Fox has been the best place on network television to find some bonkers singing competition shows thanks to The Masked Singer and Ken Jeong's I Can See Your Voice, and now the new avatar singing show is going to take the weirdness up a notch from even The Masked Singer. Alter Ego is on the way in just a few weeks to debut a new way for contestants to try and win over the judges without showing their faces, and the first look reveals what viewers can expect from the new series.
Alter Ego, which is getting a big two-night series premiere later this month, will be hosted by Emmy-winning TV personality Rocsi Diaz, with some big names in the music biz on board as hosts, including Grammy winner Alanis Morissette and boy bander-turned-TV personality Nick Lachey. As for how the show will use avatars to hide the identities of singers... well, it really needs to be seen to be believed. Take a look at the show that could be even weirder (for better or worse) than The Masked Singer!
To the show's credit, the first look at Alter Ego really does prove that the technology being used to create the avatars for the performers is quite impressive. Even the littlest of motions done by the singers while wearing the devices is brought to their avatars, and the judges can even tell when the singers are getting emotional just based on their virtual faces. I do wonder what the avatars look like in person vs. ready for broadcast, but so far it looks like the weirdness of Alter Ego could be fun in a different way from The Masked Singer.
With Canadian songwriter/singer Grimes and Grammy-winning singer/songwriter will.i.am joining Alanis Morissette and Nick Lachey, the judges will oversee a crop of singers who aren't celebrities of all walks of life hiding their famous faces, but rather singers getting second chances to pursue their dreams and become the stars they've always wanted to be. The avatars aren't used to obscure their famous identities, like with The Masked Singer contestants, but rather to show themselves how they've always wanted to be seen. Who needs Cluedle-Doo when you have computer-generated singing avatars?
The contestants will be able to create their own dream avatar for Alter Ego, and use what is some remarkable motion capture technology to really deliver a visual performance along with the vocals. And it already seem clear that those vocals are going to be pretty impressive. Is it any surprise that a music competition series with such a unique premise is getting a prime push from Fox? Not only will Alter Ego launch with a two-night premiere event, but it is getting an enviable primetime slot: following The Masked Singer on Wednesday nights.
The Masked Singer has been a juggernaut winner in the ratings ever since its first season, more than holding its own on a pretty competitive night of network TV primetime. If Alter Ego can hold onto even a portion of The Masked Singer's audience, then Fox could have its next (somewhat bizarre) hit. Tune in to Fox on Wednesday, September 22 and Thursday, September 23 at 9 p.m. ET to see the first two episodes of Alter Ego, before it settles into its normal fall TV schedule slot on Wednesdays after The Masked Singer.
