Here’s the real reason why Ten’s The Masked Singer has been benched
Fans of shiny-floor singing show The Masked Singer were disappointed earlier this year when Channel 10 announced that neither The Masked Singer nor The Bachelor would be returning to screens in 2024, despite being announced at Ten’s upfront.
This disappointment was compounded last week when neither show appeared on the network’s schedules for 2025.
Daniel Monaghan, Paramount ANZ’s senior vice president of content and programming, tells Mumbrella that The Bachelor definitely wasn’t in consideration for 2025, although was less definitive about whether they mulled over the return of the country’s favourite psychedelic puppet show.
“The Masked Singer, we love that show,” Monaghan said. “We weren’t able to get it into the schedule this year or next, but I would not say never for Masked Singer. It really fits the bill of that broad family entertainment.”
The Masked Singer’s fifth season was by no means a ratings failure, with the finale reveal episode drawing a healthy 594,000 overnight viewers last November, with those numbers expanding to 965,000 once BVOD catch-up viewers were added.
So, was price the major factor?
“Well, like all shiny floor shows, they’re expensive,” Monaghan concedes. “But in terms of our suite for next year, we have moved I’m A Celebrity… back into that summer period to get the momentum right from the beginning.
“And if you roll through it from a franchise perspective only, into Survivor and MasterChef, we have a second short-run series of Survivor next year, Amazing Race, Dessert Masters, and Big Brother.
“We’re in a period where we’ve got the biggest and the most popular franchises. That probably rounds out our year, just with that extra Survivor.”
So, it’s scheduling room, and cost.
When The Masked Singer’s 2024 season was rested in May, Mumbrella asked TV Tonight’s David Knox for his thoughts.
“The cost of The Masked Singer, both in terms of rights and production, versus the output of just over two hours a week makes it less attractive than other shows which can be stripped across successive nights,” he told Mumbrella at the time.
“It’s unfortunate because it’s one of the few entertainment shows that compels you to watch live for the big reveal.”
Dave Hughes, one of the show’s judges, also said at the time, “the Channel 10 budget this year doesn’t have enough money for it.
“Apparently it’s an expensive show to produce.”
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Nathan Jolly is the Features Editor at Mumbrella. He joined the team in July, 2023.
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I don’t really give a hoot about The Bachelor but I really love the maskinger I have watched every single season of the show before was cancelled channel 10 shooter have realized that something is popular as the maas singer would be expensive it was the only decent show that was on television at the time besides bluey now there is percoly no reason for me to watch TV anymore because all they show every single channel has shown nothing but garbage
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For seasons, they teased ground breaking A-celebs (give us at least one!!!) and all we got was the standard local fare.
“Its not Brad Pitt… its… Hamish and Andy!”
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R U Serious?? The Mask Singer is by far One of the Best Shows Ever. Watched every show.So.. Disappointed
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Not happy axe big brother that sh*t the mask singer is better 😤
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Get rid of Big Brother
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