TV Talk: 2 Western Pennsylvanians compete on NBC's 'The Voice;' 'Georgie' debuts

The new season of NBC’s “The Voice” (8 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, WPXI-TV) features two contestants with Western Pennsylvania ties, including 2021 “American Idol” contestant Sloane Simon, a 2023 Fox Chapel Area High School grad who’s now a sophomore studying music in the Clive Davis Institute at New York University.

The newcomer is Kendall Eugene, 37, a Texas native who moved to Pennsylvania seven years ago to work on the Mariner East 2 pipeline for six months before working as a church worship leader until last fall. Now he delivers for Door Dash in Indiana, Pa., to make ends meet.

“About a year ago I got divorced and lost my job and I was living on my friend’s couch,” said Eugene, who uses his middle name as his stage surname.

In October 2023, Eugene posted a cover of a Zach Bryan song on his Instagram page. In November 2023, a talent scout from “The Voice” sent Eugene a direct message via Instagram but Eugene didn’t see it until Christmas day. By April 2024, Eugene was cast on “The Voice.”

While he’d played music in church for years, Eugene never played publicly outside of church until after “The Voice” contacted him. His first public gig leading Kendall Eugene and the Renegade Revival was in February 2024.

Eugene describes his music as Southern Americana with an alt-country sensibility.

“It’s not a bunch of twangy melodies or twangy sounds,” he said. “Even when we cover country music, we stay more on the blues side and Southern rock side of it.”

On “The Voice,” Eugene was chosen in a “coach’s replay” to join judge Reba McEntire’s team.

“I thought, she’s the one that would be able to coach me in storytelling,” he said, adding that he hopes his appearances on “The Voice” will lead to a sustainable music career. “That’s the reason I want to play music: I want to be able to tell stories.”

For Sloane Simon, this second opportunity to perform on a televised music competition arrives as she’s grown in her songwriting and performance.

“I didn’t know what to expect the first time,” she said. “That gap from 14 to 19, those five years I worked on my musicality, got into school and continued writing music and releasing music and now I think I’m more ready than ever. I think it showed in my performance.”

In her “Voice” debut, Simon performed “Unwritten,” prompting judge Michael Bublé to spin in his chair first, followed by Gwen Stefani. The two judges playfully fought over Simon, who chose Stefani.

“I have been a fan of (Stefani’s) No Doubt for as long as I could remember,” Simon said. “My dream was to be on Gwen’s team but all I really wanted was for one chair to turn around — it’s the hardest part — and everything after that would be a bonus.”

Simon noted in her first “Voice” appearance, taped over the summer, that her father was battling cancer. He has since passed away and she’s taking the semester off from NYU to be with her family in Pittsburgh and work on “The Voice.”

Simon and Eugene will next be seen on “The Voice” in the “battle rounds” that begin airing at 8 p.m. Oct. 21. Both singers will also perform locally.

Simon is scheduled to sing at 6 p.m. Oct. 18 and 19 at Del Frisco’s in Downtown Pittsburgh and at 6 p.m. Nov. 8 at Off the Rails Barbecue in Verona. Eugene will perform at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 22 at Jergel’s Rhythm Grill in Warrendale and Dec. 7 at Levity Brewing Co. in Indiana, Pa.

‘Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage’

CBS’s “Young Sheldon” spinoff, “Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage” (8 p.m. Thursday, KDKA-TV), addresses its change in format from “Young Sheldon” immediately, acknowledging the move from a single-camera comedy back to “The Big Bang Theory”-style multicam with studio audience.

“ ‘Frasier’ is a laughing show,” Georgie (Montana Jordan) says as he watches the NBC comedy. “Some shows you can hear people laughing, some you can’t. ‘Wonder Years’? No one’s laughing. Is it funny? We’ll never know.”

“I prefer to laugh when I choose to,” replies Georgie’s chilly, judgmental mother-in-law, Audrey (Rachel Bay Jones).

Take it from this CBS sitcom: If you don’t like laugh tracks, you’re a scold!

Without the goodwill generated by “Young Sheldon,” it’s unclear if “Georgie & Mandy” would stand a chance.

This week’s series premiere leans into domestic comedy as Mandy (Emily Osment) gets mad at her mom for insinuating Georgie is dumb, leading Georgie and Mandy to move out. Georgie’s mom (Zoe Perry) and grandma (Annie Potts) visit the young couple’s new trailer park home.

Among the supporting cast, Mandy’s henpecked father, Jim (Will Sasso), gives the show an understanding heart that complements Georgie’s easygoing nature. It’s the opposite of the show’s female characters — Mandy and her mom — who both come across as disdainful and brittle (yikes). Through the first two episodes, Mandy’s brother (Dougie Baldwin) and Jim’s car repair shop employee (Jessie Perez) are one-note characters.

All comedies take time to jell and executive producer Chuck Lorre is known to course-correct when a show needs it (see: “Mom”). While the jury’s out on what “Georgie & Mandy” will become, an opening credits sequence of the title characters doing an energetic tango is a winner from the jump.

Kept/canceled

Amazon’s “Reacher” will return for its third season in 2025; Amazon renewed the show for a fourth season.

Netflix renewed “The Diplomat” for a third season ahead of its Oct. 31 second season premiere. The service also renewed “Nobody Wants This” for a second season.

Max canceled animated series “Velma” after two seasons.

Starz canceled “The Serpent Queen” after two seasons but a spinoff about Queen Elizabeth I (Minnie Driver) is in development.

Channel surfing

The 24th edition of musical charity fundraiser “Off the Record” (8 p.m. Oct. 17, Byham Theater, $30-$80), benefiting the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, will honor Pittsburgh broadcast legend Bill Hillgrove with KDKA-TV news anchor Ken Rice as emcee. … Amazon’s Prime Video added Apple TV+ as a subscription add-on option. … Starz and Britbox now offer a $15 per month streaming bundle.