The Masked Singer (American TV series)
The Masked Singer (abbreviated as TMS[1]) is an American reality singing competition television series that premiered on Fox on January 2, 2019. It is part of the Masked Singer franchise which originated from the South Korean version of the show King of Mask Singer which features celebrities singing songs while wearing head-to-toe costumes and face masks concealing their identities. Hosted by Nick Cannon, the program employs panelists who guess the celebrities' identities by interpreting clues provided to them throughout each season. Ken Jeong, Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg, and Robin Thicke appear in each episode and vote alongside an audience for their favorite singer after all performances have concluded. The least popular is eliminated, taking off their mask to reveal their identity.
For the current season, see The Masked Singer (American TV series) season 11.The Masked Singer
- Alex Rudzinski
- Brad Duns
"Who Are You"
by the Who
United States
English
11
140 (list of episodes)
- Craig Plestis
- Izzie Pick Ibarra
- Rosie Seitchik
- Nick Cannon
- James Breen
41–85 minutes
- Endemol Shine North America season 1
- Fox Alternative Entertainment (season 2–present)
- Smart Dog Media
- MBC
January 2, 2019 –
present
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. While television critics have had mixed reviews for the series and particularly negative opinions of its panelists, the costumes have attracted praise. Inspired by haute couture, they were designed in the first six seasons by Marina Toybina, who won a Costume Designers Guild Award and two Creative Arts Emmy Awards. Other production staff won or received nominations for various labor union awards, and the show has won or been nominated for awards presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, Critics Choice Association, and Hollywood Critics Association.
The first five seasons received the highest Nielsen ratings for a non-sports program in the key demographic of adults 18–49. Two spin-offs—an aftershow and a dance version, The Masked Dancer—followed as a result. 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. Media and merchandise associated with the series includes a podcast, clothing, accessories, NFTs, and a stage show. In September 2023, the series was renewed for an eleventh season, which premiered in March 2024.[2]
Broadcast history and release[edit]
The Masked Singer debuted on January 2, 2019, as a mid-season replacement to Star.[112] A month before the season finale on February 27, 2019,[99] Fox renewed the show for a second season.[113] During its upfronts for the 2019–2020 United States television season in May 2019, the network renewed the series for a third season to launch as the lead-out of Super Bowl LIV.[29] The second season premiered on September 25, 2019, and was preceded by a "Super Sneak Peek" episode which aired two Sundays prior. Before concluding on December 18, 2019, it was pre-empted for two weeks by the broadcast of the 2019 World Series.[99][114] On February 2, 2020, the third season premiered following Super Bowl LIV. After a "Road to the Finals" episode aired the previous day, it culminated on May 20, 2020.[99][115] Two weeks prior, the series was renewed for a fourth season to air during the 2020–2021 television season.[116][117] Following a preview episode on September 13, it premiered on September 23, 2020.[118] One week of the season was pre-empted due to the 2020 World Series.[119] Two weeks before the finale on December 16, 2020, the series was renewed for a fifth season,[120] which premiered on March 10, 2021.[32] On May 17, 2021, Fox renewed the series for a sixth season a week before the fifth season's finale on May 26.[121] The sixth season began airing starting with a two-night premiere on September 22 and 23, 2021.[122] A seventh season premiered on March 9, 2022.[123] On May 15, 2023, it was announced that the series was renewed for a tenth season.[124]
The program is aired by Fox in the United States and has been simulcasted by CTV in Canada since the second season.[125][126] Fox Entertainment distributes the series in those countries while Propagate Content does so elsewhere.[127][128] Outside of North America, it has aired on ITV in the United Kingdom,[129] Network 10 in Australia,[130] Three in New Zealand,[131] M-Net in South Africa,[132] and Channel 5 in Singapore, among others.[133] Aside from double-length episodes, most run for about 43 minutes.[134] They are available for streaming in the United States on Hulu, Fox's website, and the Fox Now mobile app through video on demand.[135][136] The Masked Singer is also available on the American ad-supported service Tubi,[135][136] where it became the most-watched series less than two months after its April 2020 debut and is used to attract new viewers to the platform.[137][138] Episodes are available internationally on localized streaming services.[139][140]
Spin-offs[edit]
The Masked Singer: After the Mask[edit]
Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on television, Fox postponed the premieres of some scripted series to late 2020 and opted to create The Masked Singer: After the Mask as one of two shows that could be produced remotely to fill the programming gap.[276] Cannon hosted 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.[277][278] A performance from the eliminated celebrity is featured at the end of each episode, which are directed by Tom Sullivan and executive produced by Breen, Plestis, and Cannon.[279] CTV broadcast the series in Canada.[280]
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.[281] Subsequent episodes continued to retain about half of The Masked Singer's viewers, which is considered above average for an aftershow.[88] Including DVR, the program concluded the 2019–2020 United States television season with an average viewership of 5.29 million (ranking sixty-eighth among all series broadcast), and an average 18–49 rating of 1.4 (ranking twenty-seventh).[146] According to Variety, it received higher ratings "than shows that probably cost ten times to produce".[282]