The Masked Singer (United Kingdom)
| Television series | |
|---|---|
| Original title | The Masked Singer |
| Country of production | United Kingdom |
| original language | English |
| Year (s) | since 2020 |
| Production company |
Argonon |
| length | 90 minutes |
| Episodes | 8+ (+1 special episode) in 1+ seasons |
| Broadcasting cycle |
weekly |
| genre | Music show |
| Theme music | Marc Sylvan, Victoria Horn |
| production | Claire Horton, Derek McLean, Daniel Nettleton, Marc Bassett |
| Moderation | Joel Dommett |
| Initial release | January 4, 2020 on ITV |
The Masked Singer is a British music show in which celebrities, masked in full body costumes, sing. Their production was first announced on May 31, 2019. It is based on the South Korean format King of Mask Singer , which premiered in 2015. There are also offshoots of the format in several countries in Asia and Europe as well as in Australia , the United States and Mexico . The presenter of the British edition is the comedian and actor Joel Dommett , who was known in his home country through his role in Skins and his participation in I'm a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! got known. The Masked Singer has been airing in the UK on ITV since January 4th, 2020 .
On January 25, 2020, the series was extended for a second season. On April 26, a special edition was broadcast on the sister channel ITV2, due to the COVID-19 pandemic , everyone involved was at home. On April 30, ITV announced that the second season might be recorded without an audience due to the pandemic, but the broadcaster announced in a message on August 17 that filming would take place with viewers under hygienic security measures from September 14.
concept
In each show, celebrities such as singers , actors or athletes in full body costumes compete against each other with a song of their choice in a singing contest. Before the performance, a short video is shown about each of the costumed persons, in which there are hidden indications of their identity. Celebrity voices are distorted beyond singing.
In the first two episodes of the first season, six candidates competed against each other in duels. As with the American offshoot, it is not the TV viewers but the audience and the jurors who determine the winners. These automatically stay in the competition while the losers have to wait until the end of each episode. There the participant with the least total number of votes is eliminated and has to take off his mask while the others, like the winners, take part again.
In the third and fourth episodes, the other candidates competed one after the other, the two with the fewest votes must sing against each other in a sing-off , whereby the candidate with the fewest votes was eliminated. In the subsequent episodes, the candidates no longer sang in duels, but one behind the other, with two candidates eliminated in both the quarter-finals and the semi-finals.
Another thing they have in common with the American version is that up to the fifth episode, not all candidates sing on the same show, but take turns singing every week. The program is also not broadcast live, but recorded.
Season 1 (2020)
The first season aired on ITV from January 4 to February 15, 2020. Jury member Ken Jeong has been on the guessing team since the first season in the US version . According to Davina McCall, Jeong will not appear in all episodes due to other commitments and will be replaced by guest judges in the corresponding episodes. In episode five this was Donny Osmond , who finished second in the American version as Peacock in the first season, in episode six Sharon and Kelly Osbourne . Sharon Osbourne was supposed to be in the first season of the US version in the advice team, but this was not possible because she is already on the jury of The X Factor . Kelly Osbourne took part in the second season of the American version as Ladybug , where she reached ninth place.
jury
| episode | Permanent jurors | Guest juror | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ken Jeong | Davina McCall | Rita Ora | Jonathan Ross | - |
| 2 | |||||
| 3 | |||||
| 4th | |||||
| 5 | - | Donny Osmond | |||
| 6th |
Kelly Osbourne Sharon Osbourne |
||||
| 7th | Ken Jeong | - | |||
| 8th | |||||
Attendees
| space | costume | person | Known as | Off in a row |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Queen Bee ( queen bee ) | Nicola Roberts | singer | 8th |
| 2 | Hedgehog ( hedgehog ) | Jason Manford | Comedian, singer, presenter, actor | |
| 3 | Octopus ( squid ) | Katherine Jenkins | singer | |
| 4th | monster | Cee-Lo Green | Singer | 7th |
| 5 | Fox ( fox ) | Denise van Outen | Actress, singer, dancer, presenter | |
| 6th | Unicorn ( unicorn ) | Jake Shears | Singer | 6th |
| 7th | Duck ( duck ) | skin | singer | |
| 8th | Daisy ( daisy ) | Kelis | Actress, singer | 5 |
| 9 | Tree ( Tree ) | Teddy Sheringham | Soccer player | 4th |
| 10 | Chameleon ( chameleon ) | Justin Hawkins | Singer | 3 |
| 11 | Pharaoh ( pharaoh ) | Alan Johnson | Politician | 2 |
| 12 | Butterfly ( butterfly ) | Patsy Palmer | Actress, DJane | 1 |
consequences
| costume | Song, original artist | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Queen Bee | Alive - Sia | Won |
| 2 | Duck | Like a Virgin - Madonna | Maybe |
| 3 | Unicorn | Babooshka - Kate Bush | Won |
| 4th | butterfly | You Got the Love - The Source feat. Candi Staton | Eliminated |
| 5 | Chameleon | Creep - Radiohead | Maybe |
| 6th | Hedgehog | Black Magic - Little Mix | Won |
| costume | Song, original artist | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | monster | Happy - Pharrell Williams | Maybe |
| 2 | Fox | Call Me - Blondie | Won |
| 3 | Tree | It Must Be Love - Labi Siffre | Won |
| 4th | Pharaoh | Walk Like an Egyptian - The Bangles | Eliminated |
| 5 | Octopus | Part of Your World - Jodi Benson | Won |
| 6th | Daisy | Can't Feel My Face - The Weeknd | Maybe |
| costume | Song, original artist | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Unicorn | Juice - Lizzo | Won |
| 2 | Duck | Livin 'on a Prayer - Bon Jovi | Maybe |
| 3 | Queen Bee | Someone You Loved - Lewis Capaldi | Won |
| 4th | Hedgehog | Shine - Take That | Won |
| 5 | Chameleon | Feel It Still - Portugal. The Man | Maybe |
| Sing-off | |||
| 6th | Duck | Ave Maria | Won |
| 7th | Chameleon | True Colors - Cyndi Lauper | Eliminated |
| costume | Song, original artist | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Octopus | Splish Splash - Bobby Darin | Maybe |
| 2 | Tree | Lovely Day - Bill Withers | Maybe |
| 3 | Daisy | I Can't Make You Love Me - Bonnie Raitt | Won |
| 4th | monster | Can't Help Falling in Love - Elvis Presley | Won |
| 5 | Fox | On the Radio - Donna Summer | Won |
| Sing-off | |||
| 6th | Octopus | One Last Time - Ariana Grande | Won |
| 7th | Tree | Evergreen - Westlife | Eliminated |
| costume | Song, original artist | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | monster | Don't Cha - Pussycat Dolls feat. Busta Rhymes | Maybe |
| 2 | Fox | On My Own - Frances Ruffelle | Won |
| 3 | Daisy | Unforgettable - Nat King Cole | Eliminated |
| 4th | Queen Bee | Girl on Fire - Alicia Keys | Won |
| 5 | Octopus | Diamonds Are Forever - Shirley Bassey | Won |
| 6th | Unicorn | Sharp Dressed Man - ZZ Top | Won |
| 7th | Hedgehog | Don't Look Back in Anger - Oasis | Won |
| 8th | Duck | Blinded by Your Grace, Pt. 2 - Stormzy feat. MNEK | Won |
| costume | Song, original artist | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fox | Firework - Katy Perry | Maybe |
| 2 | Duck | My Heart Will Go On - Celine Dion | Eliminated |
| 3 | Unicorn | Girls & Boys - Blur | Eliminated |
| 4th | Queen Bee | Heaven - Bryan Adams | Won |
| 5 | monster | Human - Rag'n'Bone Man | Won |
| 6th | Hedgehog | I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That) - Meat Loaf | Won |
| 7th | Octopus | I'll Never Love Again - Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper | Won |
| costume | Song, original artist | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hedgehog | Chandelier - Sia | Won |
| 2 | Octopus | Somewhere - Reri Grist | Won |
| 3 | Fox | Holding Out for a Hero - Bonnie Tyler | Eliminated |
| 4th | Queen Bee | Greatest Love of All - George Benson | Won |
| 5 | monster | Do You Really Want to Hurt Me - Culture Club | Won |
| Second round | |||
| 6th | Hedgehog | My Way - Hervé Vilard | Won |
| 7th | Octopus | Vogue - Madonna | Won |
| 8th | Queen Bee | Work It Out - Beyoncé | Won |
| 9 | monster | Careless Whisper - George Michael | Eliminated |
| costume | Song, original artist | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Queen Bee | Somebody Else's Guy - Jocelyn Brown | Won |
| 2 | Hedgehog | Cry Me a River - Julie London | Won |
| 3 | Octopus | Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious - Julie Andrews & Dick Van Dyke | third place |
| Second round | |||
| 4th | Queen Bee | Someone You Loved - Lewis Capaldi | winner |
| 5 | Hedgehog | Black Magic - Little Mix | Second place |
Special edition
A special episode of the program was broadcast on April 26, 2020. In Home Alone with Joel Dommett on ITV2 , a sister channel of the actual broadcaster, Davina McCall and Jonathan Ross had to determine the identities of three singers from home via video switching and also agree on the respective placements. The presenter Dommett was also at home due to the national exit restrictions at the time.
One after the other, the three candidates presented songs they had recorded before the broadcast, after which each of them revealed a reference to themselves. They did not wear costumes as usual, their faces were instead covered with photos. The candidates were the presenter and musical actor Ore Oduba as Teddy Bear , the reality actor and presenter James Argent as Smiley Face and the singer and actor Chesney Hawkes as Robot .
| costume | Song, original artist | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Teddy bear | Sex Bomb - Tom Jones | Second place |
| 2 | Smiley face | Sweat (A La La La La Long) - Inner Circle | third place |
| 3 | Robot | ... Baby One More Time - Britney Spears | First place |
reception
positive
The series received positive reviews from Shaun Kitchener. He claimed in the tabloid Metro that the series was "absurd" and "insanely bizarre", but still "wonderful, addicting and exciting". The "ridiculous effort" makes the format so brilliant. The series takes itself quite seriously, but “basks in its crazy concept”. Although The Masked Singer is flashy and both watching the series and following Twitter comments on it seem like a "shared feverish dream", this is a "unifying experience that is kind of fun".
Kimberley Bond wrote in RadioTimes that the concept shouldn't actually work because the appeal of singing celebrities is missing if their identities are initially hidden. The series is also "extensively cracked", but still brilliant. The singing skills of the candidates are “nothing special”, but this is not the point of The Masked Singer either . Rather, the costume designers are the real stars, whose creations would make a highly impressive transformation possible. The main aspect that is fun to watch, however, is guessing who is hiding behind the masks. “No costs were saved” for secrecy, and the information was “confusing and indecipherable”. Even the silliest suggestions from the advice team are humorous, which would encourage viewers to participate. Bond concluded her review by saying that while The Masked Singer might not be for everyone, "grim" viewers would probably find the series "too brazen and bright". However, the program is just right to lighten the mood on "bleak and gray Saturdays in January" after the festive season.
negative
Jack Seale rated the series in The Guardian with one of five stars. He described it as "unspectacular" with an "artificial" concept. According to him, the costumes ruined the series because other formats like Strictly Come Dancing or the celebrity version of The X Factor would positively surprise the audience with live performances for which they are otherwise not known. Since the identities of The Masked Singer are unknown, one could not really enjoy the performances, even if the viewer does not care who is eliminated and progresses. The task of recognizing the candidates by their singing is insoluble, so the jury is overwhelmed. Seale praised Ken Jeong's sentence I know exactly who this is , which gets funnier every time and is therefore the highlight of the program, as Jeong doesn't know any British celebrities. In addition, the moderator Dommett, who is also unknown to many viewers, is a "fearful fool".
Lauren O'Neill also commented negatively on the series in the British branch of Vice . However, the main weak point of the series is that it is "not trashy enough". The Masked Singer is not bad because of the "deranged concept", but because of the boring way what was made of it, which is typical of ITV series, which always ran according to the same pattern. At 90 minutes, the series is “bloated” and eventually becomes lengthy instead of funny and entertaining. The cast of the advice team was okay, but various comedians would have been a better choice, who could make the format more entertaining with their assumptions and discussions about the identity of the candidates. The program could have offered “something completely new” had the “totally crazy” concept not been squeezed into the usual form of ITV Saturday evening shows. In addition, the selection of the previous candidates is poor, as they are probably not familiar to a broader, especially younger audience, but it is precisely in the unmasking of very well-known people who are not known for singing that the appeal of the format lies.
See also
Web links
- The Masked Singer in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Official website of the series at ITV
Individual evidence
- ↑ Peter White: ITV Orders UK Version Of Hit Reality Series 'The Masked Singer' From Argonon's Bandicoot. In: Deadline.com . May 31, 2019, accessed on January 12, 2020 .
- ^ Susannah Alexander: The Masked Singer confirms its complete all-star panel and reveals its new host. In: Digital Spy . September 8, 2019, accessed January 12, 2020 .
- ↑ Ed Gleave: Surprise hit The Masked Singer returning for second series after beating Doctor Who. In: Daily Mirror . January 26, 2020, accessed on February 2, 2020 .
- ↑ Joe Anderton: The Masked Singer returns for a special lockdown edition with Joel Dommett. In: Digital Spy. April 25, 2020, accessed on August 21, 2020 .
- ↑ Manori Ravindran: ITV Mulls 'Feasibility' of 'Love Island' Amid Coronavirus, Competing With Netflix & Insurance Woes. In: Variety . April 30, 2020, accessed on August 21, 2020 .
- ↑ Jake Kanter: 'The Masked Singer' UK To Be Filmed In Front Of Live Studio Audience Next Month. In: Deadline.com . August 17, 2020, accessed on August 21, 2020 .
- ^ Dan Laurie: Davina McCall teases The Masked Singer major judging panel shake-up. In: Daily Star . January 9, 2020, accessed on January 12, 2020 .
- ↑ Helen Daly: The Masked Singer returns for lockdown special with Joel Dommett. In: Radio Times . April 26, 2020, accessed on August 21, 2020 .
- ↑ Masked Singer judges dumbfounded after finding mystery celebrities during special lockdown. In: Fr24 News. April 26, 2020, accessed on August 21, 2020 .
- ↑ Shaun Kitchener: The Masked Singer is ridiculous - it's perfect January TV. In: Metro. January 9, 2020, accessed on January 12, 2020 .
- ↑ Kimberley Bond: The Masked Singer review: Equal parts Stars in Their Eyes, Black Mirror and a hen do - but entirely brilliant. In: RadioTimes. January 5, 2020, accessed on January 12, 2020 .
- ↑ Jack Seale: The Masked Singer review - is that Angela Lansbury singing You Got the Love? If only! In: The Guardian . January 4, 2020, accessed on January 12, 2020 .
- ↑ Lauren O'Neill: 'The Masked Singer' Is Trash TV, But Not Trashy Enough. In: Vice . January 7, 2020, accessed on January 12, 2020 .