Fox to launch unscripted studio

Fox’s The Masked Singer was adapted from a South Korean show

Fox Entertainment in the US is launching an unscripted production company, with hit format The Masked Singer the first show to be brought in-house.

Endemol Shine North America (ESNA) has exited Fox’s US version of the format as a result and will not be involved in its second season, according to US reports.

Instead, the show will be produced by Fox Alternative Entertainment, a fledgling unit within the independent broadcast network that was not acquired as part of Disney’s deal for various 21st Century Fox assets.

The new unit will come under the remit of Rob Wade, president of alternative entertainment and specials at Fox Broadcasting Company. Craig Plestis, who has an overall deal with ESNA via his prodco Smart Dog Media, will continue to executive produce The Masked Singer in the US.

Meanwhile, Endemol Shine Group will continue to work on various international versions of The Masked Singer that are set to air on networks such as Televisa in Mexico and ProSieben in Germany.

The South Korean format’s first season on Fox launched in January. It set an audience record in its genre and its premiere led all television programmes the US.

The show sees a group of celebrities hide their identity behind full-body disguises and elaborate masks while singing in front of a panel of judges, who have to examine every detail of the performance as they attempt to work out who they really are.