Analysis: Close fight to choose winner and loser in television tussle

Though Harry Hill bowed out from TV Burp on Saturday night, his signature joke perfectly summed up the rest of that night’s viewing.

So which was better, BBC1’s new vocal talent show The Voice or ITV’s returning variety contest Britain’s Got Talent? There was only one way to find out: Fight.

The Voice bigged up the credentials of its judges Will.i.am, Jessie J, Tom Jones and Danny O’Donoghue. “Four of the hottest names in music”, as the intro had it, performed I Gotta Feeling like a bargain basement version of the Million Dollar Quartet. Bizarre, but better than the prospect of a group number featuring BGT’s Simon Cowell, David Walliams and Amanda Holden, with Alesha Dixon rapping.

Apart from its gimmicky concept of not letting the judges see the auditionees, all the other trappings are there: from the soaring ballad key change to the anxious family backstage.

Perhaps the higher quality karaoke on The Voice would beat Cowell’s other show, The X Factor, but BGT is a different beast: while singers feature heavily, the true heart of the show is in the dance troupes and the other variety acts, which aren’t designed to be taken seriously. Coupled with new judge David Walliams’ camp banter it may be the more entertaining option for a Saturday evening.

And for those who’d rather not watch either, don’t worry: BBC4 has another Danish drama series coming soon.