Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Unknown singers audition, hoping to win the favor of the judges.

On the line:  A tidy cash price and a recording contract.

Sound familiar?

Of course. But in this case, I’m talking about “The Voice,” which premieres Tuesday at 9 p.m. on NBC.

The premise might be the same as American Idol, but there are distinct differences between how the shows work.

For instance, on Tuesday’s premiere, the four judges of “The Voice” will sit with their backs to the contestants so they can’t see what they look like while they audition.

If they like a contestant enough to want to mentor them, they press a button and, presto, their chair swivels toward the singer. If more than one judge chooses a singer, the contestant gets to choose which judge he/she wants to work with.

The judges? They include Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo Green, Adam Levine and Blake Shelton, who used to judge Nashville Star.

Yes, fans get to vote at some point. Yes, the judges have saves. And, yes, at the end the winning contestant winds up in the recording studio.

Want to know more?  Check out the show’s website.

The question: Will anyone watch?

Especially Tuesday night, when FOX has helped assemble so many diversions.

FOX plans a special hour-and-a-half episode of Glee that night, conveniently spilling over into the time slot of “The Voice.” It will feature the music of Lady Gaga, no less.

Meanwhile, over at ABC, a little show called “Dancing with the Stars” is on at 9 p.m. This week’s episode features musical guest Pia Toscano, late of American Idol.  She’ll sing while rumored boyfriend Mark Ballas dances.

Asked last week about whether FOX had any reservations about having Pia appear on a rival network, Idol executive producer Ken Warwick said, in essence, of course not.

And, hey, if it happens to be on the same night and in the same time slot as the debut of a new reality singing competition, all the better.

That last line is mine, not Ken’s.