NBC is getting back to regularly scheduled programming after two weeks of action from the 2022 Winter Olympics, which caused some confusion in the primetime schedule for hit shows like This Is Us, Chicago Fire and Law & Order: SVU. However, one NBC show that we’re used to seeing this time of year is missing from the network’s primetime lineup altogether — the singing competition The Voice. When will the superstar coaches return to the Big Red Chairs for Season 22, and why isn’t The Voice airing this spring?
For its first 21 seasons, The Voice has aired two seasons each year. In 2021, as Carson Daly and Blake Shelton geared up to celebrate their 10-year anniversaries with the show — which included its 500th episode — the decision was made to move The Voice to just one cycle a year, Deadline reported at the time.
The Voice wrapped its 21st season in December, and fans will once again have to wait until the fall to see if Blake Shelton can assemble a team to beat defending champion Kelly Clarkson, who made history when her team members Girl Named Tom became the first group to win the competition. Speaking of the coaches, NBC hasn’t announced which four stars will sit on the panel when the singing competition returns for Season 22.
Ariana Grande joined The Voice family last season, and John Legend returned to round out the group of four. However, with both of them involved in other projects — Grande is set to star as Glinda in Jon Chu’s movie adaptation of Wicked, and Legend’s Las Vegas residency begins in April — it’s possible that NBC will have to replace at least one coach before competition resumes.
Switching to just one season a year may be a bummer for fans of The Voice, but it might benefit one of its most tenured employees. Blake Shelton is the only coach who’s served on the panel for all 21 seasons, and in the past couple of years, the cowboy has started hinting that his time on the show might be coming to an end. This new filming schedule might just give the eight-time winner the much-deserved break he needs to recharge and stick around for years to come.
Kelly Clarkson, as well, seems poised to return, as she’s seemingly mastered how to balance the singing competition with her daytime talk show (even if that means staying in her robe and sleep mask some days). Fans have gotten a kick out of her rivalry with Blake Shelton, and with Clarkson’s four wins in eight seasons, the “Since U Been Gone” singer has proven she deserves a place on the panel.
So no need to fear, Voice fans. While the show has historically premiered a spring season in the last week of February or occasionally in early March, there is nothing amiss about its absence from NBC’s lineup. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for information about Season 22, including a premiere date and coaching announcement, and in the meantime, check out our 2022 TV Schedule to see what shows are coming back and when.
