How The Road convinced Blake Shelton to make his reality TV comeback

Blake Shelton is back on The Road, but on very different terms, following a 23-season stint on The Voice and what appeared to be a final break from reality TV. In addition to being a singing competition, Shelton's latest project which premieres on CBS on October 19, 2025, and can be seen on Paramount+, marks his own comeback to the genre as an executive producer, creator, and on-screen personality.

Instead of holding court in a red chair, he is co-directing a show about soon-to-be country stars who are the openers for Keith Urban but find themselves juggling the demands of being on tour. In an interview with American Songwriter, Shelton explained the change was not about returning to what brought him success in the past, but making music that felt authentic to where he came from, what new challenges he wanted for himself and “about what I think people want now.

This move is a sign of bigger goals for the show, including a more realistic, gritty reality-TV experience and a chance for Shelton to return to the spotlight at his own pace. For him, the format, and the future of country competition shows, the change of pace is important.

The Road: Why Blake Shelton’s return to reality TV matters

Blake Shelton going for The Road as lead singer is one of the defining moments in recent reality music show history, given how sincerity is portrayed during those shows and therein lies truth in art. It’s live stakes and nascent talent and pure touring life, it is not The Voice redux. Tonight, we take a look at how Shelton came back, How the show differs after all this time and between-daylights-ending states of mind, and what that comeback means for the genre he once dominated as well as his legacy in it.

What Drew Shelton back to reality TV

In a recent interview, Blake Shelton clarified that the motivation behind his return to reality TV was to create a program that reflected his formative musical years rather than replicating any previous structure.

"Build a show that actually looked like what it takes to make it as an artist," he explained.

The Road isn't simply another singing competition, he underlined. Instead of doing auditions behind red chairs, Shelton found that recording the entire process, tours, composing, and performing in front of empty venues, was more appealing. The show follows competitors who open for Keith Urban night after night, putting them in high-pressure performance scenarios that mirror Shelton's own life on the streets.

How The Road sets itself apart

The Road follows 12 up-and-coming artists as they vie for a $250,000 recording deal and the opportunity to open live for Keith Urban, in contrast to talent shows that feature celebrity coaching panels and staged auditions. The element that Shelton emphasized as "as real as it gets" is that contestants are judged not just by experts but also by actual concertgoers who were unaware of them previously.

Shelton also worked with Taylor Sheridan, who is well-known from Yellowstone, and used his decades of touring expertise to influence the tone of the show. The end result is a reality show that combines documentary-style insights into life on the road with a music competition. Being the show's creator and mentor releases Shelton from the red chair and places him in a position where his authority in country music fits with the topic, transforming The Road into more than just a show he stars in.

Trending

Watch The Road on CBS every Sunday at 9/8c.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback