“Masked Singer” is still a smash hit in its fifth season, and spinoff “The Masked Dancer” was no ratings slouch itself. (Though it was also no “Masked Singer.”)
Season 6 of “The Masked Singer” is set to dominate the fall, but in a lengthy press release this morning outlining its programming plans for the 2021-22 TV season, Fox had no mention whatsoever of a second season for “Dancer.” On the subsequent conference call, TheWrap asked the network’s alternative-programming boss Rob Wade what’s up with that: Is “Masked Dancer” going to return in midseason, next summer, or not at all?
“We’re really happy with ‘The Masked Dancer. I thought it was a great show,” Wade replied. “Currently, we are just figuring out where it fits into our ‘Masked’ strategy.”
“We’ve announced the ‘Singer’ for the fall,” he continued. “And really, we’re just looking to see where and when [‘Masked Dancer’] will play best.”
Find the full Fall 2021 schedule for Fox here.
Wade added that Fox “took a lot of lessons from” filming Season 1 of “The Masked Dancer” this past fall during the coronavirus pandemic. “We’ve got a lot of really nice ideas should there be a Season 2 and we’re figuring out when and where that might be,” he said.
This season, “The Masked Singer” has averaged a 2.0 rating among adults 18-49 and 7.6 million total viewers, according to Nielsen.
Those numbers include one week of delayed viewing where available. The 2.0 rating ties it with “This Is Us.”
“The Masked Dancer” Season 1 averaged a 0.9 rating (which is more “Supermarket Sweep” territory) and 3.9 million total viewers. Those numbers are perhaps not something to get up and dance around over, but a shimmy or two — and a Season 2 renewal — would not be inappropriate.
“The Masked Singer” airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Fox. Wednesday marks the Season 5 semifinals with the three-contestant finale set for May 26.