The growth of the Masked Singer franchise has been credited to the show's success, as has an interest in adapting similar South Korean reality television series and other television formats centered on costumes. Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? [160] The Daily Beast's Laura Bradley felt it was better than Dancing with the Stars because costumes can be used to generate interest instead of casting those "who seek to overplay their 15 minutes of fame". [166] According to Drew Millard of The Outline, the show is better than previous American adaptations of Asian television series because it is "even crazier than the original". "[60] As production time is limited, there is no opportunity for the team to experiment with different materials—"all garments are ... cut right away on the original fabric". Except in the first season, a "smackdown" round is featured in select episodes in which the two least popular competitors from their first performances sing one after another on the same stage, and a second, eliminating vote occurs. Got a story? The judges also know who is who under the masks, because when they're acting like they don't know, it's obvious and terrible. [19] Each participant is escorted to and from their trailers outside of the set by security guards while disguised with a mask, visor, gloves, pants, and a hoodie to prevent their skin from showing. 1 on the radio"[37] and Scherzinger said she signed on to the show the day before filming began. Executive producer Craig Plestis first noticed the format in October 2017 at Khao Soi, a small Thai restaurant in Studio City, Los Angeles. The clue package plays on the large screen in the studio, and the celebrity enters and performs with at least one background singer accompanying them offstage. While considering it more positive than other reality television shows, television critics have had mixed reviews for the series and particularly negative opinions of its panelists. Inspired by haute couture, they are designed by Marina Toybina and custom-built by a team ensuring the celebrities can sing clearly while wearing them. [62] Since "the draping and the handwork ... [are] all done the old school way", she cited couturiers such as Alexander McQueen, Thierry Mugler, and Hussein Chalayan as inspirations. I saw a kangaroo in black pleather singing a pop song. Teams of two race to identify songs by sound in hopes of winning up to $1 million. [19] According to Plestis, the series has two bibles: one related to the format and a second, larger one for security measures. 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Rob Harvilla of The Ringer wrote that they are either stars of decades past or only have thin connections to actual celebrities[189] and Ali stated the show's "idea of celebrity is fairly elastic". Although the contracts do give their real names, the series' name is unlisted. The Masked Singer returned to ITV on Boxing Day at 7pm, and the second episode is on at 7pm on Saturday 2nd January, once again on … Masked Fan-August 7, 2020 0. [255][256], Hoodies, coffee mugs, phone cases, and other merchandise using the show's branding are purchasable on the series' online store. They are also allowed to ask questions and request that the host offer additional clues. [205] In April 2021, an online fundraiser version of the show featuring Broadway performers titled Broadway's Masked Singer was held in support of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. They favor lesser-known celebrities the same as "super big names" because it is harder to guess them. To prevent their identities from being revealed before each prerecorded episode is broadcast, the program makes extensive use of code names, disguises, non-disclosure agreements, and a team of security guards. [118][119][120], In both 2019 and 2020, the show was named the "Hottest Reality/Competition Series" in the United States by Adweek. It followed episodes of The Masked Singer's fourth season, creating a two-hour programming block based on South Korean television formats and featuring Jeong. [59][60] Each is designed to be dissimilar from those featured in previous seasons and other versions of the Masked Singer franchise by using different sewing and fabrication techniques. [206], The series' success has been attributed to subsequent local adaptations. [116][117] Episodes are available internationally on localized streaming services. That's the biggest live TV audience for any programme so … [4][73] Many on-stage set pieces were replaced with virtual reality elements and the panelists' desk was lengthened due to social distancing requirements during filming in the COVID-19 pandemic. In the VT, the character … Season 3 Turtle. [44] While music publishers were reluctant to grant licenses for use in the first season as they were not told who would be performing their songs, this process became easier by the second. By Dailymail.com Reporter. [132][133] Excluding post-NFL game debuts, the program's premiere was the highest-rated for an unscripted television series in the country since The X Factor in 2011. [7][8] A guest occasionally appears as a fifth panelist during an episode;[9] Joel McHale has served as a guest panelist in every season[10] and previous seasons' winners have appeared. Hosted by Nick Cannon, the program employs panelists who guess the celebrities' identities by interpreting clues provided to them throughout each season. [188], Reviews were sometimes critical when referring to the celebrities competing. [161], When contrasted to other series in its franchise, some reviewers felt it was of lesser quality. [86][140][141] Although the 18–49 rating was lower than the first's, the show remained the top non-sports program in the demographic. [11] Nick Cannon hosts the show; his role was considered unclear in July 2020 after making anti-Semitic statements that Fox said "inadvertently promoted hate". The costumes, however, have attracted praise. Its critical consensus states: "Defying all tropes of the reality competition genre, The Masked Singer manages to be both magnetically apocalyptic and inexplicably boring. [49][50][51], Before arriving on the show's set, celebrities and their family, friends, and agents are disguised and typically driven from a neutral location. Online. A series gets an Average Tomatometer when at least 50 percent of its seasons have a score. [23][52][164] While contestants on the South Korean series sing the same songs during a duet round, producers' decision not to do so in the American version was also thought of as an "ill-advised" decision by critics as they felt it inhibits fair comparisons. [238], The series premiere received a 1.4 rating in the adults 18–49 demographic and about 5.5 million viewers, a "pretty significant improvement" over the average ratings of the previous lead-out, Lego Masters. [89] In mid-2019, some from the first season were accompanied by video and Toybina's original sketches in an exhibit, "Fashion & Fantasy: The Art of The Masked Singer", at the Los Angeles Paley Center for Media. The Masked Singer returns Saturday at 7pm on ITV. [4], Ibarra said selecting which songs they sing is a collaborative process; both the performers and producers submit "ideas [which] merge as [the songs] go through the clearance process". Ken Jeong, Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg, Nicole Scherzinger, and Robin Thicke appear in each episode and vote alongside an audience for their favorite singer after all perform. They are encouraged to act excited by clapping, cheering, and chanting the names of costumes while the production crew records their reactions for later use. [252] Later that month, it was announced that the program would be getting a live tour with shows in over forty American cities featuring two celebrity hosts and a local mystery celebrity who would be unmasked at the end of each. The winners of the first four seasons were T-Pain as "Monster", Wayne Brady as "Fox", Kandi Burruss as "Night Angel", and LeAnn Rimes as "Sun", respectively. [207] Masked Singer was MBC's first format sold to the United States market. [108] Outside of North America, it has aired on ITV in the United Kingdom,[109] Network 10 in Australia,[110] Three in New Zealand,[111] M-Net in South Africa,[112] and Channel 5 in Singapore, among others. [52][86] Dates are selected to accommodate celebrities' other activities. [166] Conversely, Longo remarked that Cannon was overshadowed by the presence and commentary of McCarthy Wahlberg[92] and Doyle called him "as inarticulate as a three-year-old". Their identities are only revealed when they are voted off the show. [47] Choosing to tape the series rather than broadcast it live was a difficult decision, Ibarra said, but a necessary one because the time commitment would have prevented celebrities from participating. The remaining six celebrity singers merge into one big group as they perform anonymously; J.B. Smoove guest judges. [79] According to Rudzinski, contestants generally practice in the week leading up to their performances. [239] Subsequent episodes continued to retain about half of The Masked Singer's viewers, which is considered above average for an aftershow. Joel Dommett hosts. The Masked Singer Evidence Revealed: Though Tamera is known widely for her roles in Twitches and Sister, Sister, this actress also has incredible vocal talent. For the first time this season, the show will see a DOUBLE unmasking as The Masked Singer … [40][41] Wade said producers' goal is to cast celebrities of varying ages, genders, and backgrounds to appeal to as broad an audience as possible. [13][14] Niecy Nash acted as guest host for the first five episodes of the fifth season after Cannon tested positive for COVID-19. Masked Singer star on how pregnancy affected songs. [204] During the COVID-19 pandemic in North America, students and teachers at numerous middle schools in the United States and Canada participated in Masked Singer-inspired contests to maintain friendly relationships remotely. [3] Costumes are sanitized between tapings and repaired if needed as there are no backups. [71] Panelists are discouraged from researching possible answers to the clues presented to them between the filming of episodes. The Masked Singer is an ITV series that sees celebrities perform while disguised in costumes. Don’t miss a DOUBLE ELIMINATION on an all-new two-hour episode of #TheMaskedSinger Wednesday at 8/7c on FOX. After every performance concludes, the audience and panelists vote for their favorite singer using an electronic device, and the least popular must take off their mask to reveal their identity. [247], Following the success of The Masked Singer, Wade began looking for other "bigger, broader formats" to adapt for Fox. [95][99] Two weeks prior, the series was renewed for a fourth season to air during the 2020–21 television season. 27,810 talking about this. A singing competition guessing game based on Korean format King of Mask Singer. Backstage, there is a Batcave-inspired area with costumes displayed like mannequins in a museum. [148][149] It concluded the 2019–20 Canadian television season as the eighth most-watched series overall. [113] They are available for streaming in the United States on Hulu, Fox's website, and the Fox Now mobile app through video on demand. Add the first question. [19][36][49] Most are from Fox and the show's legal department; Cannon, director Alex Rudzinski, and the majority of the program's 150-person crew do not know who the celebrities are until they are unmasked. [39], The show's producers reach out to celebrities via agents or vice versa. Everyone involved signs a non-disclosure agreement which prevents them from disclosing information about the show until its broadcast. To prevent identities from being revealed in the event of a leak or hack, all documents except the contract only list participants' costume names. [180] Opinions of the performances have differed; Variety's Caroline Framke described them as "barely any better [than just] fine",[181] The New Yorker's Emily Nussbaum thought the choreography was elaborate,[182] and Entertainment Weekly's Kristen Baldwin said some celebrities sound professional while others are more karaoke-like. [135] He also predicted more direct relationships between Asian production companies and American television networks would form. It is part of the Masked Singer franchise which began in South Korea and features celebrities singing songs while wearing head-to-toe costumes and face masks concealing their identities. [44] All are given questionnaires to complete before competing and asked if they have claustrophobia. [240], Following the premiere of The Masked Singer in January 2019, Ellen DeGeneres began conducting a parody, "The Masked Dancer", as a popular recurring segment on her daytime talk show. [78], Before the competition begins, vocal coaches and choreographers work with the celebrities for multiple days to determine their strengths and help improve their technique. [168], The show is noted for regularly trending on social media when episodes are broadcast as users debate which celebrity could be under each costume. Described as "the Olympics of talent", it will feature winners, finalists and other successful contestants from previous seasons of America's Got Talent alongside acts from other Got Talent franchises worldwide. It premiered on ITV on 4 January 2020. With 285,000 viewers, The Music attributed its low viewership to a culture barrier and that reveals are well-publicized by the time the series airs a week after it does in the United States. [262][263] In October, the show launched an official weekly podcast hosted by Bow Wow. [16][20] After successfully pitching the program under the condition A-list celebrities participate,[19][21] Plestis began developing it in November. For the fourth, production moved to Red Studios Hollywood, which is in the same city. [52] The manager of Joey Fatone, "Rabbit" in the first season, said he was picked up at a 7-Eleven near Television City, given a disguise, and driven inside the gate. Get a sneak peek of the new version of this page. [21][36] Thicke later questioned whether he would have taken the role "if [he had] still been No. I also don't enjoy them talking through the performances. The Masked Singer Season 4 is probably a few weeks away from airing, which should be enough to leave fans plenty excited. [183] The way the show is edited has attracted criticism; guesses have been called repetitive,[170] episodes excessive in length,[158] and unmaskings slow. [198] Their guesses have been called stupid,[199] absurd,[192] worthless,[181] and "the worst part of the [show]"[200] by those who viewed them as implausible. [234] Cannon hosts the aftershow; it aired on Wednesdays at 9:00 p.m. (ET) for four weeks following episodes of the third season during which he discusses the outcome of the preceding Masked Singer episode from a "virtual stage" with guests appearing via videotelephony.