“The Voice” Draws Mixed Reviews, Builds Buzz for Cee-Lo, Blake Shelton

NBC’s beyond heavily-promoted “The Voice” finally premiered Tuesday night, presenting the first of two serious 2011 ventures (the other being FOX’s “The X-Factor”) that aim to attract viewers from juggernaut “American Idol.”

Wednesday’s ratings report will tell the full story about the show’s potential for success, but as far as the quality is concerned, there was definitely promise in the reaction.

Mistakes should not be made–the reviews should not be called “glowing” or “flawless.” The “voice” gimmick, itself, was a predictable source of criticism; insofar as the “back to the contestants” concept only really applies to and matters in the selection process, it seems like a questionable gimmick around which to promote the entire show.

There was also a feeling that the show did not rival “Idol” in terms of getting the individual contestants over as stars. While the reaction to the talent has been quite positive, the “character development” and delivery of the introductions and video packages has been less trumpeted.

Still, in a genre that has included such dead-on-arrival busts as “The One,” “The Voice” looks to have at least entertained a solid portion of its audience–viewers seem confident in its potential.

Up against a well-reviewed, Lady Gaga-themed “Glee” for its first half-hour and the “Dancing with the Stars” results show for its full first hour, “The Voice” is unlikely to have set any ratings records Tuesday night. NBC does, however, have a solid competition series in “The Sing-Off” as a testament to its ability to attract viewers for projects in the genre. With the aggressive promotional campaign and star-heavy coaching panel, “The Voice”‘s premiere definitely should have been expected to top the typical “Sing Off” performance (even given differences in the on-air competition).

And while “The Voice” might not have topped “Glee” in the adults 18-49 demo and almost definitely did not top “Dancing with the Stars” among total viewers, it did generate some ample online buzz. “The Voice” maintained its status as the number one search on Google till at least 2AM EST Wednesday, while “Cee Lo,” “Cee Lo Green Forget You” and “Blake Shelton” were all in the top ten. Coach Adam Levine’s band Maroon 5 was also a Google trending topic, clocking in at number 11.