A surefire way to make a successful product is to combine two things that people already love to create something new. It’s a tried and true model that has given the world Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, cookies n’ cream ice cream, and Dakota Johnson. Another easy path to success taking something boring and making it sexy, like the Green M&M, the orgasm-inducing Herbal Essences shampoo of the ’90s, and Dakota Johnson in the 50 Shades trilogy.
Now, Netflix is attempting the same thing with their brand new series Sexy Beasts, a reality dating show where the contestants’ faces are completely obscured by movie prosthetics, transforming them into various animals and mythical creatures. The idea behind the show is that these folks will fall in love with one another’s personalities in a twist on the hit series Love Is Blind meets the nightmare-inducing visuals of The Masked Singer. You’re welcome, America!
Simon Welton, creator and executive producer for Lion TV, said, “Making ‘Sexy Beasts’ for Netflix has been an incredibly exciting process. With an international cast featuring some truly brilliant characters, a host of prosthetics which look extraordinary in 4K and with Rob Delaney narrating, the viewers are in for a real treat. I hope the show puts a smile on peoples’ faces as they play along to discover who’ll fall in love with who, and what our cast all really look like.”
This is, of course, not a new idea. “Blind” dating has been a thing ever since the earliest versions of The Dating Game, and has long been a reality TV show staple. Who could forget FOX’s ill-conceived dating series Mr. Personality, hosted by Monica Lewinsky (yes, really)? It featured one woman’s struggle to find love among a dozen guys dressed as dollar store Batman toys left out too long in the sun:
Sexy Beasts, which will be narrated by Rob Delaney (Deadpool 2), is obviously looking to capture the cross-section of The Masked Singer fans and furries, presumably. And honestly, good for them. This is a show for everyone who thought that the Beast in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast was sexier than the Fabio lookalike he turns into when the curse is broken.
Obviously, this show will be hilarious, but I would love to see it venture into the wild stratosphere that The Masked Singer occupies. I’m talking masks on masks on masks on puppets on yet more masks. I want the dating equivalent of that time the snail was revealed to be Kermit the Frog:
kermit the frog was on the masked singer… what is this timeline pic.twitter.com/dUFSSqSDBo
— chris! at the rope drop (@ropedropchris) March 11, 2021
I think the success of this show depends on how these make-ups turn out. Prosthetic artist Kristyan Mallet, whose credits include Mission Impossible and The Theory of Everything, designed each one specifically for the show’s participants. Mallet’s first gig was working as a creature effects trainee on Harry Potter: Prisoner of Azkaban, so she’s well versed in fantastic beasts.
What do you think of Sexy Beasts? Will you be tuning in to see folks finding love under layers of latex and silicone prosthetics?
(via Variety, image: FOX)
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