CRAIG ROBINSON TO HOST “THE MASKED DANCER,”
FOX’S BRAND-NEW CELEBRITY COMPETITION SHOW,
FEATURING PANELISTS KEN JEONG, PAULA ABDUL, BRIAN AUSTIN GREEN,
AND ASHLEY TISDALE
Series Premiere Set for December
This December, FOX takes TV’s #1 show and adds a little twist. Based on the smash hit FOX series THE MASKED SINGER and inspired by a popular segment featured on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” all-new celebrity competition series THE MASKED DANCER will be hosted by comedian Craig Robinson. Joining the show as panelists are THE MASKED SINGER and I CAN SEE YOUR VOICE’S Ken Jeong, world-famous choreographer and singer Paula Abdul, actor and the former “Giraffe” Mask on THE MASKED SINGER Brian Austin Green and actress and singer Ashley Tisdale.
THE MASKED DANCER will feature celebrity contestants shaking their tail feathers, while covered from head-to-toe in elaborate costumes and face masks, leaving audiences to guess their identities. Costumed celebrities will be joined on stage by masked partners and back-up dancers, as they perform a series of dances together; spanning from hip-hop to salsa, jazz to tap dancing and more. When it comes to dance styles, the sky is the limit. Each week, a series of clues will be sprinkled throughout packages, costumes and routines, leading the panelists one step closer to figuring out which famous faces are freestyling behind the masks. Between all of the celebrity competitors on the show, they've amassed more than 38 million albums sold worldwide, 20 Emmy® Award wins, 20 Grammy® Award nominations, 10 World Dancing titles, five New York Times Best-Selling Author titles, four Olympic gold medals and three Broadway show appearances. Guest judges and premiere date to be announced soon.
“We’ve begun filming THE MASKED DANCER with incredible new talent on both sides of the mask, and can’t wait to share the series with viewers,” said Rob Wade, President, Alternative Entertainment & Specials, FOX Entertainment. “Craig Robinson is hilarious as always in his role as host, and Ken, Brian, Ashley and Paula are the perfect blend of personalities to lead our awesomely weird world of masks into a whole new genre!”
THE MASKED DANCER is produced by Fox Alternative Entertainment and Warner Bros. Unscripted & Alternative Television and is based on the South Korean format, THE MASKED SINGER, created by Mun Hwa Broadcasting Corp. James Breen, Craig Plestis, Dan Martin and Ellen DeGeneres are executive producers of the series. Breen will serve as showrunner. “Like” THE MASKED DANCER on Facebook at facebook.com/maskeddancerfox. Follow the series on Twitter @maskeddancerfox and join the conversation using #TheMaskedDancer. Check out photos and videos on Instagram @maskeddancerfox.
About Craig Robinson
Beginning as a stand-up comedian, Craig Robinson first made his mark on the comedy circuit at the 1998 Montreal “Just For Laughs” Festival. Now headlining venues and festivals across the country, he does both solo acts, as well as full-band sets with his band, “The Nasty Delicious.” Before deciding to pursue his comedy career full-time, Robinson was a K-8 teacher in the Chicago Public School System. He earned his undergraduate degree from Illinois State University and his Masters of Education from St. Xavier University. It was while Robinson was studying education in Chicago that he also discovered his love of acting and comedy when he joined the famed Second City Theatre. He is best known for his portrayal of “Daryl Philban” in “The Office,” and has starred in films, including “Knocked Up,” “This is the End,” “Hot Tub Time Machine,” “Hot Tub Time Machine 2,” “Morris from America,” “Tragedy Girls,” “Dolemite is my Name!,” “Timmy Failure” and “Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon.” Robinson most recently wrapped on “Songbird,” a pandemic-centric thriller produced by Michael Bay. He also starred in his very own sitcom, “Mr. Robinson,” as well as “Ghosted” on FOX.
About Ken Jeong
Actor, producer and writer Ken Jeong has established himself as one of today’s top comedic stars. He is a panelist on television’s #1 series, FOX’s THE MASKED SINGER, and is the host of FOX’s I CAN SEE YOUR VOICE. He also appeared in the smash hit comedy “Crazy Rich Asians,” and reteamed with the award-winning film’s director, John M. Chu, on his first-ever comedy special, “Ken Jeong: You Complete Me, Ho,” which launched globally on Netflix in 2019. Jeong is best known for his roles on “Dr. Ken,” for which he also served as the creator, writer and executive producer; the network comedy “Community”; and “The Hangover” franchise. He will next be seen on the big screen in “Over The Moon,” and recently appeared in “My Spy” and “Scoob.”
About Paula Abdul
Worldwide sensation Paula Abdul is best known as a music superstar, with 60 million records sold and six #1 hits, and more recently for her nine-season run as a judge on ”American Idol.” She continued her on-screen success as executive producer and star in the competition series “Live To Dance,” followed by another role as a judge on FOX’s ”The X-Factor.” She then completed two seasons as a judge on “So You Think You Can Dance” and one season on “So You Think You Can Dance Australia.” After more than 25 years, she made her triumphant return to touring with Live Nation’s 2018 “The Total Package Tour,” selling half-a-million tickets, Abdul hit 45 cities in the U.S., alongside Boyz II Men and New Kids on the Block. The next year, in 2018, Abdul embarked on her first solo tour in decades, “Straight Up Paula!,” which brought her all over the U.S. to sold-out theaters. A multi-Platinum recording artist, she has been recognized with two Emmy Awards, two Grammy Awards and three American Music Awards.
About Brian Austin Green
Brian Austin Green is an actor, director and producer who gained overnight fame as the sweet and naive "David Silver” on “Beverly Hills, 90210." He most recently was seen on FOX’s “BH90210,” the six-episode summer event reboot, which aired almost 30 years after its debut on the network. Green starred in “Anger Management,” opposite Charlie Sheen, playing his best friend. He also was the lead character, “Tommy,” in the series “Wedding Band.” Prior to that, he was a series regular on the critically acclaimed FOX series “Terminator - The Sarah Connor Chronicles,” and love interest to Marcia Cross’ character in “Desperate Housewives.” Additional television credits include “Freddie,” “George Lopez,” “Hope and Faith,” “Smallville,” “CSI Miami,” “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” “Happy Endings” and “Resurrection Blvd.” Green was seen in theaters in the Tony Scott-directed film, “Domino,” opposite Kiera Knightly, and has starred in several independent movies and short films, including “Turning Japanese” and “Chasing Titles.”
About Ashley Tisdale
Multi-talented actress and singer Ashley Tisdale received worldwide acclaim for her iconic role as “Sharpay Evans,” the high school drama queen, in the hugely popular movies “High School Musical” movies. Tisdale most recently reprised her role as “Candace Flynn” in the animated adventure movie "Phineas and Ferb The Movie: Candace Against the Universe.” She also starred in “Carol's Second Act” and “Merry Happy Whatever.” Other television credits include “The Suite Life of Zack & Cody,” “Nathan's Choice,” “Clipped,” “Hellcats” and “Sabrina: Secrets of a Teenage Witch,” for which she earned an Emmy Award® nomination. She also executive-produced and appeared in the Imagen Award-nominated series “Young & Hungry.” On the big screen, Tisdale starred in “Scary Movie 5,” “Birds of Paradise,” “Amateur Night” and “Charming.” Her first solo album, “Headstrong,” debuted in 2007 and entered the Billboard 200 Chart at #5. Tisdale has since released two additional albums, titled “Guilty Pleasure” and “Symptoms.”