Nellie Andreeva

NBC’s new singing competition series The Voice, a rival to Fox’s American Idol, will premiere on Apr. 26 and will air in Idol’s previous signature Tuesday 8 PM slot. The network has signed the first 2 musician coaches for the show produced by John de Mol and Mark Burnett: Grammy Award winners Cee Lo Green and Adam Levine (Maroon 5).

After two airings from 9-11 PM on Tuesday on April 26 and May 3, the show will move to its regular Tuesday 8 PM slot on May 10. The Voice is expected to get a boost in its launch airing behind NBC’s strongest reality series, The Biggest Loser. “Cee Lo Green and Adam Levine represent the essence of The Voice,” NBC’s head of alternative programming Paul Telegdy said. “They are two of the hottest music artists right now and their voices are instantly recognizable.”

Carson Daly will host The Voice, which is produced by Warner Horizon. The show, in which contestants vie for a recording contract, is modeled after the Dutch Voice of Holland, which is the country’s #1 talent competition show. It features four celebrity artists who each forms a team of singers that they coach throughout the competition. Contestants will be eliminated until each coach only has one team member left who will compete in the finals to be named The Voice in a live finale.

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