I recently spent the weekend at my son’s house. I brought six of his siblings along and stayed with him, his wife and their four children (my sweet grand-babies) during a snow storm. Two of my daughters and one of his were scheduled to perform on stage at a local arts festival. We were worried that we’d get stuck and miss the show. That’s because we live on a mountain, in the woods. My son lives in the town where the theater is located; hence, the sleepover solved our problem. We had a lot of fun. The most fun, however, was binge-watching a series I know will be voted among the best TV shows of 2019.
The Best TV Shows are Often Suspenseful
Yes, we’re still closer to the start of the year than the end. More new shows might yet debut. I’m quite certain that, even if they do, I’ll still think “The Masked Singer” is the greatest competitive performance show to hit the airwaves in — well, ever. If you love shows like “The Voice,” “America’s Got Talent,” “American Idol,” you’ll want to check this out. It’s like that but ramped up about 1,000 notches. It has mystery, humor and suspense, and who doesn’t love mystery, humor and suspense?
Not every performer is a trained or professional singer on this show. However, every contestant sings. A panel of judges watches a stage performance. The performer conceals his or her identity. He or she wears a costume of a character of original design. The costume might hold clues about who is under the mask. Judges watch video clips that contain additional clues about the performer’s identity.
Best TV Shows Invite Audience Participation
After each performance, the judges discuss their guesses about who they think the masked singer might be. At the end of every show, the judges join the audience, as well as viewers at home, in voting for their favorite performance. The one receiving the least votes must reveal his or her identity by taking off the mask. Before he or she does this, each judge gives a final guess.
The Element of Surprise
The moment-of-reveal is so exciting; we shouted and cheered from our living room seats. The singer who unveils his or her mask often does so, slowly. This evokes an eruption of chants from the judges and audience, who shout, “Take it off! Take it off!” Finally, the masked singer shows his or her face, which lets everyone know if any of the judges’ guesses were correct.
Best TV Shows Feature Amazingly Talented Artists
The masked performers might indeed be professional singers. In fact, this season included music icons, Gladys Knight and Donnie Osmond. Non-professional-singer contestants who did their best and gave great performances included former NFL superstar, Terry Bradshaw and former talk show host, Ricki Lake.
I was absolutely floored at the way Osmond and Knight can still move on stage. Their voices are as powerful as they ever were. At ages 61 and 74 respectively, it’s astounding to watch them perform. Osmond was in full, head-to-toe peacock garb and Knight was dressed as a bee. I can’t fathom how hot and suffocating it must feel to work the stage, under the lights, in a costume that includes a full facial mask.
Will it Rank Among Best TV Shows for You?
The first season of “The Masked Singer” has ended. When I was a kid, contest shows like “Star Search” ran weekly. I don’t remember them being seasonal. Nowadays, you get to watch eight or nine performances, then have to wait for months for a new season. If you have on-demand features on your TV, you can still watch the season that just ended. If you already watched, let us know who your favorite performer was!
My only complaint about “The Masked Singer” was that the judges occasionally use cuss words. Entertainment is so much better without that stuff, especially when families are watching together. What do you consider the best TV shows on the small screen today? What type of show do you look for when you hunker down for “me” time or “family” time? Leave a comment, and tell which shows you like and why you like them!
