Los Angeles: Singers Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo Green, Blake Shelton and Adam Levine will return for a second season of "The Voice," which is ailing network NBC`s most successful new show in years.
NBC said on Thursday that all four "coaches," who help the contestants hone their skills in the music talent contest, would take part in a second season, but the network did not say exactly when the new set of shows would begin.
Some industry watchers speculate that NBC may try to challenge Fox`s juggernaut "American Idol" when it returns to airwaves in the winter of 2012.
"Our fantastic coaches were integral to the tremendous success of `The Voice` this year and we are thrilled that they are all returning," said Paul Telegdy, head of alternative programing at NBC. "We look forward to building season two and making `The Voice` an even greater experience for fans."
NBC`s announcement came a day after 10.8 million Americans tuned in to see soulful singer Javier Colon win the contest, a $100,000 prize and a recording contract.
The contest brings a fresh twist to the plethora of TV talent searches by having the four celebrities mentor contestants, sing live with them, and occasionally perform together as a quartet. It has almost doubled viewership at NBC in its time period, compared to a year ago.
Wednesday`s two-hour finale also gave NBC its highest non-sports rating among the 18-49 age group most coveted by advertisers since January 2008, the network said.
In addition, it has also boosted the commercial fortunes of singers Aguilera and Green, country star Shelton and Maroon 5 frontman Levine.
All four currently have tracks in the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 singles charts, while Colon and runner-up Dia Frampton were top of the iTunes singles charts on Thursday.
"The Voice" came too late to rescue NBC from bottom place among the leading four U.S. networks for the official 2010-11 TV season that ended in May.
But the network has high hopes for 2012. "The Voice" will get a major showcase in February immediately after the Super Bowl -- the biggest sports and TV event of the year.
NBC on Thursday declined to specify when "The Voice" will return, other than to say it will resume in "mid-season" which could mean roughly anytime in the first few months of 2012.
That leaves the door open for a slot any time between January and May, and a possible direct challenge to "American Idol" which drew more than 29 million viewers for its 2011 finale and remains the most popular show in the United States.
Bureau Report
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.