Masks.
Not those of barrier gestures.
Those of TF1, feathered, furry and sequined.
The A quickdraw, this Saturday evening at 9:05 pm, season 2 of “Mask Singer”, his celebrity singing competition hidden behind crazy costumes.
The concept remains the same: the four investigators of the jury, Alessandra Sublet, Kev Adams, Jarry and Anggun, to unmask two personalities per evening, thanks to more or less relevant clues.
Imported from Korea, this entertainment refereed for six weeks by Camille Combal had benefited from a strong curiosity effect: 6.6 million viewers, for the launch on November 8, 2019. While the final, won by Laurence Boccolini, s' was unrolled in front of 5.1 million.
Not easy to do better, especially after several postponements of filming because of the pandemic.
And yet, TF1 has beefed up its game!
Decryption.
Increased competition.
By switching from Friday to Saturday, "Mask Singer" risks losing feathers.
The masked telecrochet finds itself facing the formidable "Commissioner Magellan" broadcast on France 3. "Season 2 is always the hardest," recognizes Rémi Faure, head of TF1 entertainment.
There is less curiosity effect, less communication.
It's up to us to surprise people to make them come back.
“Not to mention the curfew effect.
It pays, but less than "Koh-Lanta".
This Saturday, advertisers will pay 83,000 euros for thirty seconds of advertising.
This is 15% less than for the previous launch, but 38% more than for “Dance with the stars”.
“At this level, TF1 remains confident, analyzes Philippe Nouchi, media expert at PublicisMédia.
It's a powerful family program.
"But probably not yet as much as" Koh-Lanta ", broadcast the day before, which allows the channel to earn 25,000 euros more for each spot.
And the prices of "Mask Singer" drop from the second week.
A more beautiful setting.
The production, which had delivered tables below "The Voice" or "Dance with the stars", corrected the shooting.
"We have increased the budget to have a screen on the ground, a zenithal camera, a greater amplitude of the crane, more dancers", insists Rémi Faure, who is already preparing season 3 with mapping (projection of a virtual set ), holograms or 3D.
“We are looking closely at what is being done in Mexico and the United States, far ahead on this point, adds the head of TF1.
The show has the potential to still be around ten years from now.
"
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An international star.
Surprise from the second issue: a personality "world famous" according to TF1 will come for the evening.
Dressed in a superb costume based on mirrors, she will remove her mask after a "flash investigation".
"The hardest part was getting her to register (
Editor's note: in July
) in the health context," said Camille Combal.
"It put me on the butt," adds Kev Adams, who took a selfie like the other investigators.
If the average stamp is 25,000 euros, the production can take out its checkbook to land a real star.
On "Dance with the stars", Pamela Anderson had negotiated a contract of around 400,000 euros.
The production of "Mask Singer" was keen to tamper with the votes of the candidates less than in the first season.
/ TF1 / Christophe Chevalin
More mainstream celebrities.
Exit the Marie-José Pérec or Sheila little known to the youngest.
“Children are the engines at home.
They should not be disappointed, ”says Rémi Faure.
According to the production, the success of season 1 attracted more current stars, from music, fashion, cinema, sport, the media… Camille Combal even received several applications directly on his cell phone.
Twelve new eccentric costumes.
A skeleton wearing a top hat, a spider with eight articulated legs, a crazy wolf in sunglasses, a gigantic disco red mouth perched on high heels or even a magnificent octopus covered in glitter.
The costume designers of "Mask Singer" went all out, with a touching shark in his blue suit or a penguin in a pom-pom hat.
The Americans have elsewhere taken up the idea of the robot with eyes in the form of car headlights, glimpsed in the magnetos of season 1.
Less doctored voices.
It was often too hard to get us on track.
"We will give more tangible leads from the first presentation tape to help viewers", assures Anthony Meunier, general manager within production.
A crow, played by an actor, will also come to sow clues.
The artists' voices will be less subject to acoustic arrangements in the studio.
Reinforced health measures.
The first four numbers show an audience, seated in small groups, unmasked.
But for the last two, this is no longer the case: all spectators wear one.
"We followed the recommendations which changed in July," underlines Rémi Faure.
