The Masked Singer (American TV series)

The Masked Singer is based on the popular[7] South Korean series King of Mask Singer. Television producer Craig Plestis explained that he first discovered the format during a visit to a small Studio City, Los Angeles, Thai restaurant in October 2017.[6][8][9] While waiting for dinner, he observed the other patrons staring at a television while an episode of the third season of the Thai version of the show was playing. Intrigued, Plestis began to research the series and secured the rights to produce an American adaptation within one week in a deal brokered by his agent, Steve Wohl of Paradigm Talent Agency. He then called Fox executive Rob Wade on a Friday night to schedule a meeting with him the following Monday and worked to create a showcase during the weekend.[6] According to Plestis, Wade was "scared" by the show but envisioned its potential. After successfully pitching the show under the condition he "could cast enough A-list celebrities",[9][10] Plestis began developing the series in November.[11]

In January 2018, executive producer Izzie Pick Ibarra became involved with the show to aid in the casting process and "Americanize" the format. Rather than follow the South Korean version in which two singers perform in three rounds, with the winner of the final round facing the winner of the previous episode in an attempt to become the new "Mask King", Ibarra opted to air one elimination per night, emphasize the clue packages and guessing component, and have the celebrities wear more extravagant costumes.[9] Plestis agreed, wanting to create a story arc throughout the episodes and—unlike the South Korean series—be able to reuse the costumes.[6] The series was officially ordered by Fox in August 2018.[2]

Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation, the rightsholder of the Masked Singer format, lacked the ability to produce the show. As a result, the first season was produced by Endemol Shine North America due to Plestis' relationship with the studio. For the second season, production transitioned to a new in-house studio, Fox Alternative Entertainment, and the show's budget was lowered as a result.[12][13] Wade said this gave the network further creative control over the series and allowed it to sell merchandise, launch a national tour, and create spin-off show The Masked Dancer.[1] Since the second and third seasons, respectively, Rosie Seitchik and Cannon have also served as executive producers.[14][15]

A group of celebrities compete on the show anonymously in costumes over a series of episodes. The specific format of the competition varies by episode, but generally, most feature four to six celebrities performing covers of famous songs, and the audience and panelists then vote for their favorite. The celebrity with the fewest votes in an episode is eliminated from the competition and must take off their mask to reveal their identity. This process of elimination continues for a set number of episodes until three contestants remain, and one is declared the winner after they perform again. There is no cash prize for winning, rather, the celebrity wins the "golden mask trophy".[16][17] Since the second season, the series has also featured a "smackdown" round in some episodes in which the two competitors with the fewest votes from their first performances sing again with a second vote occurring, and the performer with the fewest votes is then eliminated.[18] In the third season, the contestants were divided into three subgroups who each performed on three consecutive episodes before returning to the unified performance format afterwards.[19]

In addition to the singing competition, hints to each masked singer's identity are offered during the show and are referred to as a "clue package" by the panelists. Such clues may feature cryptic allusions to what the celebrity is known for or may be more direct references. Pre-taped interviews are also given as hints and feature the celebrities' electronically masked voices. The panelists are given time to speculate the identity of the singer after their performance and can ask questions or request that the host offer additional clues.[16] Banter between the panelists and behind the scenes footage is also incorporated in an episode, and they conclude with the eliminated celebrity singing an encore unmasked.[20]

Ibarra was ecstatic when Cannon agreed to host the show, citing him as her number-one choice for the role because of his personality and experience.[21] Cannon stated that he had been less keen to hosting television shows since leaving his role on America's Got Talent in 2017 but was fascinated by the concept and saw that it was already hit format in other countries.[22] Regarding the panelists, Ibarra said the production team was less concerned with selecting those with an ability to critique participants' singing abilities than being able to create a comedic tone for the show as one of their goals was to reassure celebrities they would not be ridiculed for choosing to appear. Jeong was the first panelist to be signed on to the series due to his humour and pre-existing knowledge of the South Korean version, followed by McCarthy Wahlberg and Thicke, respectively, due to their enthusiasm regarding the concept, and Scherzinger for her positivity and experience as a singer.[10][21] Like Cannon, Scherzinger said she was attracted to the show because of its originality and success in Asia.[23] She also stated that the producers did not test her pop culture knowledge before being selected as a panelist.[24] On March 28, 2019, Osbourne revealed on The Talk she was supposed to be signed on as a panelist for the series; those plans fell through after being contractually obligated to appear on The X Factor. She later appeared as a guest panelist in the third season.[25]

Through agents, the show's producers reach out to celebrities, or vice versa.[26] Ibarra described casting for the series' first season as less difficult than she predicted due to her strategy of sending the possible participants sketches of costumes that might be featured on the series. She said many of the celebrities had emotional reactions when presented with the proposed costumes and that they were excited to use the show to reinvent their public image. T-Pain, the winner of the first season, said he was skeptical about the series until he saw the costume choices, citing the opportunity to wear the Monster outfit as his motivation for participating in the show.[27] Conversely, Wayne Brady, the winner of the second season, was approached by producers to appear in the first but turned them down after being confused about the show's concept.[28] Following the success of the first season, Brady was among an increased number of celebrities interested in participating in the second.[20] Those who are not professional singers send the producers clips of them singing as a quasi-audition before participating in the series.[19]

While on set, the participants wear an oversized sweatshirt with the words "don't talk to me!" on the front to keep their identities a secret.[7]

Before each of the participants is unmasked, the show's staff undertakes significant security measures to prevent their identities from leaking, many of which, according to Plestis, originate from his visits to the sets of the South Korean and Thai versions of the show.[9] As a result, he said the series has two bibles: one related to the format and a second, larger one for security measures.[7] Everyone involved in the series signs a non-disclosure agreement which prevents them from disclosing any information about the outcome of an episode until it airs on television. After the celebrities have been confirmed to appear on the show, they are allowed to inform a few others who also sign one.[7][28] Only about twenty-five people know the contestants' real names during a season, though they never refer to them as such on set, in emails, or during phone calls regarding the show. To prevent their identities from being released in the event of a leak or hack, all of the show's documents (except the contract) only list the celebrities' code or costume name. The contract with the celebrity does give their real name, however, the series' name—The Masked Singer—is not listed anywhere on it.[21][29][30]

Before arriving on the show's set, the participants and their family, friends, and agents are disguised and driven from a neutral location.[7] The manager of Joey Fatone, the Rabbit in the first season, said he was picked up at a 7-Eleven near Television City, given a disguise, and then driven inside the gate.[21] Likewise, Adrienne Bailon, the Flamingo in the second season, said she was taken to the set inside of an unmarked black car and only discussed her involvement on the show with producers in a "secret warehouse".[9] The set has different access levels[19] and each participant is escorted to and from their trailers located outside of it by security guards while disguised with a mask, visor, gloves, oversized sweatshirt, and pants to prevent their skin from showing.[7][31][32] According to Scherzinger, security guards also escort the panelists from their personal parking spaces located outside of the studio's doors directly to their dressing rooms after arriving.[24] While inside of the building, Jeong stated that he avoids walking through the same hall as a disguised celebrity so his guesses are as genuine as possible.[33]

The series' security team is almost as large as the production crew and all are tasked with keeping the contestants as isolated from each other as possible.[31] Margaret Cho, the Poodle in the first season, stated she never saw another masked participant due to the performers' rehearsals occurring at varying times and locations.[21] Only "towards the middle of the competition, once [he] was blended into a group", Brady said he was able to hear other performers singing and recognize their voices while passing the sound stage during rehearsals.[34] Sherri Shepherd, the Penguin in the second season, said she only encountered other masked participants while they were sitting together backstage waiting to find out who was to be eliminated and could only communicate with them by waving her covered hand.[35] Cho, Brady, Shepherd, and all other celebrities are trained to use different body language and mannerisms than their own while performing[30] and are not allowed to talk to anyone except those who wear a special "stealth cloth" on the back of their clothing.[19] The production crew is discouraged from using their phones for any reason during filming[19] and the audience is prohibited from bringing their phones on set.[9]

Plestis described the series' costumes as "extremely critical" to the show, adding "so much money" is invested in them.[36] They are designed by Emmy Award-winner Marina Toybina who, using a variety of inspirations, develops almost all of the concepts herself. She begins by sketching each costume idea with a pencil and then gives the drawings to one of her friends who creates a digital version. After the costume concepts are shared with the show's producers who decide which designs will be featured during a season, they present each participant with several to choose from. Alternatively, a celebrity may request Toybina design their own costume idea.[7][19][20] Regardless, she buys all of the necessary fabrics herself and collaborates with a team of twenty to thirty people to custom-make them.[37]

Each costume costs thousands of dollars to make over two months and the masks are designed to prevent echoes.[7][8][36] Beginning as a wire mesh, foam is gradually added around the mask to create an easy-to-wear helmet shape for the performer.[38][39] Toybina said she purposely uses foam for the costumes instead of wood or metal as their heavy weight would make them difficult to move around in.[9] As "the draping and the handwork [is] all done the old school way", she cited fashion designers such as Alexander McQueen, Thierry Mugler, and Hussein Chalayan as inspirations[40][41][42] and stated that the majority of costumes turn out identical to her sketches.[42]

L-R: Fox, Butterfly, Monster, Kitty, Robot. Fox was featured in an episode that won Toybina a Costume Designers Guild Award and Monster was featured in an episode in which Toybina and O'Sullivan received a Creative Arts Emmy Award nomination.

Due to time constraints, a maximum of two fittings are conducted with each celebrity at a "very, very private hidden-away" location[41] (either the costume shop or Toybina's personal studio)[42] in which the costumes are tested with a vocal coach present to be sure the celebrities can sing and hear clearly.[43][44] For those who wear a mask detached from their costume's body, either a face stocking is worn or paint is used on the bottom half of their face to disguise their skin color.[20] During filming, the participants are assisted by the production crew who helps them take their costumes on and off.[21] Michelle Williams, the Butterfly in the second season, said this process was short for her (taking only about ten minutes) because the costume she wore was made of only three components.[45] According to Ibarra, the costumes make it difficult for the contestants to get on and off the stage and their vision is limited when performing on it.[21] Tommy Chong, the Pineapple in the first season, said he "had to be led everywhere" because of his difficulty seeing.[36] As there are no backups, each is sanitized and repaired if needed between episodes.[40][43]

For their work on the first season's finale, Toybina and costume supervisor Grainne O'Sullivan received a Creative Arts Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Costumes for a Variety, Nonfiction, or Reality Programming.[46] After the second season concluded, Toybina won a Costume Designers Guild Award in the Excellence in Variety, Reality-Competition, Live Television category in recognition of her work on the final episode.[47] After being worn during a season, the costumes are placed in storage and occasionally taken out for display.[36] In the summer of 2019, some of the costumes from the first season were featured in an exhibit, "Fashion and Fantasy: The Art of The Masked Singer", at the Los Angeles Paley Center for Media, accompanied by video and Toybina's original sketches.[48] Selections from the first season were also featured at the annual "Art of Television Costume Design" exhibit at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising Museum in Los Angeles from late August to late October 2019,[49][50] and on February 1, 2020, prior to the premiere of the third season, two of the costumes featured during it were displayed at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County as part of a meet-and-greet promotion.[51]

The series is filmed in a 380-seat studio at Television City in Los Angeles, California, on the same sound stage as Dancing with the Stars.[9][52] The first season was filmed from June 4, 2018, to June 24, 2018,[53] the second—which introduced an updated set, including a new digital floor[18]—from July 1, 2019, to August 9, 2019,[54] and the third from December 19, 2019, to February 28, 2020.[55] Despite the show having a much shorter filming schedule than most television shows,[31] filming dates are occasionally moved to accommodate celebrities' other activities.[7] Choosing to tape the show rather than air it live was a difficult decision, Ibarra said, but one that was necessary because the time commitment would have prevented some celebrities from participating.[20]

Before the performances begin, several vocal coaches and choreographers work with the celebrities for multiple days to determine their strengths and help improve their technique.[29][30] Ibarra said selecting which songs they sing is a collaborative process, with both the performers and producers submitting "ideas [which] merge as [the songs] go through the clearance process."[19] Tyler "Ninja" Blevins, the Ice Cream in the second season, stated he "definitely got to pick the songs", but the producers wanted them to be mainstream so that the show's viewers would connect to them.[29] Patti LaBelle, the Flower in the second season, said she was able to select some songs herself but was disappointed in those the producers chose for her, finding it difficult to disguise her natural voice while singing them.[56]

The series is filmed at Television City studios in Los Angeles.

Tori Spelling, the Unicorn in the first season, said the contestants are given three weeks to practice before their first performance. However, only a couple rehearsals are conducted before then, and the amount of practice time becomes shorter as the season progresses.[57] Mishaps have occasionally occurred while the celebrities are rehearsing. Toybina said she had to "reach for the wire and glue" after the horn of the Unicorn costume detached during a performance in the first season[36] and while practicing for a performance the following season, Williams said she was almost electrocuted after a smoke machine malfunctioned and shocked her, splitting in half the boot she was wearing.[45]

As filming begins, the studio audience is seated next to the stage and a warm-up comedian tells jokes to loosen them up. They are encouraged to scream loudly and chant the names of the costumes enthusiastically while the production crew captures their reactions for later use. Shortly thereafter, the panelists arrive, and the host introduces the first contestant. A clue package plays on the large screen in the studio, and the panelists may choose to write down observations.[9] According to Plestis, the contestants have one take to sing live and their voices remain unedited in post-production.[7][20] Rob Gronkowski, the White Tiger in the third season, said this was true; after forgetting part of a song's lyrics during one of his performances, he never received an offer from the show's producers to re-record them afterwards.[58] Some participants may wear a headset inside of their mask to sing instead of a microphone and opt to use one only as a prop while performing on stage.[59]

Thicke noted that guessing is a challenge for the panelists due to sound issues in the studio often obscuring performers' voices and that it takes multiple performances for them to catch on to who the celebrity might be. Plestis said the panelists' guesses are heavily edited due to their extensiveness and that they are discouraged from researching possible answers to the clues presented to them between the filming of episodes.[21][60] As costumes can become hot inside, participants are given the opportunity to cool down in one of the multiple air-conditioned rooms located next to the stage after the panelists finish guessing.[36] When all performances and guessing have concluded, the panelists and audience vote for their favorite performance using electronic keypads. The votes are combined using a formula in which the panelists' and audiences' votes are weighted 50 percent each, and the contestant with the fewest formula-adjusted votes is then eliminated.[20][61] Before the participant takes off their mask, the producers film the entire studio audience acting out how they would react to the moment, with less than two dozen "extremely well-vetted" people (mostly friends and family of the celebrity) remaining in the audience during the reveal.[9][10][20] The celebrity is allowed to go backstage to have their hair and makeup fixed before they are unmasked in front of the cameras.[20][62]

The Masked Singer premiered in January 2019 as the highest rated unscripted television series debut since The X Factor in 2011. Following three days of DVR viewing, the first episode's 18–49 rating grew by 30 percent—the highest increase ever for a premiere in the show's genre.[76] Although initially dropping, ratings grew towards the end of the season, and the finale became the most watched episode.[77] According to Comscore, the show had one of the highest viewer engagement levels of any series during the week the finale aired.[78] It concluded the 2018–19 television season as the highest rated new series among adults 18–49, averaging a 2.6 rating throughout all ten episodes,[72] and as the highest rated entertainment series among teens, men 18–34, adults 18–34, and adults 18–49.[79] The show was the first unscripted series to rank number-one in the genre in its first season since Joe Millionaire in 2003,[80] and was one of the reasons why Fox was the only network to gain viewers compared to the previous television season.[81]

According to Ad Age, the series was one of two non-NFL programs to cost at least $200,000 per thirty seconds of advertising during the 2019–20 television season.[82] The second season premiered 17 percent lower than the previous but was similar to the first season's average.[83] The finale's ratings also dropped compared to the first season, though the broadcast was up 20 percent in viewers from the previous week's episode.[84] Deadline Hollywood cited the second season as a major reason why Fox—for the first time in the network's history—ranked number-one in fall entertainment programming,[85] and Adweek named the show the "Hottest Reality/Competition Series" of 2019.[79] The third season, which premiered as the Super Bowl LIV lead-out program, was viewed by over 23.7 million people—by far the series' most watched episode. While the broadcast was watched by more than the previous lead-out, The World's Best (22.2 million), and Fox's most recent lead-out, 2017's 24: Legacy (17.6 million), it was lower than the viewership of This Is Us (27 million) in 2018.[86] During the latter half of the season which aired during the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic, the series—like others—experienced viewership and 18–49 rating gains of 10–15 percent compared to the episodes that aired before the outbreak.[87][88] Excluding the third season's premiere following the Super Bowl, the show's two-hour broadcast on April 1 was the most watched since the first season's finale.[89]

The series has received generally unfavorable reviews from critics, though its costumes have been praised for their complexity.[90][91]

Kelly Lawler of USA Today attributed the series' success to its brilliant concept only and named the panel the worst in reality television history. She described Jeong as over-the-top, McCarthy Wahlberg as inexperienced, Scherzinger as dull, and Thicke as too serious.[92] Entertainment Weekly's Kristen Baldwin and Joseph Longo also criticized them. The former felt the show was captivating but said the panelists were unfit to be critiquing singers and that they paid little attention to the clues or performances[93] and the latter thought that Cannon—despite his experience—was overshadowed by the presence and commentary of McCarthy Wahlberg. While Longo criticized Cannon for not interacting with the panelists, he was pleasantly surprised by the quality of singing on the show and thought the performances were more interesting than listening to the panelists' guesses.[62] Matt Zoller Seitz of Vulture lambasted the presence of McCarthy Wahlberg as a panelist (referring to her prominent anti-vaccine views) but praised her chemistry with the rest of the panel. He criticized the way the show's producers edit their guesses, stating they should cut out repetitive comments more often.[94] Others from Vulture also derided the editing as awkward and felt the panelists were mindless and unfunny, condemning them for spoiling the show's innovative concept with distracting statements. However, they were impressed by the costumes, describing the Egg as timeless, the Butterfly as gorgeous, and the Rottweiler as a badass.[95][96]

After attended a taping of the show, Kayla Keegan of Good Housekeeping said she appreciated the detailing of the costumes and praised Toybina's skill in designing them.[9] The Los Angeles Times and Uproxx also commended Toybina's costumes; Yvonne Villarreal said they were showstopping and LaToya Ferguson praised them for adding to a "great show".[36][97] Malcolm Venable of TV Guide thought the costumes were fantastic but described the performers' singing abilities as lackluster and the panelists' guesses as absurd.[98] Variety's Caroline Framke also thought the panelists gave worthless insights and felt the show was boring due to the caliber of celebrities competing not living up to the hype the show promotes them as when they are unmasked.[99] Megan Garber of The Atlantic compared the series' format to that of crime procedural CSI due to its mystery elements while CNN's Brian Lowry and NPR's Linda Holmes questioned whether the show's novelty would soon fade away because it is gimmicky.[100][101][102] Holmes went on to say that while the series was more easygoing than its "vicious" reality television peers, it was "pretty terrible" because "the [panelists] are much worse at guessing than any of the singers are at singing" and suggested that two celebrities be unmasked per episode because they were not famous enough for viewers to be satisfied with only one reveal.[102] The New Yorker's Emily Nussbaum said it has the opposite effect of other reality shows such as American Idol, describing the performers as more captivating under their masks than when revealed.[103]

Multiple critics have made comparisons—both positive and negative—between the series and American Idol.

Writing for The Washington Post, Emily Yahr described the show as crazy but said Cannon was perfect as host, noting his years of experience in the same role on America's Got Talent.[104] Conversely, The Globe and Mail's John Doyle called Cannon inarticulate and described the panelists as cheesy and irrelevant. He characterized the show as a wacky and dumb version of Charades but acknowledged that it is popular because of its simplicity. Doyle cited the series as an example of a cultural shift in the United States away from the competitive and often exploitative nature of shows such as American Idol towards a higher level of positivity among reality television series.[105] Daniel D'Addario of Variety described the show as relaxing and refreshing, calling it a return to form for television as the series possesses the now-rare ability to uplift and unite people. He commended the show's panelists, comparing them to the original American Idol judges as non-experts in their fields due to their common, implausible A-list celebrity guesses and praised the show's platform for allowing celebrities to express themselves freely even if they are not professional singers.[106]

The series is discussed on numerous podcasts and has generated its own thread on Reddit where avid fans of the show extensively analyze the clues presented during an episode in an attempt to decode them.[19][100] They have also replicated many of the series' costumes, including Peacock, Thingamajig, and Ice Cream, to wear on Halloween.[107] In December 2019, students at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising college in California (of which Toybina is a graduate) were tasked with designing their own Masked Singer costume concepts as part of an assignment.[108]

The show was the first in the Masked Singer franchise to air outside of Asia and its success has been attributed to subsequent local adaptations; the producers of the British series said they were inspired to adapt the format after watching the American version.[9][10] Wade has described a shift in the way shows are pitched since the series premiered, noting there is an increased openness to new ideas. He also said the heads of almost all television networks thanked him for the series giving them a "carte blanche" to take new programming risks.[80] Michael Schneider of Variety said the show has revitalized reality television in the United States. The revivals of Paradise Hotel and Temptation Island by Fox and USA Network, respectively, have been credited to the show's success, as have the American adaptations of Love Island and I Can See Your Voice.[80] The show has also been credited with reinvigorating the costume genre of television; interest in adapting other costume-centered series such as Wild Things and Sexy Beasts has increased around the world since it premiered.[8]

Logo of the aftershow.

On April 8, 2020, Fox announced that Cannon would host an aftershow of the series titled The Masked Singer: After the Mask on Wednesdays at 9:00 p.m. for four weeks starting on April 22. During an episode, he discusses the outcome of the preceding Masked Singer episode from a "virtual stage" with celebrity guests appearing remotely. A final performance from the eliminated celebrity is also featured.[118][119] James Breen and Plestis executive produce the series, and Tom Sullivan is the director. In the first episode, Jeong, McHale, Kelly Osbourne, Bret Michaels and JoJo Siwa appeared as guests. In the second episode, Ramsay is set to appear as a guest.[89] McCarthy Wahlberg and her husband Donnie Wahlberg, Shepherd, and Gronkowski will also appear on the series.[120]

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 previous lead-out, Lego Masters.[121]

On January 7, 2020, at the winter Television Critics Association press tour, Fox Alternative Entertainment and Warner Bros. Television announced that they had ordered a spin-off series, The Masked Dancer, with Ellen DeGeneres as executive producer. DeGeneres had previously conducted The Masked Dancer as a recurring segment on her syndicated talk show The Ellen DeGeneres Show as a self-admitted parody of The Masked Singer. She stated that the series was "gonna be just as fun and suspenseful, but with a lot more krumping."[123][124] The show was expected to debut in summer 2020, however, due to the 2020 coronavirus pandemic in the United States, production has not yet begun.[125]