With Nick Cannon sidelined by a positive COVID test just as The Masked Singer went back in production last month, producers were forced to think fast. Their solution? Call Niecy Nash. (Something we'd all be well advised to do in times of crisis.) Nash's first episode airs tonight as the show introduces this season's first five celebrities in disguise.
Also today: Wayne Brady hosts Fox's Game of Talents, South Park returns with a new hour-long special, and Last Chance U pivots to basketball. Here's what's new and noteworthy on TV this Wednesday:
SEASON PREMIERE: Niecy Nash isn't the only change coming to The Masked Singer. This season is also set to include the show's first-ever wildcard rounds, which will drop new big celebs into the mix late in the competition. Not changing: the show's COVID-friendly fake audience. Watch preview. 8:00 PM ET on FOX
SERIES PREMIERE: Proving that Fox has yet to meet a hybrid talent competition it doesn't like, Game of Talents is one part I Can See Your Voice, one part What's My Line, and as Primetimer's Tara Ariano writes, 100% inane. 9:00 PM ET on FOX
SPECIAL PRESENTATION: The residents of South Park are back with South ParQ: The Vaccination Special, a new hour-long special that's set to see a new militant group try to stop the boys from getting their teacher vaccinated. Watch trailer. 8:00 PM ET on Comedy Central
COMPLETE FIRST SEASON: The new eight-episode spinoff series Last Chance U: Basketball follows the East Los Angeles College Huskies and their Coach John Mosley as they fend off challenges on and off the court. Primetimer's Aaron Barnhart previewed the new series and filed this review. Streaming on Netflix
COMPLETE FIRST SEASON: What'll it be: fairy-tale wedding or luxurious dream home? Marriage or Mortgage sees engaged couples on a limited budget facing that choice, with a wedding planner and a real estate agent on hand to tempt them in either direction. Watch trailer. Streaming on Netflix
NEW EPISODE: Archie (KJ Apa) is looking for a few good men as he recruits for Riverdale's new volunteer fire department. Meanwhile, Betty (Lili Reinhart), Alice (Mädchen Amick) and Kevin (Casey Cott) pursue an investigation that leads them into conflict with Hiram Lodge (Mark Consuelos). Watch preview. 8:00 PM ET on The CW
COMPLETE FIRST SEASON: Netflix channels The Blair Witch Project in its new French-language thriller Dealer , in which a music video director (Sebastien Houbani) is tasked by the music label with filming a charismatic but unpredictable drug gang leader (Abdramane Diakite), who has dreams of breaking into the rap scene. Watch trailer. Streaming on Netflix
Mike Attebery is Senior Editor at Primetimer and the author of seven mystery thrillers. Follow him on Twitter at @mikeattebery.
TOPICS: The Masked Singer, FOX, Nick Cannon, Niecy Nash-Betts