 10, 2012 8:42PM

'The Voice'/NBCBy John Kubicek

Buddy TV

 

This is "The Voice"! The spinning red chairs and charming coach bickering are back. It's a fresh start as this marks the first time "The Voice" airs in the fall, and there are some new rules and twists lying ahead. But the blind auditions are still the blind auditions.
 
Bing: More on 'The Voice' | Preview: 'The Voice' vs. 'The X Factor' | LNOTV: Watch recaps

This is the first of three consecutive nights of blind auditions, so let's try to pace ourselves.
 

After a long intro, the show kicks off with the four coaches performing "Start Me Up" by the Rolling Stones. But I'm too distracted by the fact that Cee Lo Green has apparently traded Purrfect the Cat for a pink parrot. I'm starting to think he's turning into Dr. Moreau and soon Cee Lo will crossbreed his animal army. If you see any half-cat, half-parrot hybrids, run for your lives!
 
Terry McDermott ("Baba O'Riley" by the Who)

He's a 35-year-old Scottish rocker who was in a band called Driveblind. I wonder if they're similar to Driveshaft. He's got an insanely adorable son with an awesome mop of hair. Terry is a solid singer, but I'm not sure if there's anything particularly special about him other than the accent and his kid.

Coaches: Adam, Blake and Cee Lo all turn around at the last minute. He joins Team Blake. The combo of Scottish and country accents is enough to make this amusing.
 
De'Borah ("Hey, Soul Sister" by Train)
 
She's a girl who looks like a boy. I'm talking Hilary Swank in "Boys Don't Cry." I don't care that she's gay or dresses in all neon colors, but I am distracted by the fact that she shares a name with the winner of "MILF Island" from "30 Rock." She's got a very raspy, unique voice and she's the kind of contestant that makes "The Voice" more interesting than "American Idol."

Coaches: Cee Lo and Christina turn around at the last minute. She joins Team Christina. Wow, that's unexpected because De'Borah seems to have a lot in common with Cee Lo (misfits whose parents are preachers), but she was inspired by the music of Christina.
 
'The Voice' Season 3 Premiere Recap: The Blind Auditions Begin

Gracia Harrison ("I Want to Be a Cowboy's Sweetheart" by Patsy Montana)
 
She's a cute, bubbly, blonde, yodeling country singer. She brings along her shaggy-haired boyfriend who will not be her boyfriend in three months if she does well on this show.

Coaches: Adam, Blake and Cee Lo turn around, with Adam being first followed quickly by Blake. Adam is desperately trying to pick off the country artists from Blake, saying she's the best country singer the show has ever had. He's making the hard sell and then Blake throws Adam under the bus, saying he'd hate to see her talents wasted with another coach. She joins Team Blake. Adam then throws a temper tantrum and does a great impression of Blake. Suck it, Mr. Levine!
 
 
Garrett Gardner ("Have You Ever Seen the Rain?" by Creedence Clearwater Revival)
 
This 16-year-old soul singer had a father who was a band member who played with Tom Jones and Peter Frampton. He's got one of those poodle-head haircuts and gets very emotional dedicating this performance to the memory of his father. He's got a very odd, pained and gravelly voice. It's a little too weird.

Coaches: No one turns around. They tell him he has a lack of control, which makes sense since he's so young and immature as a singer. Christina gives him a hug and calls him adorable while Adam tells him to keep working at it because he's better than Adam was when he was 16.
 
Devyn Deloera ("Ain't No Other Man" by Christina Aguilera)
 
She's a cute, quirky, shy girl from a small town in Texas who was home-schooled. She's like a bright ball of energy -- a fun, hippie kind of chick. She calls singing a Christina song "suicidal." The best part is that Christina kind of sings along and bobs her head, which seems slightly egotistical to me. She has a few moments of quirky fun, but it's mostly a Christina soundalike.

Coaches: Christina, Blake and Adam turn around. Obviously Christina desperately wants her own Mini-Me. Adam says he has a record label he could sign her to like he did with Tony Lucca, while Blake mentions that he took Dia Frampton on tour with him. This is bordering on bribery. She joins Team Christina.

Bryan Keith ("It Will Rain" by Bruno Mars)
 
His dad is Ray De La Paz, a Grammy-winning Latin singer from the Spanish Harlem Orchestra, but he doesn't want to break into the music business through sheer nepotism. He kills it from note one.

Coaches: All four turn around. They all really, really want him, and Adam says he'll die if he doesn't get him, while Blake pulls the "I pushed my button first" card. He joins Team Adam. Something tells me Bryan Keith is going to make it very, very far in this competition.

Daniel Rosa ("Somebody That I Used to Know" by Gotye)
 
He auditioned last season and no one turned around. He had to work on his pitch and now he's back for a shot at redemption. It's a very warped version of the song that I don't like at all. It sounds like he's trying WAAAAAY too hard to be "unique."

Coaches: Cee Lo and Blake turn around. Everyone recognizes him and Adam runs up to hug him. The whole "I love you, but I didn't push my button for you" aspect of this show is kind of annoying. The judges like Daniel's comeback storyline a lot more than I do. He joins Team Cee Lo. This is nice for Daniel, but I'm pretty sure he's gonna be cut right away in the battle rounds. Simply making a team is his prize.
 
Anita Antoinette ("No Woman No Cry" by Bob Marley)
 
She's Jamaican and dedicates it to her mama. She's a little too clinical, oversinging it with the kind of precision that might be good technically, but not emotionally.

Coaches: No one turns around. The judges think the performance didn't have enough heart and soul because it's a song that needs to be felt, not just sung. Then she does an a cappella version that is far more haunting. Now all the judges have non-buyer's remorse.

Joe Kirkland ("Gives You Hell" by the All-American Rejects)
 
He's a backup singer for some college band that sold over 100,000 singles. Their lead singer left and their record deal fell through. He's very, very commercial in the same way that The All-American Rejects are very, very commercial. He looks like he should be a cast member on a CW show like "90210." Honestly, there are probably hundreds of people out there just like this kid.

Coaches: Blake and Adam turn around. It's another epic battle between these two bickering winners. Blake tries to play the "vest" card, because they both wear vests. He joins Team Adam. Adam tries to rub Blake's face in it, but he shouldn't, because I don't see Joe surviving that long in this competition.
 
Jessica Sharpe ("Son of a Preacher Man" by Dusty Springfield)
 
She's a sweet girl from North Carolina who has never been to a big city like Los Angeles. She feels like a fish out of water. She might be a big deal in her small town, but she's not good enough for a national audience.

Coaches: No one turns around. It was just OK, but the coaches all agree it lacked magic. It was just average, not great like what they're looking for.

Danny Hunter Jones, Jamie Pickett, Odiseas Georgiadis
 
We only see brief glimpses of these three rejects. Danny does nothing special with his song, Jamie is kind of shaky and Odiseas is just 15. He also has a name that is obviously the result of a mother who didn't know how to spell.

Coaches: No one turns around.

Trevin Hunte ("Listen" by Beyonce)
 
He's a giant 18-year-old from the ghetto where gunshots rang out in the streets and his dad is a garbageman. He applied for a performing arts school and his eighth grade teacher told him not to waste his time trying. He has one of those stories custom-made for a TV movie. And he's ridiculously good.

Coaches: Christina, Blake and Cee Lo turn around. Christina turns around almost immediately and Blake yells at Adam for not pushing his button. Adam says he didn't push his button because he was scared of the other judges. Everyone wants him and they all think that teacher of his is an idiot. He joins Team Cee Lo. Cee Lo is understandably giddy because now he has a chance to win this season.

So at the end of night one, all four coaches have two team members on their 16-person teams.

 

"The Voice" airs Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday this week at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.

 

Host offers insight into why NBC series is beating 'Idol,' 'X Factor' in ratings

By MSN TV 19 hours ago

Carson Daly/WENNWENN

 

"Voice" host Carson Daly has credited the show's blind auditions as the reason for the its success. Unlike rival shows, the coaches on the show can't see the auditioners: Their evaluations are based solely on singing quality. Daly believes the format is the prime reason it has trounced "American Idol" and "The X Factor" in TV ratings.

 

Bing: More about 'The Voice'

 

Daly tells Zap2it.com, "We just liked the pureness of it, hearkening back ... Is there a place for pure? In this day where you have to be beautiful and popular ... Yeah, they can sing, but what do they look like?" Daly also pinpoints another interesting dynamic only present on "The Voice": the judges being rejected. He explains: "It's the power shift. A 24-year-old sandwich maker, and he gets three chairs to turn around. Now they are in it for the right reason, and he, all of a sudden, he gets to interview them. And where else do you get that shift in power? Multimillionaires interviewed by a kid who makes sandwiches for a living."­

 

Plus: 'Dancing With the Stars' finale preview | 'Felicity': Where are they now? | 'The Bachelorette' Season 9

 

'X Factor' judge says she and ex enjoy a 'great friendship'

By MSN TV 19 hours ago

Demi Lovato/WENN

WENN

 

"X Factor" judge Demi Lovato has developed a "great friendship" with Joe Jonas, three years after their breakup. In an interview with ABC's "Nightline," the singer admits to having been "really mad at him" following their decision to call it quits in 2010. But time has healed old wounds, and the two are good friends once again.

 

Bing: More about Demi Lovato

 

Lovato says, "I can fortunately say that him and his brother Nick have always been there for me and are literally family and like brothers ... We have a great friendship. And we may not be as close as we used to be, but that's OK." Jonas, 23, proved the former couple had buried the hatched by tweeting his support for her new album Demi on May 14. He wrote, "Congrats (Demi Lovato) on the new record! So happy for you!"

 

Plus: 'Dancing With the Stars' finale preview | 'Felicity': Where are they now? | 'The Bachelorette' Season 9

 

Wanted star says he 'felt like a king,' eager for fans to see how group really lives

By MSN TV 19 hours ago

Max George/WENN

WENN

 

Wanted star Max George hopes the group's new reality TV show is a big hit because he became quite accustomed to life in Hollywood while filming it. "The Wanted Life" debuts June 2, and George, for one, loved the idea of having his own mansion with his band mates for the show. He says, "It was a little bit different than being in Manchester, England. I could definitely get used to it. First of all, it was nice to wake up every morning and see the whole of the city ... That was just insane. But it was the little things to me that meant the most, like having your own bar, your own swimming pool and the run of Los Angeles. I felt like a king."

 

Bing: More about the Wanted

 

George will definitely be watching the show because there were a few unexplained mysteries that might be solved on the program -- like which band mate left their underwear hanging from the chandeliers and who trashed the Jacuzzi. He tells Ryan Seacrest, "I think we'll have to watch. I think we'll find out a lot of mysteries when we see it ... I think I'm probably going to learn a few things about myself I didn't know." As for what fans will learn about him from watching the show, he adds, "Definitely the bond I have with my brother ... and the bond I have with my mom ... I'm very, very close with them two. As a group, I think people will realize when we say we get on like brothers actually do. I think a lot of the time bands have to say that or if they didn’t people will think, 'Surely it doesn't work.' But we genuinely do really get on, and we don't just work together. We actually do everything else away from work most of the time with each other, as well. (And) we actually do party as much as we say we do."

 

Plus: 'Dancing With the Stars' finale preview | 'Felicity': Where are they now? | 'The Bachelorette' Season 9

 

 

'Orange County' newcomer wasn't prepared for 'intense' castmates

By MSN TV 19 hours ago

Lydia McLaughlin/WENN

WENN

 

"Real Housewives of Orange County" newcomer Lydia McLaughlin got a real shock when she began filming the reality TV show earlier this year because she didn't expect her castmates to be as "intense" as they are. The 32-year-old, who owns her own high-end magazine that chronicles the lavish lifestyles of Southern Californians, admits she was really naive when she first signed up to join the longest-running "Real Housewives" franchise in February. She thought appearing on the show would be a breeze. However, she quickly learned it wasn't going to be an easy ride with outspoken veterans Vicki Gunvalson, Tamra Barney, Gretchen Rossi, Heather Dubrow and Alexis Bellino as her castmates.

 

Bing: More about Lydia McLaughlin

 

She tells People.com, "It is more difficult than I thought it would be! I was just like, 'Yeah, what do I have to lose?! What would people not like about me?! I'm just going to be myself, and I'm going to be positive, and have a different type of voice!' When everyone is screaming and yelling, you really can't win in this type of show. It's intense, and those women are intense and they have an opinion, and that's why they've been on the air for so long." McLaughlin insists the drama fans see on-screen is only a small portion of the crazy antics that really take place on set: "I think that the ladies are genuinely who they are on the show, and that there isn't a lot of acting."

 

Plus: 'Dancing With the Stars' finale preview | 'Felicity': Where are they now? | 'The Bachelorette' Season 9

 

Season 12 starting to experience the downside of becoming a winner

By MSN TV 19 hours ago

Candice Glover/WENN

 

WENN

 

"American Idol" winner Candice Glover has spent the days since her TV victory last week blocking haters on Twitter. The singer, who won the TV contest at her third attempt, was a favorite throughout much of the competition. But not everyone watching was a fan. And now she's really experiencing the downside of becoming an "Idol" champ. She tells "Access Hollywood," "I can't even count how many people I've blocked in the past couple of days ... I'd get more negative tweets the further I made it in the competition. They'd talk about how you look, how you sing: 'You suck!' 'You can't sing!'  I think it's natural instinct to go past the good tweets. But when you see that bad one, that's the one that sticks with you, and it doesn't feel good to feel that. But I think I've grown a lot over the show ... and I know that, no matter what anybody says on the Internet, that way I can't see them face to face, I know that I'm beautiful." 

 

Bing: More about Candice Glover

 

Glover has opened up about the feud between "Idol" judges Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj, insisting she had to stay focused on her goal of winning the competition to avoid the distraction in front of her on performance nights. She adds, "Backstage, we were so focused on our performances and not going home the following day ... That really didn't even bother us. We were so determined to do a good job."

 

Plus: 'Dancing With the Stars' finale preview | 'Felicity': Where are they now? | 'The Bachelorette' Season 9

 

'Project Runway' host resorts to cash to keep her brood disciplined

By MSN TV 19 hours ago

Heidi Klum/WENNWENN

 

"Project Runway" host Heidi Klum has confessed she bribes her children to start off their days with a healthy breakfast. The German beauty has four kids -- three of them by her ex-husband Seal -- and admits she runs a disciplined household to keep her brood in check. Klum has developed a "points" system to reward the youngsters for good behavior. But when it comes to getting them to drink a healthy smoothie for breakfast each day, she resorts to paying them a dollar a time.

 

Bing: More about Heidi Klum

 

She explains to the Times, "At least I know they've eaten something healthy." And she can only hope the kids keep eating healthy through the day. She says, "Their lunchboxes (containing more healthy food) come back empty, so I don't really know what they've eaten."

 

Plus: 'Dancing With the Stars' finale preview | 'Felicity': Where are they now? | 'The Bachelorette' Season 9

 

Newly crowned 'American Idol' champ heaps praise on the judge who backed her

By MSN TV Mon 7:52 AM

Candice Glover/WENN

 

WENN

 

"American Idol" Season 12 champ Candice Glover is hoping to collaborate with judge Nicki Minaj in the near future. Following her big win, Glover heaped praise on the judge who backed her throughout the competition and revealed that Minaj offered up some top tips on how to survive in show business. Speaking with reporters after the finale, Glover said, "She (Minaj) reminded me to not be a diva. She always tells me to have fun and be myself ... I love Nicki and hope I can collaborate with her."  

 

Bing: More about Candice Glover

 

Glover's duet dream comes after Minaj told Zap2it.com, "I predicted that she would win, so someone owes me money ... Her voice has always surpassed everyone, every night. And I'm so happy that America got it right and did this based on true talent."

 

Plus: 'Dancing With the Stars' finale preview | 'Felicity': Where are they now? | 'The Bachelorette' Season 9

 

Hygiene concerns over stained, unwashed two-piece motivated decision by eBay

By MSN TV Mon 7:47 AM

Farrah Abraham/WENN

WENN

 

The bikini "Teen Mom" star Farrah Abraham wore for the photo on the cover of her sex tape has been pulled from auction on eBay -- because it was unwashed. On Saturday, bosses at the auction website yanked the listing by porn studio Vivid Entertainment after deciding the pink crystal-encrusted two-piece did not meet the site's hygiene standards. The item had stains from her fake tan among other clear signs of wear and was listed as "used." It had not been washed since the MTV star wore it for a private photo shoot. 

 

Bing: More about Farrah Abraham

 

TMZ.com obtained a letter sent to Vivid by eBay chiefs that explained why the listing had been removed. It reads: "Due to health and hygiene concerns, our policy does not allow used clothing to be listed on the site unless the item has been washed first." Reportedly, the bikini will be washed and re-posted on the site. The original listing that started at $500 on Wednesday ignited a bidding war that caused the price to reach $14,700 just before it was pulled from auction.

 

Plus: 'Dancing With the Stars' finale preview | 'Felicity': Where are they now? | 'The Bachelorette' Season 9

 

 

 

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Deanna Barnert

Deanna Barnert | Los Angeles, Calif.

Entertainment journalist Deanna "TVDeeva" Barnert visits sets, interviews industry players and critiques the final product. Buzz's daytime TV queen covers it all for MSN TV, but loves her sitcoms, soaps and any juicy drama that doesn't call itself Reality TV.

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