entertainment

How ‘The Voice Kids’ Germany captivates audiences and judges

I’ve been watching The Voice Kids Germany. Yes, Germany. Oh mein Gott!

No, I don’t speak German, and to be honest, most of the show is in English. It’s amazing and humbling how much of the world speaks English in their own foreign countries. Actually, most of the judges are from other countries and every language seems to be part of the German version of the show.

I started flipping through Instagram when I first wake up in the morning, and the videos from The Voice and America’s Got Talent started showing up and one after the other, they popped up. And I watch them for maybe an hour before I get out of bed. It really is a great start to the day. It’s so uplifting.

Anyway, these kids are fantastic, amazing voices. Aside from hearing them, the reactions are priceless. The reactions from the kids when they finally see the judges all staring at them, and the judges turning around and see small kids at time with such huge voices. The reactions are sometimes just as good as the performances.

Three judges stand out for me. – Lena, Alvaro and Leony – all amazing and very kind to the performers and into it. And it’s amazing how they all speak many languages, not just German and English.

Some of the kids/contestants seem to sing Lena’s songs – she loves that.

And the fact that many of the kids also are so into their performances that they don’t notice that all four chairs turned around until the end – then these little adults turn into kids again. Their expressions and glee and jumping around is priceless.

I love how the judges run up and hug the kids at the end of a lot of the performances.

“Oh mein Gott!” as one of the parents said who was watching his daughter from the wings get all four coaches/judges loving his daughter’s voice.

You can see a bunch of the performances here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-ojhH5-Ekc

Till next time . . .

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Our TV Channel Shake-Up

We may be switching tv channels again in Miami.

In the 1980s this happened twice, what I mean is that the affiliates – ABC, NBC, CBS changed channel numbers – twice.

Well, not, ABC, that always remained channel 10; but now it looks like Channel 10 will not be showing ABC and the weird thing is that Channel 7 will pick up ABC. The reason it is weird is because Channel 7 is now Fox. But it will remain Fox.

At one point, that song “Don’t Worry, Be Happy,” played incessantly on all tv channels to tell us about the channel changes and not worry about it.

Channel 7 will remain Fox and Channel 7.2 will become ABC. Crazy, right?

When I was a kid, Channel 4 was CBS, then it became NBC now is CBS again. Channel 6 was an independent channel that showed reruns like I Love Lucy and the Adams Family, then it became CBS and now is NBC. I remember watching Dallas on CBS 6 at the time.

Channel 7 started out as NBC and then became independent and then Fox.

Channel 10 was always ABC and now will be nothing, I guess.

Our PBS stations – 2 and 17, stayed like they were – stable. So far.

I’m in NY a lot and sometimes I’ll put on Channel 2 to watch PBS, but there it is Channel 13. I’ll realize it after a few minutes and then switch over.

The tv channel game.

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Saying less is more

Do you ever avoid speaking about your favorite movie because it’s your favorite movie?

People bring it up in conversation or online or wherever – for various reasons, to discuss it or ask about it or just ask, “What’s your favorite movie?”

I avoid it for one reason – it’s the answer to so many of my security questions. I don’t want to put it out there what my favorite movie is.

I had one for a long time, then changed it to another. I didn’t do it on purpose, my favorite movie just changed, but it was almost like changing a password.

But here’s what everyone misses, sometimes on Facebook or places like that someone asks what year you graduated high school. I think that’s a red flag, too.

I was thinking when I interview people for my 10 With Tom column, which hasn’t been lately – I ask weird questions like that – not on purpose, I just ask random questions.

Lately, 10 With Tom has been just a list of things because after so many years I am having trouble getting people to answer my request for interviews. I’m not sure why. Maybe people are just being more cautious these days, which is a good thing, except when I want to interview them.

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The Timeless Appeal of Depeche Mode

I was watching a lot of Depeche Mode videos and concerts this weekend. I don’t know why. I mean I aways loved them, but all of a sudden there they were all over my social media.

I think it started by me watching a lot of the FireAid concert on social media and from watching those bands, mostly Stevie Nicks over and over, Depeche Mode starting popping up. So I started watching them. They weren’t part of FireAid, but I guess the genre sort of was part of what was at FireAid so the algorithms brought them up.

It started on my phone and then I put them on YouTube on my big tv screen.

What I found interesting is that they sort of don’t age, although David Gahan, front man, is getting gray streaks in his hair now, but he still sings and moves like he always did. He’s ageless. Although he has almost been dead more than once. Four times he had brushes with death and he go the nickname “The Cat” due to his coming back to life over and over.

He also was a heroin addict and had a drug induced heart attack right in the middle of a concert once. I don’t say all this to put him down, I say it all to build him up – he is invincible. He does his famous twirl through the concerts, enjoying every moment.

When you watch him perform, he takes over the stage, his movements, voice and engagement with the audience is incredible, he commands the stage, even when he isn’t singing – many times he gives over the performance to the audience and has them finish singing the songs.

David was ranked at No. 73 on Q magazine’s list of the “100 Greatest Singers” and No. 27 on its list of the “100 Greatest Frontmen”.

Founding member Andy Fletcher, “Fletch” passed away in May 2022. They talk about it in the CBS Sunday Morning interview below.

I drew the above cartoon over from a previous version this weekend since he and Depeche Mode were on my mind.

Regarding the video above of “Enjoy the Silence,” my favorite Depeche Mode song, among so many, I like this video because it shows David and the band over years. It sort of intercuts them singing the song in various stages of their career. Love that.

Here, below is a recent interview with David Gahan and Martin Gore on CBS Sunday Morning.