Reality TV shows have been popular for several years, and that popularity is only continuing to grow. There’s just something about watching people compete that viewers at home can’t resist. However, to keep the ratings coming in, these shows must adapt to remain competitive. This is something The Masked Singer has done a great job of. Since the show’s American debut in January of 2019, there have already been four seasons. Even though the show has been on the air for a little less than two years, a lot has changed during that time and there will likely be even more changes made in the future. Keep reading to learn how The Masked Singer has evolved since season 1.
How Does The Masked Singer Work?
The American version of The Masked Singer takes its format from the South Korean series, King of Mask Singer. The original series was released in 2015 and has since been picked up and reformatted all over the world.
The title of The Masked Singer, is somewhat self explanatory, but the show isn’t just about people who sing with a mask on. During each episode, celebrity contestants perform 90 to 120 second covers of well-known songs. The celebrities who perform on the show can be from any industry. Each contestant is actually singing the lyrics as opposed to lip syncing. Instead of just wearing a mask, the contestants wear elaborate costumes that completely hide and identifying characteristics of their appearance. Serious measures are taken so that contestants’ identities are not revealed beforehand. Each person involved with the show must sign an NDA. People in the contestants’ personal lives may also be asked to sign an NDA.
After the performance, the panelists and the audience members vote on their favorite performance. The person with the least amount of votes takes off their mask to reveal their identity before leaving the show. The person who wins the show receives a trophy, but it doesn’t appear that they receive any sort of financial prize.
What Changes Have Been Made?
Many things about The Masked Singer have remained the same since season one, but diehard fans have definitely noticed some changes. One of the first changes was the introduction of a “smack down round” which started with season two. During this round the two competitors with the lowest votes compete to see which one of them will be eliminated. Starting in season three, contestants were broken into groups. Each group would have their own episode before using the alternating format. A major change that was introduced in season four was the “Golden Ear” trophy. This award is given to the panelist who makes the most correct number of guesses throughout the season.
The show’s most noteworthy change is also its most recent. In order to adjust to the COVID-19 pandemic, season four will have to do away with the show’s typical live audience format. Instead, of votes from the audience, viewers at home will get the chance to vote.
How At Home Voting Works
At home voting is a great way to make the show fun and interactive, but it doesn’t work the way a lot of people think. Watching the show at home doesn’t automatically give you the opportunity to vote. Instead, only a group of pre-selected “super fans” will be allowed to vote. According to Gold Derby, “These select few got to watch each episode of season 4 unfold on Zoom from the comfort (and safety) of their couches. They then weighed in with their yea and nay votes on the performances. The collective opinion of these viewers will count for 50% of the total, and those of the four judges will make up the other 50% (to be precise, each of the panellists will have a say that is the equivalent of 12.5%).”
People chosen to be super fans had to sign confidentiality agreements that stated they would not share the outcome of the episodes. Additionally, these people also agreed not to reveal their identities and they are not even allowed to see each other. For many fans, the fact that the audience voting option doesn’t really extend to the audience is kind of a bummer. After all, it’s kind of pointless to know that viewers are voting if you can’t be one of them. However, maybe if this format proves to be successful, it could be something they decide to roll out on a larger scale in future seasons. With season four already under way, it’ll be interesting to see how this change pans out.
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