What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
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T10 WHATS UP! October 18 - 24, 2020 As with most television se- ries, reality TV was severely impacted by the coronavirus shutdowns, and "The Voice" was no exception. The end of Season 18 was interrupted by the health concerns right in the middle of the live shows. They managed to finish the season through video calls at home and saw Todd Tilghman from Team Blake take the crown. Now, af- ter months of reruns and vague promises of eventual returns, we can finally look forward to something new in our lineup! From clips and trailers that have been released for the up- coming season, it is clear that there will be no live studio audi- ence this season but, much like the most recent season of "America's Got Talent," there will be a live video wall behind the judges — fans were given the opportunity to sign up to be a part of a digital audience, video calling in from their own homes. This past July, even Shelton was unsure if they would be able to make the new season work. "The waves of bad news ... keep coming out of Califor- nia, especially Southern Cali- fornia," he told SiriusXM "The Highway" in an interview. "It's on my calendar still, but every day seems like a new world we wake up in. I still hope we can get it in, and I know they creat- ed a safe situation for us, but we will see what happens." Prior to the blind auditions, singers who wanted their shot at the crown had to submit their information and video on- line. The select few who were chosen to audition for the judg- es were then brought to Los Angeles weeks in advance to adhere to the 14-day CDC quar- antine guidelines. In one clip, Stefani is shown clearly wanting to approach a singer but, because of physical distancing, she uses a T-shirt gun from her seat to launch a T- shirt to him instead. The show followed all health and safety guidelines, keeping judges and singers socially distant — the infamous red chairs placed ex- actly 8 feet apart. In their time during quaran- tine, the four judges have kept busy. Shelton and Stefani, who have been in a relationship for about five years, quarantined at Shelton's Oklahoma ranch, where they put out a new duet titled "Happy Anywhere." Ste - fani had taken last season off to perform her Las Vegas resi- dency. In one promo, Stefani explains that she and Shelton have been quarantining to - gether, with Legend cheekily responding, "I'm sorry, Gwen." Clarkson has continued hosting a modified version of her talk show, "The Kelly Clarkson Show," where she normally interviews celebri- ties, plays games and interacts with the audience members to dole out surprises and fun. Traditionally oscillating be- tween her house in Montana and that in Los Angeles for filming, her show had to adapt in the same way as the new season of "The Voice," hosting her audience and guests digi- tally. Legend hasn't been in the public eye as much as the oth- ers recently, as he and his wife, model and TV personality Chrissy Teigen ("Lip Sync Bat- tle"), have spent their months in quarantine focused on their two children Miles and Luna. Now that the judges are slowly and safely emerging from their lives of (not so) quiet isolation, fans can ex- pect even more great talent and friendly shenanigans. With trailers showing many shots of the judges turning their chairs, giving standing ovations and encouraging lots of applause, it is clear that, de- spite pandemic setbacks, this season is going to exceed ex- pectations. Turn your chair around on Monday, Oct. 19, to catch anoth- er impressive season of "The Voice" on NBC. Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton return as judges on "The Voice" continued from page T2 Not to be silenced: NBC brings back 'The Voice' TV FEATURE