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Ken Jeong Floats ‘The Masked Comedian’ Spinoff Idea As ‘The Masked Dancer’ EP Hopes For Long Waltz

The Masked Dancer is the latest show in Fox’s “masked” universe and is set to salsa onto screens December 27. Even ahead of the show’s debut, panelist Ken Jeong, who also features on parent show The Masked Singer, has floated the idea of more spinoffs, notably The Masked Comedian.

In response to a question as to whether a spinoff could be inspired by Murray Langston — known as The Unknown Comic, a frequent guest on The Gong Show with a paper bag over his head — Jeong said, “I’ve actually told Craig [Robinson] that there could be a world where that could happen and Craig hosted Last Coming Standing. It’s funny you say that because there were moments when we were doing The Masked Dancer, where I would watch Craig on stage, because we go back so much in stand-up, and I said that there could be an amplification of this.”

The Office star Robinson hosts The Masked Dancer, which is produced in association with Ellen DeGeneres and based on a popular segment on The Ellen Show.

In the show, celebrity contestants will perform unique dances, while covered from head-to-toe in elaborate costumes and face masks, leaving audiences to guess their identities.

Alongside Jeong, Paula Abdul, Brian Austin Green and Ashley Tisdale are judges. They must guess the dancers’ identities as they perform a range of dance styles.

The trailer for the show says viewers should expect a “limited masked event,” but showrunner/executive producer James Breen said that the hope is to go for multiple seasons, similar to its parent show, which was renewed for a fifth season this morning.

“We all hope it does [run for multiple seasons], but now it’s an event, it’s nine episodes, which in The Masked Singer land is a much shorter run, but obviously we want to keep going forever and I think there’s potential, it’s a really fun show so I hope it goes for as long as it can,” Breen added.

The Masked Dancer is produced by Fox Alternative Entertainment and Warner Bros Unscripted & Alternative Television with DeGeneres exec producing along with The Masked Singer EP Craig Plestis and Breen.

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