‘Masquerade Ball’ Dating Format Being Piloted At Fox With ZnakTV

EXCLUSIVE: Fox is getting the ball rolling on its own dating format aspirations.

The network is piloting Masquerade Ball, a non-scripted entertainment format from Natalka Znak’s ZnakTV and Fox Alternative Entertainment.

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The one-hour dating competition gives singles the opportunity to escape their regular lives and enter a period when romance was formal, dressing up was compulsory and the search for love was a serious affair.

In Masquerade Ball, there is no swiping or liking, rather singles must rely on their own wit and charm. Because, in this world, it’s who you are and not what you look like that really matters. It’s all about chemistry, body language and conversation. The centerpiece of every episode is the decadent Masquerade Ball, where our singles have just a few fleeting moments on the dance floor to impress. Can they make these brief conversations count in their efforts to find the perfect partner and achieve that fairytale happy-ever-after?

Znak, who is showrunner for Fox’s MasterChef and MasterChef Junior, exec produces alongside Claire O’Donohoe. It marks the first project for Znak’s new rebranded company ZnakTV, which is also understood to be working on a series for YouTube.

Znak set up the new venture after leaving her previously Sky-backed company Znak & Co., which produced series such as Ultimate Tag and Revolution for Fox as well as Netflix’s I Am A Killer. YouTube and other major broadcast networks.

Prior to Znak & Co., she was CEO of Zodiak USA where she produced shows such as Secret Millionaire (ABC), Celebrity Wife Swap (ABC), and truTV’s Hardcore Pawn, Lizard Lick Towing and Killer Karaoke. She was previously at ITV Studios, where her credits included Hell’s Kitchen, Love Island and I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here.

Rob Wade, President, Alternative Entertainment and Specials, Fox Entertainment, recently told Deadline that he is looking for noisy new formats. “I’m obviously hoping to take bigger and better swings over the next 12 months,” he said.

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