The making of ratings blockbuster The Voice

Jason Mountney goes on the set of Channel Nine’s talent search series, The Voice, to see how the format, based on an international franchise, has come together. What ingredients have gone into making this certified hit that’s rated more than two million viewers on three consecutive nights?

Mike Goldman has one of the toughest jobs on the set of the Nine network’s new talent show, The Voice. He not only has to narrate the show, but also keep the audience from losing their enthusiasm as they realise shooting TV programs takes a lot longer than the one-hour bursts they see in their lounge rooms. A lot longer. 

An ecstatic audience in the background is just one piece of the puzzle Nine and production company Shine are using to elevate the talent show to the much-vaunted “water-cooler TV” status that brings big advertising bucks and gets viewers to stick around. And with a massive advertising campaign featuring buses, billboards and plenty of station promos, it is obvious Nine, alongside the five major sponsors – Ford Australia, Vodafone, Insurance Australia Group, AustralianSuper and Swisse Vitamins, who are all helping to bankroll the multimillion dollar production – are serious about this ‘shiny floor’ format.

The set of Nine's talent series The Voice