title: Mad Men

text: "Mad Men" was credited with setting off a wave of renewed interest in the fashion and culture of the early 1960s. According to "The Guardian" in 2008, the show was responsible for a revival in men's suits, especially suits resembling those of that time period, with higher waistbands and shorter jackets; as well as "everything from tortoise shell glasses to fedoras." According to the website "BabyCenter", the show led to the name "Betty" soaring in popularity for baby girls in the United States in 2010. According to "The Arizona Republic", a resurgence in interest for Mid-century modern furnishings and decor also coincided with the emergence of the show. "New York Times" theater critic Ben Brantley wrote in 2011 that the success of "Mad Men" had turned "the booze-guzzling, chain-smoking, babe-chasing 1960s" into "Broadway's decade du jour", citing three 1960s-set musicals that had appeared on Broadway in the past year: revivals of "Promises, Promises" and "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying", and a new musical, "Catch Me If You Can". Brantley also wrote, "I'm presuming that "Mad Men" is the reason this "Promises, Promises" is set not in the late '60s, as the original was, but in 1962."


title: Mad Men

text: The 2009 TNT series "Trust Me", which ran for one season, was set at a modern-day advertising agency; television critic Tom Shales called it a cross between "Mad Men" and another television show, "Nip/Tuck". Two network television series that premiered in 2011, the short-lived "The Playboy Club" and the one-season "Pan Am", both set in 1963, were frequently referred to as imitations of "Mad Men". The British TV drama "The Hour", which also premiered in 2011, and is set in 1956, was also described as influenced by "Mad Men". The 2014 Syfy miniseries "Ascension" was described as ""Mad Men" in space". Don Draper's rendition of the Frank O'Hara poem "Mayakovsky" from "Meditations in an Emergency", at the end of "For Those Who Think Young" (season two, episode one), led to the poet's work entering the top 50 sales on Amazon.com.


title: Mad Men

text: The appearance of Christina Hendricks as office manager Joan, is said to have sparked a renewed interest in a voluptuous look for women and to be partly responsible for, among other things, a 10 percent increase in breast implant surgery in the United Kingdom in 2010.


title: Mad Men

text: The nostalgia for the fashions and social norms of the early 1960s engendered by "Mad Men" was criticized by some commentators. Amy Benfer, writing in 2009 in "Salon", asked, "But isn't it a little odd that a show that, among other things, warns about the dangers of seeing the past in too amber a light has spawned an industry devoted to fetishizing nostalgia for that same flawed past?"


title: Mad Men

text: In the 2014 State of the Union Address, President Barack Obama, in speaking out against unequal pay for women, said "It's time to do away with workplace policies that belong in a "Mad Men" episode." Matthew Weiner released a statement saying that he "supports the president," and that he was "honored that our show is part of a much-needed national conversation." In 2015, a sculpture of a bench dedicated to "Mad Men" featuring the image of Don Draper from the opening credit sequence was unveiled in front of the Time-Life Building.


title: Mad Men

text: The show's success is also credited with sparking the resurgence of the AMC cable television channel.


title: Mad Men

text: the American Film Institute, Emmys and Creative Arts Emmys from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, a Peabody Award from the Peabody Board at the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, Satellite Awards from the International Press Academy, and British Academy Television Awards from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Numerous nominations and award were also received from guilds and societies such as the Art Directors Guild, Casting Society of America, Cinema Audio Society, Costume Designers Guild, Directors Guild of America, Motion Picture Sound Editors, Producers Guild of America, Screen Actors Guild, Television Critics Association, and Writers Guild of America.


title: Mad Men

text: Award highlights include winning the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series four times, for each of its first four seasons; its fourth win tied the record for serial dramas set earlier by "Hill Street Blues" (1981–84), "L.A. Law" (1987, 1989–91), and "The West Wing" (2000–03). In 2012 "Mad Men" set a record for the most Emmy nominations, 17, without winning. A 2015 "The Hollywood Reporter" survey of 2,800 actors, producers, directors, and other industry people named it as their #9 favorite show.


title: Mad Men

text: In promotions for the series, AMC aired commercials and a behind-the-scenes documentary on the making of "Mad Men" before its premiere. The commercials mostly show the one (usually brief) sex scene from each episode of the season. The commercials, as well as the documentary, featured the song "You Know I'm No Good" by Amy Winehouse. The documentary, in addition to trailers and sneak peeks of upcoming episodes, were released on the official AMC website. "Mad Men" was also made available at the iTunes Store on July 20, 2007, along with the "making of" documentary.


title: Mad Men

text: For the second season, AMC undertook the largest marketing campaign it had ever launched, intending to reflect the "cinematic quality" of the series. The Grand Central Terminal subway shuttle to Times Square was decorated with life-size posters of Jon Hamm as Don Draper, and quotes from the first season. Inside Grand Central, groups of people dressed in period clothing would hand out "Sterling Cooper" business cards to promote the July 27 season premiere. Window displays were arranged at 14 Bloomingdale's stores for exhibition throughout July, and a 45' by 100' wallscape was posted at the corner of Hollywood and Highland in downtown Hollywood. Television commercials on various cable and local networks, full-page print ads, and a 30-second trailer in Landmark Theaters throughout July were also run in promotion of the series. Television promotions for the second season featured the song "The Truth" by Handsome Boy Modeling School.


title: Mad Men

text: The advertising campaign for the fifth season of "Mad Men" was conceived by the network as a way to promote the series after the 17-month break between seasons. A teaser campaign began in which posters, using images of the enigmatic "falling man" from the opening credits, were spread out on buildings in New York and Los Angeles. "The New York Times" ran a story about the image's similarity to the 9/11 falling man image. Some 9/11 victims' family members accused the campaign of being insensitive. However, one family member accused the paper of creating a "kerfuffle where none exists", as well as using 9/11 family members to "write a story that refers only to your own feelings". AMC responded with a statement that said, "The image of Don Draper tumbling through space has been used since the show began in 2007 to represent a man whose life is in turmoil. The image used in the campaign is intended to serve as a metaphor for what is happening in Don Draper's fictional life and in no way references actual events."


title: Mad Men

text: The advertising campaign also included the use of posters that proclaimed "Adultery Is Back." "The Atlantic Wire" criticized the AMC campaign, saying "Not that we're some creaky old traditionalists who value monogamy above all else, but making that of all things the selling point for a brilliant, beautiful show seems a little silly."


title: Mad Men

text: Promotion for Seasons 4 and 5 saw "Mad Men" and AMC partnering with Banana Republic for the "Mad Men" Casting Call, in which users submit photos of themselves in "Mad Men" style and one winner receives the opportunity for a walk-on role in an upcoming season. Promotion for Seasons 3 and 4 included ""Mad Men" Yourself", an interactive game in which the user can choose clothing and accessories for an avatar similar to the appearance of "Mad Men" characters, drawn in the sixties-inspired style of illustrator Dyna Moe. ""Mad Men" Cocktail Culture" was also featured, an iPhone app that challenges users to create the perfect drink as featured in "Mad Men" episodes. Another interactive game launched prior to Season 3, the "Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce Job Interview", allowed users to answer questions based on various scenarios and then offered them a position in the Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce office. Season 3 also included "Which Mad Man Are You?", an interactive game in which users could find out which "Mad Men" character they were most like based on their answers to questions about various work and life situations. Users can take trivia quizzes based on the years in which the "Mad Men" episodes take place and find recipes for 1960s-era drinks on the "Mad Men" Cocktail Guide. AMC's "Mad Men" website also features exclusive sneak peek and behind the scenes videos, episodic and behind-the-scenes photo galleries, episode and character guides, a blog, and a community forum.


title: Mad Men

text: Inspired by the iconic Zippo brand, the DVD box set of the first season of "Mad Men" was designed like a flip-open Zippo lighter. Zippo subsequently developed two designs of lighters with "Mad Men" logos to be sold at the company headquarters and online. The DVD box set, as well as a Blu-ray disc set, was released July 1, 2008; it features a total of 23 audio commentaries on the season's 13 episodes from various members of the cast and crew.


title: Mad Men

text: For the third season, the clothing store Banana Republic partnered with "Mad Men" to create window displays at its U.S. stores, showing clothing inspired by the fashion of the show. The store also ran a "casting call" competition, in which participants were asked to mail photos of themselves in period fashion for a chance at a walk-on part in the show; two winners were announced in October 2010.


title: Mad Men

text: Another clothing promotion from the series's third season includes a "Mad-Men Edition" suit offered by American clothing retailer Brooks Brothers. The suit is designed by the show's costume designer, Janie Bryant, and is based on an actual style sold by Brooks Brothers in the early 1960s.


title: Mad Men

text: In spring 2010, Mattel released a series of limited-edition collectible Barbie and Ken dolls based on the characters Don and Betty Draper, Joan Holloway, and Roger Sterling.


title: Mad Men

text: The fourth season saw the announcement of a collaboration between Janie Bryant and Californian-based company, Nailtini, to produce a limited-edition line of "Mad Men" nail polish. The four shades are entitled Bourbon Satin, French 75, Deauville and Stinger and are reported to have been inspired by the fabrics used to make cocktail dresses in the 1960s. The "Mad Men" nail polish line went on sale in the U.S. in late 2010.


title: Mad Men

text: "Mad Men" featured a significant number of products and brands that existed both in the 1960s and at the time of airing, many of them shown as advertising clients, including Lucky Strike, Bethlehem Steel, Heineken, Volkswagen, Cadillac, Playtex, Chanel, Spam, Utz potato chips, Maidenform, Gillette, American Airlines and Clearasil. This led to widespread speculation that many or all of the products and brands on the show were the result of paid product placement. In fact, nearly all real products featured were included solely for purposes of realism, with no product placement deals behind them. Showrunner Matthew Weiner said in an interview: "There is very little [product placement], and it is an illusion that is propagated by the network to try and get more business. It never works out ... Literally I've named four [paid placements] in four seasons and there have probably been a hundred products on the show. Half of them are made up, no one's paying to be on the show." According to Weiner, the companies that did pay for product placement are Jack Daniel's, Heineken, Unilever and Hilton, though the last was only a payment of gratitude after a storyline involving Hilton had already aired.


title: Mad Men

text: Jack Daniel's was mentioned by name in the fifth episode. Soon afterward, the consumer-rights activist group Commercial Alert filed a complaint with the United States Distilled Spirits Council alleging that Jack Daniel's was violating liquor advertising standards since the show features "depictions of overt sexual activity" as well as irresponsible intoxication.


title: Mad Men

text: Heineken is seen in the show as a client seeking to bring its beer to the attention of American consumers. Heineken was also the sole advertiser for the U.S. premiere of the last episode of Season 2, which featured only one commercial.


title: Mad Men

text: During the fourth season, Unilever created a series of six retro commercials that were aired during the show in the United States. The ads are set at the fictional Smith Winter Mitchell advertising agency and take place during the same time period as "Mad Men". The products discussed in the ads are Dove, Breyers, Hellmann's, Klondike, Suave, and Vaseline.


title: Mad Men

text: Weiner stated that he was not opposed to product placement, if it can increase a show's budget or eliminate advertising breaks. However, he found the product placement for "Mad Men" to be a frustrating experience: he called the Heineken deal "a disaster" because Heineken's legal department objected to depictions of irresponsible drinking in the show, and he said he was "disgusted" by the Unilever commercials, which were filmed on the "Mad Men" set against his will. Because of these frustrations, Weiner stated in 2012 that he would "never again" agree to product placement for "Mad Men".


title: Mad Men

text: In two cases, the show made use of real ads or ad slogans; these happened to be the first and last ads shown on "Mad Men". In the first episode, Don Draper comes up with the slogan "It's Toasted" for Lucky Strike; this was a real slogan used by the brand, albeit one that in real life was coined in 1917. In the series finale, it is implied that Don created the famous 1971 Coca-Cola commercial known as "Hilltop". The series did not have to pay for the use of this ad. Other ads that appeared on the show have some similarities to actual ads from the time.


title: Mad Men

text: In a case of life imitating art, in 2017 Heinz ran an advertising campaign for their ketchup that used ads created for the brand by Don Draper in a 2013 episode.


title: The Masked Singer (American TV series)

text: The Masked Singer (abbreviated as TMS) is an American reality singing competition television series that premiered on Fox on January2, 2019. It is part of the "Masked Singer" franchise which began in South Korea and features celebrities singing songs while wearing head-to-toe costumes and face masks concealing their identities. Hosted by Nick Cannon, the program employs panelists who guess the celebrities' identities by interpreting clues provided to them throughout each season. Ken Jeong, Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg, Nicole Scherzinger, and Robin Thicke appear in each episode and vote alongside an audience for their favorite singer after all perform. The least popular is eliminated, taking off their mask to reveal their identity.


title: The Masked Singer (American TV series)

text: To prevent their identities from being revealed before each prerecorded episode is broadcast, the program makes extensive use of code names, disguises, non-disclosure agreements, and a team of security guards. While television critics have had mixed reviews for the series and particularly negative opinions of its panelists, the costumes have attracted praise. Inspired by "haute couture", they were designed in the first six seasons by Marina Toybina, who won a Costume Designers Guild Award and a Creative Arts Emmy Award. Other production staff won or received nominations for various labor union awards, and the show has won or been nominated for awards presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, Critics Choice Association, and Hollywood Critics Association.


title: The Masked Singer (American TV series)

text: The first five seasons received the highest Nielsen ratings for a non-sports program in the adults 18–49 key demographic. Two spin-offs—an aftershow and a dance version, "The Masked Dancer"—followed as a result. The growth of the "Masked Singer" franchise has been credited to the show's success, as has an interest in adapting similar South Korean reality television series and other television formats centered on costumes. Media and merchandise associated with the series includes a podcast, clothing, accessories, NFTs, and a stage show.


title: The Masked Singer (American TV series)

text: Each season of "The Masked Singer" features a group of celebrity contestants. In a typical episode, four to six contestants each sing a 90-second cover for panelists and an audience anonymously in costume. Hints to their identities—known as the "clue package"—are given before and occasionally after each performs. The perennial format is a taped interview with a celebrity's electronically masked voice narrating a video showing cryptic allusions to what they are known for. During screenings of the clue packages, after performances, and before an elimination, the panelists are given time to speculate each singer's identity out loud and write comments in note binders. They may ask questions and the host may offer additional clues. After performances conclude, the audience and panelists vote for their favorite singer using an electronic device. The show uses a weighted voting system; panelists' and audience members' votes are worth 50percent each and combined to form a score. The least popular contestant then takes off their mask to reveal their identity. This process of elimination continues for a set number of episodes until three contestants remain in the season finale, and one is declared the winner after they perform again. The "Golden Mask" trophy is awarded as a prize.


title: The Masked Singer (American TV series)

text: Voting does not occur for certain performances; contestants in an episode might occasionally sing as a group, and each episode concludes with the eliminated celebrity singing an encore unmasked. To continue attracting viewers, producers often modify the format each season. Except in the first, fifth and sixth seasons, a "smackdown" round is featured in select episodes in which the two least popular competitors from their first performances sing one after another on the same stage, and a second, eliminating vote occurs. Since the second season, the contestants are initially divided and only compete in a designated subgroup. A "Golden Ear" trophy awarded to the panelist with the most correct first impression guesses at the end of a season was introduced for the fourth, and until the sixth, as was a reduction of performances and the audience viewing and voting remotely. These elements continued in the fifth seasons, and "wildcard" contestants who perform at the end of certain episodes competed for the first time.


title: The Masked Singer (American TV series)

text: The permanent panel consists of actor and comedian Ken Jeong, television personality Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg, recording artist Nicole Scherzinger, and singer-songwriter Robin Thicke. A guest occasionally appears as a fifth panelist during an episode; Joel McHale has served as a guest panelist in almost every season and previous seasons' winners have appeared. Nick Cannon hosts the show; his role was considered unclear in July 2020 after making anti-Semitic statements Fox said "inadvertently promoted hate". The network accepted Cannon's apology, and he pledged to donate his first paycheck from the fourth season to the Simon Wiesenthal Center after visiting with its officials. Niecy Nash acted as guest host for the first five episodes of the fifth season after Cannon tested positive for COVID-19.


title: The Masked Singer (American TV series)

text: "The Masked Singer" is based on the 2015 South Korean television series "King of Mask Singer", which is the originator of the "Masked Singer" franchise. Executive producer Craig Plestis noticed the format in October2017 at a Thai restaurant in Los Angeles. While waiting for dinner, he observed the other patrons staring at a television playing an episode of the Thai version of the show. Intrigued, Plestis researched the series online and contacted an executive of MBC America, a subsidiary of the producer and broadcaster of the South Korean program, Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC). With the help of his agent, Steve Wohl of Paradigm Talent Agency, Plestis secured the rights to produce an American adaptation from the company. Following the creation of a showreel, he pitched the series to several outlets, all of whom rejected the idea. Plestis then met with Fox executive Rob Wade who said he "responded ... right away" to the concept and considered its uniqueness among celebrity singing competitions a strength. After successfully pitching the program under the condition A-list celebrities participate, Plestis began developing it in November.


title: The Masked Singer (American TV series)

text: In January2018, executive producer and showrunner Izzie Pick Ibarra became involved to help cast celebrities and Americanize the format. While "The Masked Singer" retains elements of the South Korean version, the structure and style are different. Rather than follow a tournament process in which singers perform against each other in multiple rounds, with the winner of the final round facing the previous episode's champion in an attempt to become the new "Mask King", Pick Ibarra opted to produce one elimination per episode, emphasize the clue package and guessing components, and have the celebrities wear more extravagant costumes. Plestis agreed, wanting to create a story arc throughout the episodes and—unlike the South Korean show—reuse the costumes. During performances, the production value is emphasized rather than panelists guessing which celebrity is singing.


title: The Masked Singer (American TV series)

text: On August2, 2018, Fox ordered the series and released a trailer. Endemol Shine North America produced the first season due to Plestis' relationship with the studio. Following it, production transitioned to a new in-house studio, Fox Alternative Entertainment, which is more financially favorable for the network. Since the second and third seasons, respectively, Rosie Seitchik and Cannon have served as executive producers alongside Plestis. Pick Ibarra exited the series following the third and James Breen assumed her roles in subsequent seasons. Numerous production and format changes were implemented due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and testing and safety requirements increased the show's budget.


title: The Masked Singer (American TV series)

text: Since signing a deal with him in 2018, Fox offered Cannon multiple opportunities to host or produce other television programs, though none interested him. After being fascinated by the "Masked Singer" concept when presented with it, Cannon joined the show, believing it was "either going to be a huge failure or a huge hit". Pick Ibarra cited him as her number one choice for the role because of his personality and experience. Regarding the panelists, she said the production team was less concerned with selecting those with an ability to critique participants' singing abilities than creating a comedic tone for the series as one of their goals was to reassure celebrities they would not be ridiculed for appearing. Jeong was the first panelist to be signed on due to his humour and pre-existing knowledge of the South Korean version, followed by McCarthy Wahlberg and Thicke because of their enthusiasm regarding the concept, and Scherzinger for her positivity and experience as a singer. According to Plestis, he "only wanted [to cast] people who loved the program, not people who wanted to work on [it]". Unsure whether it would last more than one season, Jeong originally considered "The Masked Singer" a temporary job while he looked for a permanent role following the cancellation of his sitcom "Dr. Ken". Thicke later questioned whether he would have taken the role "if [he had] still been 1 on the radio" and Scherzinger said she signed on to the show the day before filming began. In March2019, Sharon Osbourne stated she was supposed to be signed on as a panelist, claiming those plans fell through when she was being contractually obligated to appear as a judge on "The X Factor".


title: The Masked Singer (American TV series)

text: The show's producers reach out to celebrities via agents or vice versa. Wade said producers' goal is to cast celebrities of varying ages, genders, and backgrounds to appeal to as broad an audience as possible. In addition to "super big names", they prefer lesser-known celebrities because it is harder to guess them. To surprise viewers with an unknown talent when unmasked, those who are not professional singers are desired, though some must send producers recordings of them singing as a quasi-audition. All are given questionnaires before competing and asked if they have claustrophobia. Due to her strategy of sending potential participants sketches of costumes that might be featured, Pick Ibarra said casting for the first season "was not nearly as hard as [she] anticipated", though several celebrities were reluctant to compete. Following its success, an increased number were interested in participating in the second. By the third, Plestis said casting became "a lot easier".


title: The Masked Singer (American TV series)

text: Before each participant is unmasked, the show's staff undertake significant security precautions to prevent the release of their identities. According to Plestis, the series has two bibles: one related to the format and a second, larger one for security measures. Everyone involved signs a non-disclosure agreement which prevents them from releasing information about the show until its broadcast. After a celebrity is confirmed to appear, they are allowed to inform a few others who also sign one. Outside of those, approximately 25 people know the contestants' real names during a season, though they never refer to them as such. Most are from Fox and the show's legal department; Cannon, the director, and the majority of the program's 150-person crew do not know who the celebrities are until they are unmasked. To prevent identities from being revealed in the event of a leak or hack, all documents except the contract only list participants' costume names. Although the contracts do give their real names, the series' name is unlisted. If a leak occurs, the network does not recognize it.


title: The Masked Singer (American TV series)

text: Before arriving on the show's set, celebrities and their family, friends, and agents are disguised and typically driven from a neutral location. If driven from their houses, chauffeurs are instructed to "take long, circuitous routes ... to throw off any would-be tails". The manager of Joey Fatone, "Rabbit" in the first season, said he was picked up at a 7-Eleven near Television City, given a disguise, and driven inside the gate. "Flamingo" in the second season, Adrienne Bailon, stated she was taken to the set inside of an unmarked black car and only discussed her involvement on the show with producers in a "secret warehouse". When contestants arrive on the studio lot, personnel at the gate are not given their names. Each participant is escorted to and from their trailers outside of the set by security guards while disguised with a mask, visor, gloves, pants, and a hoodie to prevent their skin from showing. According to Scherzinger, they also escort panelists directly to their dressing rooms after arriving.


title: The Masked Singer (American TV series)

text: Due to the show's security, celebrities said they never encountered another masked participant on set, or if they did, could not speak to them. They are only allowed to communicate with those who wear a special cloth on the back of their clothing which is changed each season to prevent replication or those who wear a shirt with the words "Talk to Me". To do so, they use a portable voice changer or write on a whiteboard. Before performing, they are trained to use different body language and mannerisms than their own. The production crew is discouraged from using their phones during filming and the studio audience walks through a metal detector and has their phones placed in a Yondr magnetic pouch before entering the set. The panelists also forfeit their phones during tapings, and their note binders are placed "in a vault" after each to keep them private.


title: The Masked Singer (American TV series)

text: The series' costumes are designed by Marina Toybina. In addition to her ideas, she considers celebrities' and producers' requests to formulate initial concepts. Each is designed to be dissimilar from those featured in previous seasons and other versions of the "Masked Singer" franchise by using different sewing and fabrication techniques. After researching "fur and skin textures, historical wardrobe, [and] anything that might be relevant to each character", Toybina sketches each concept with a pencil and works with an illustrator to create a digital version with a 3D effect. Producers review each design and note adjustments to be made. As a result, Toybina may sketch multiple versions before they collectively decide which will be featured during a season. Based on their background and what might suit them well, participants are presented with several to select from. Their reason for choosing a costume can differ; some have an emotional connection while others want to move around freely during performances.


title: The Masked Singer (American TV series)

text: After handpicking which fabrics and materials to use based on celebrities' mobility and performing abilities, Toybina collaborates with manufacturers and a team of about 15 people to custom-make each costume. They are created concurrently over two to three months, taking about two to four weeks per mask, and two to four weeks per costume. Beginning as a wire, foam is gradually added around each mask to create an easy-to-wear helmet shape for the performers and a chinstrap often accompanies each to prevent movement. As production time is limited, the team has no opportunity to experiment with different materials—"all garments are... cut right away on the original fabric". Since "the draping and the handwork [are] all done the old school way", she cited couturiers such as Alexander McQueen, Thierry Mugler, and Hussein Chalayan as inspirations. 3D printing was used for the first time in the fourth season, and the first two-person costume, the first with animatronics, and the first puppet costume were featured. Although adjustments may be made to customize them to celebrities' likings, most costumes turn out identical to her sketches.


title: The Masked Singer (American TV series)

text: A maximum of two fittings are conducted with each celebrity at either the costume shop or Toybina's studio in which a "limited number of people" are present. Before filming occurs, Toybina conducts creative meetings with "every single department" of the show to discuss how to perfect the costumes' looks on camera. Contestants are in costume for no more than 30 minutes at once. During this time, they may wear cooling vests to limit heat exposure and hoods to absorb sweat. Hidden screens inside each mask help them breathe and sing clearly. For those who wear a mask detached from their costume's body, a face stocking, paint, or makeup is used to disguise their skin color. Costumes are sanitized between tapings and repaired if needed as no backups exist.


title: The Masked Singer (American TV series)

text: Toybina left her role following the sixth season, with Tim Chappel, who served as the costume designer for the Australian version of the show, taking her spot beginning in the seventh season.


title: The Masked Singer (American TV series)

text: According to its designer James Pearse Connelly, the set is based on the Thai version of the show and is inspired by the stage designs of electronic dance music festivals. The front is X-shaped and features an LED interior (allowing for video to be played) enclosed with smoked, tinted glass, while the back is made of shiny black laminate and contains space for trap doors and special effects underneath. The performance floor is flat to prevent tripping hazards and is bordered upstage by two polygon faces with wide mouths as entrances and exits. A curved LED screen spans the space between the faces and a large logo of the show is hung above it.


title: The Masked Singer (American TV series)

text: The stage is surrounded by seats for about 300 audience members and the panelists are seated behind them on a raised platform at a mask-shaped desk. The panelists' placement away from the stage allows them to move around during performances, helping the director tell a story. Rather than sitting and speaking into a microphone attached to the desk which would limit their mobility, the panelists wear miniature headsets made by Shure. Many on-stage set pieces were replaced with virtual reality elements and the panelists' desk was lengthened due to social distancing requirements during filming in the COVID-19 pandemic. Backstage, a Batcave-inspired area contains costumes displayed like mannequins in a museum.


title: The Masked Singer (American TV series)

text: Pick Ibarra said selecting which songs they sing is a collaborative process; both the performers and producers submit "ideas [which] merge as [the songs] go through the clearance process". While music publishers were reluctant to grant licenses for use in the first season as they were not told who would be performing their songs, this process became easier by the second. Producers gravitate towards songs "that help tell the overall story" of one's costume and ask those who are famous singers to select songs of a genre they are not known for so viewers will be surprised when they are revealed. Tyler "Ninja" Blevins, "Ice Cream" in the second season, stated he "definitely got to pick the songs", but producers wanted them to be mainstream so viewers would connect to them. Other contestants remarked they sometimes disagreed with producers' song choices. Multiple songs are chosen and practiced at the same time; some will not be performed if a contestant is eliminated.


title: The Masked Singer (American TV series)

text: Before the competition, vocal coaches and choreographers work with the celebrities for multiple days to determine their strengths and help improve their technique. Tori Spelling, "Unicorn" in the first season, said contestants are given three weeks to practice before their first performance, although only a couple of rehearsals are conducted before then, and the amount of practice time becomes shorter as the season progresses. According to director Alex Rudzinski, contestants generally practice in the week leading up to their performances. Their first rehearsals on stage occur for about half an hour the day before a taping, and a 10–15 minute "camera dress rehearsal sequence" is conducted several hours before filming. Celebrities may train on their own time to better compete and do cardio exercises to prepare for performances.


title: The Masked Singer (American TV series)

text: Each celebrity attends one or two voice-over sessions to record audio for their respective clue packages. Due to the length and varying filming locations of the video component, stand-ins are used to give them additional performance practice time. In describing their creation, Wade said "you have to plan stuff and at least drive people down avenues". They may reveal a contestant is an athlete, but not the sport they compete in. McCartney said contestants are interviewed every week of the competition and have their answers fact-checked by producers. Producers listen to podcasts and read contestants' books; if a fact is on Wikipedia, they try to avoid mentioning it. No physical filming occurred in the fourth season; producers worked with Fox-owned Bento Box Entertainment to create animated videos.


title: The Masked Singer (American TV series)

text: Filming of the first three seasons took place at Television City in Los Angeles, after which production moved to Red Studios Hollywood. With three episodes often filmed per week, the show has a much shorter filming schedule than others. Dates are selected to accommodate celebrities' other activities. Choosing to tape the series rather than broadcast it live was a difficult decision, Pick Ibarra said, but a necessary one because the time commitment would have prevented celebrities from participating. Following the third season, Rudzinski said while an entire season would unlikely be aired live as "being able to edit helps us tell [a] story", a live broadcast remains possible. Before performances occur, Rudzinski receives detailed musical breakdowns of the songs contestants will sing. Based on their beat and structure, he creates a storyboard for each performance. Brad Duns has also acted as director.


title: The Masked Singer (American TV series)

text: Except for the fourth and fifth seasons, during which the audience was virtual, a taping begins with them seated next to the stage and a warm-up comedian telling jokes to loosen them up. They are encouraged to act excited by clapping, cheering, and chanting the names of costumes while the production crew records their reactions for later use. Shortly thereafter, the panelists arrive, and the host introduces the first contestant. The clue package plays on the large screen in the studio, and the celebrity enters and performs with at least one background singer accompanying them offstage. They wear in-ear monitors and may use a headset inside of their mask to sing instead of a handheld microphone, opting to use one only as a prop on stage. A teleprompter displays song lyrics as an aid. According to Plestis, the contestants have one take to sing live. Rob Gronkowski, "White Tiger" in the third season, said this was true; after missing lyrics during a performance, he never received an offer from producers to re-record them afterwards. The contestants' vocals are intended to sound like the songs' original artists; if they used Auto-Tune processing, then such effects are applied in post-production.


title: The Masked Singer (American TV series)

text: After a celebrity sings, their performance is conducted again with background singers only, allowing producers additional audience reactions to film. During this time, they are allowed to cool down in one of the air-conditioned rooms backstage.


title: The Masked Singer (American TV series)

text: After all performances and guesses conclude, the panelists and audience vote for their favorite singer. Except during the fourth and fifth seasons, the producers film the studio audience acting out how they would react to one's elimination, with less than two dozen "extremely well-vetted" people (either friends and family of the celebrity or the show's production crew) remaining on set during the actual reveal. The celebrity is allowed to have their hair and makeup fixed backstage before they are unmasked on camera. As they reveal themselves, the panelists and audience chant "take! it! off!" and "Who Are You" by the Who—which is also the show's opening theme song—plays in the background. Afterward, panelists are discouraged from researching possible answers to the clues presented to them for contestants remaining in the competition between episode tapings.


title: The Masked Singer (American TV series)

text: "The Masked Singer" debuted on January2, 2019, as a mid-season replacement to "Star". A month before the season finale on February27, 2019, Fox renewed the show for a second season. During its upfronts for the 2019–2020 United States television season in May2019, the network renewed the series for a third season to launch as the lead-out of Super Bowl LIV. The second season premiered on September25, 2019, and was preceded by a "Super Sneak Peek" episode which aired two Sundays prior. Before concluding on December18, 2019, it was pre-empted for two weeks by the broadcast of the 2019 World Series. On February2, 2020, the third season premiered following Super BowlLIV. After a "Road to the Finals" episode aired the previous day, it culminated on May20, 2020. Two weeks prior, the series was renewed for a fourth season to air during the 2020–2021 television season. Following a preview episode on September 13, it premiered on September 23, 2020. One week of the season was pre-empted due to the 2020 World Series. Two weeks before the finale on December 16, 2020, the series was renewed for a fifth season, which premiered on March 10, 2021. On May 17, 2021, Fox renewed the series for a sixth season a week before the fifth season's finale on May 26. The sixth season began airing starting with a two-night premiere on September 22 and 23, 2021. A seventh season premiered on March 9, 2022.


title: The Masked Singer (American TV series)

text: The program is aired by Fox in the United States and has been simulcasted by CTV in Canada since the second season. Fox Entertainment distributes the series in those countries while Propagate Content does so elsewhere. Outside of North America, it has aired on ITV in the United Kingdom, Network 10 in Australia, Three in New Zealand, M-Net in South Africa, and Channel 5 in Singapore, among others. Aside from double-length episodes, most run for about 43 minutes. They are available for streaming in the United States on Hulu, Fox's website, and the Fox Now mobile app through video on demand. "The Masked Singer" is also available on the American ad-supported service Tubi, where it became the most-watched series less than two months after its April 2020 debut and is used to attract new viewers to the platform. Episodes are available internationally on localized streaming services.


title: The Masked Singer (American TV series)

text: <onlyinclude>In both 2019 and 2020, the show was named the "Hottest Reality/Competition Series" in the United States by "Adweek". Excluding post-NFL game debuts, the program's premiere was the highest-rated for an unscripted television series in the country since "The X Factor" in 2011. Ratings grew toward the end of the first season, and "The Masked Singer" concluded the 2018–2019 American television season as the highest-rated new series in the adults 18–49 key demographic and the first unscripted series to rank number one in the genre in its first season since "Joe Millionaire" in 2003. "TV Guide" named it the television season's "most underestimated show". During the following television season, the series was one of two non-NFL programs to charge over $200,000 per 30 seconds of advertising. "Deadline Hollywood" cited the second season as a major reason Fox—for the first time in the network's history—ranked number one in fall entertainment programming.


title: The Masked Singer (American TV series)

text: The premiere of the third season following Super BowlLIV became the series' most-watched episode. Throughout the season's latter half which aired amid the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, episodes experienced a rise in viewership compared to those broadcast before the outbreak. Although the 18–49 rating was lower than the first's, the show remained the top non-sports program in the demographic. During the 2020–2021 United States television season, ad prices for the show increased 12 percent to about $226,000 per 30 seconds. While the highest-rated entertainment broadcast since the third season's finale, the first episode of the fourth season tied for the series' lowest at the time. A broadcast following a Thanksgiving NFL game was the most-watched and highest-rated of the series excluding the post-Super Bowl episode since the first season's finale. With the fourth and fifth season's ratings, "The Masked Singer" remained the highest-rated entertainment program among adults 18–49 for the third consecutive television season.</onlyinclude> By the seventh season, the show's viewership declined to less than half of the first season's audience, though it is still considered above-average given similar trends for other programs.


title: The Masked Singer (American TV series)

text: Simulcasts of the show are popular in Canada; all of the premieres and finales have ranked within the top 10 most-watched programs in the weeks they aired according to audience measurement company Numeris. The post-Super BowlLIV premiere of the third season was viewed by 2.35 million, the most for a Super Bowl lead-out in the country since 2012. During the 2019–2020 Canadian television season, it was the eighth most-watched series overall. In Australia, "The Masked Singer" debuted on September 30, 2020, to ratings significantly smaller than others in its timeslot. With 285,000 viewers, "The Music" attributed its low viewership to a culture barrier and that reveals are well-publicized by the time the series airs. After viewership fell to 125,000 a month later, the program was moved to a less favorable timeslot.


title: The Masked Singer (American TV series)

text: The show received a mixed reception from television critics; their critiques were classified as "befuddled" by "The Hollywood Reporter". Review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 52percent approval rating for the first season, with an average rating of 4 out of 10, based on 25 reviews. Its critical consensus states: "Defying all tropes of the reality competition genre, "The Masked Singer" manages to be both magnetically apocalyptic and inexplicably boring." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the series a score of 36 out of 100 based on 10 critics reviewing the first season, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".


title: The Masked Singer (American TV series)

text: Critics contrasted the series to other reality television programs in the United States. "Entertainment Weekly"s Joseph Longo considered it the most captivating competition series since "The Voice" premiered in 2011, and Stuart Heritage of "The Guardian" called it one of the best singing competition shows in a decade. Writing for NBC News' "Think", Ani Bundel thought the series has an advantage over "Dancing with the Stars" and "The Voice" because voting bias is less likely when competitors are unknown. Kelly Lawler of "USA Today" agreed, praising the avoidance of overproduced backstories, harsh criticisms, and results episodes. "The Daily Beast"s Laura Bradley felt it was better than "Dancing with the Stars" because costumes can be used to generate interest instead of casting those "who seek to overplay their 15 minutes of fame". As she considered its format more complex than "Top Chef" or "Dancing with the Stars", Erin Schwartz of "The Nation" considered "The Masked Singer"s success surprising.


title: The Masked Singer (American TV series)

text: The show received comparisons to the original version of the franchise. Despite its strong viewership indicating the "changes [between it and the South Korean version] seem to have worked", some felt the competition length is too slow in comparison and makes reveals occur long after established consensuses about who the celebrities are have formed, nullifying the excitement surrounding them. While contestants on the South Korean series sing the same songs during a duet round, producers' decision not to do so in the American version was also thought of as an "ill-advised" decision by critics as they felt it inhibits fair comparisons. Conversely, for "V"s Hannah Hightman, the series "retains the bizarreness of "King of Mask Singer" but adds a distinctly American style, creating an infectiously fun reality TV classic". According to Drew Millard of "The Outline", the show is better than previous American adaptations of Asian television series because it is "even crazier than the original".


title: The Masked Singer (American TV series)

text: Critics regarded the program as having a positive nature. John Doyle of "The Globe and Mail" cited it as a cultural change in the United States away from the competitive and often exploitative essence of reality shows like "American Idol". Opining in "The Washington Post", Sonia Rao thought the series' ethos is its support of eccentricity. Matt Zoller Seitz of "Vulture" named it the best example of escapism on television, and "Variety"s Daniel D'Addario called it a return to form for the medium as he thought it possesses the now-rare ability to uplift and unite people. Lawler agreed, remarking it was perhaps "the only reality TV show that doesn't manufacture its fun". Schwartz considered it "the rare show on television that allows viewers to turn off their brains, sit back, and enjoy" and felt panelists complement competitors despite the quality of their performances. The way contestants are eliminated has garnered praise for being dignified, though those of "vocal legend[s]" such as LaBelle, Dionne Warwick, and Chaka Khan have been criticized for being premature.


title: The Masked Singer (American TV series)

text: The costume designs have received praise for being inventive, intricate, and impressive. Opinions of the performances have differed; "Variety"s Caroline Framke described them as mediocre, "The New Yorker"s Emily Nussbaum thought the choreography was elaborate, and "Entertainment Weekly"s Kristen Baldwin said some celebrities sound professional while others are more karaoke-like. The way the show is edited has attracted criticism; guesses have been called repetitive, episodes excessive in length, and unmaskings slow. Writing for "Decider", Joel Keller found the program's pacing overwhelming. To fix the "manufactured" feeling, Hanh Nguyen of "IndieWire" felt a live broadcast would add excitement, as did those from Gold Derby and "E! Online". "Los Angeles Times" television critic Lorraine Ali noted viewers on the West Coast discover which celebrity is unmasked later than those on the East Coast do because the show is not aired live across all time zones.


title: The Masked Singer (American TV series)

text: Reviewers referred to the status of celebrities competing. Rob Harvilla of "The Ringer" wrote that they are either stars of decades past or only have thin connections to actual celebrities and Ali stated the show's "idea of celebrity is fairly elastic". According to Hannah Hightman, the series is "a haven for B-list celebs". Alison de Souza of "The Straits Times" said the series has never featured an A-lister. With both traditional Hollywood celebrities and reality show stars participating, some indicated the hierarchies of fame are no longer as defined as they once were. Conversely, Adam White of "The Daily Telegraph" attributed the show's success in part to the "relative starriness of its participants" and BBC News' Neil Smith considered it a "particularly starry" version of the franchise. In her book "Transnational Korean Television", the scholar Hyejung Ju argued almost all of the contestants are well-known. In contrast to the New Zealand edition, Jenni Mortimer of "The New Zealand Herald" said "the celebrity pull on the US version is huge". The series has received criticism for having politicians such as Sarah Palin and Rudy Giuliani as contestants, with the latter causing panelist Ken Jeong to walk out.


title: The Masked Singer (American TV series)

text: Critics felt the panelists undermined the program with pointless statements and awkward interactions. Describing McCarthy Wahlberg as inexperienced, Scherzinger as dull, Jeong as over-the-top, and Thicke as too serious, Kelly Lawler named them the worst panel in reality television history. Rachel Desantis of the New York "Daily News" thought all except Jeong were unfunny; Miles Surrey of "The Ringer" disagreed, stating Jeong was annoying. "Quartz"s Adam Epstein predicted the panelists could be the show's downfall. Their guesses have been called stupid, absurd, worthless, and "the worst part of the [show]" by those who viewed them as implausible. In dissenting, "The Daily Beast"s Jordan Julian felt they made the panelists "surprisingly entertaining" and D'Addario compared the panelists favorably to the original "American Idol" judges who he perceived as non-experts in their fields.


title: The Masked Singer (American TV series)

text: Cannon's role on the series has divided critics. "The Washington Post"s Emily Yahr felt he "was made for" the show due to his years of experience in the same role "seeing oddities" on "America's Got Talent", and Keller thought he "learned his lesson" from that program by being less distracting. Conversely, Doyle called Cannon "as inarticulate as a three-year-old" and Longo remarked he was overshadowed by the presence and commentary of McCarthy Wahlberg. The panelist's role on the show was criticized by Seitz and Sam Barsanti of "The A.V. Club" due to her views on vaccines.


title: The Masked Singer (American TV series)

text: The series' success is attributed to subsequent local adaptations of the "Masked Singer" franchise. It is part of the Korean wave and follows fellow late 2010s American television shows "Better Late Than Never" and "The Good Doctor", which are also based on South Korean programs. International interest in adapting other costume-centered formats such as "Wild Things" and "Sexy Beasts" has been credited to the series' success, as has the debut of other guessing game shows on Fox. An American version of the South Korean game show "I Can See Your Voice", which features contestants guessing whether singers are good or bad without hearing them sing for a chance to win money, began airing on the network in 2020. Jeong hosts along with a panel and a "musical superstar" who aid the contestant. It followed episodes of "The Masked Singer"s fourth season, creating a two-hour programming block based on South Korean formats and featuring Jeong. "Game of Talents", another international guessing game adaptation, is hosted by season two winner Wayne Brady and aired after episodes of "The Masked Singer"s fifth season. In April 2021, an unofficial online fundraiser version of the show featuring Broadway performers titled "Broadway's Masked Singer" was held in support of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.


title: The Masked Singer (American TV series)

text: The program has played a major role in Fox's success as an independent network and in-house production company Fox Alternative Entertainment. As a result, Wade described an increased openness to new ideas when shows are pitched. He also predicted more direct relationships between Asian production companies and American television networks would form. "Masked Singer" was MBC's first format sold to the United States market. Plestis subsequently signed a deal with Tokyo Broadcasting System to develop new television formats and launched an American edition of the South Korean game show "My Little Television" for TBS. Due in part to her success with "The Masked Singer", British production company Studio Lambert signed a similar deal with Pick Ibarra.


title: The Masked Singer (American TV series)

text: Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on television, Fox postponed the premieres of some scripted series to late 2020 and opted to create "The Masked Singer: After the Mask" as one of two shows that could be produced remotely to fill the programming gap. Cannon hosted the aftershow; it aired on Wednesdays at 9:00p.m. (ET) for four weeks following episodes of the third season during which he discusses the outcome of the preceding "Masked Singer" episode from a "virtual stage" with guests appearing via videotelephony. A performance from the eliminated celebrity is featured at the end of each episode, which are directed by Tom Sullivan and executive produced by Breen, Plestis, and Cannon. CTV broadcast the series in Canada.


title: The Masked Singer (American TV series)

text: The series premiere received a 1.4rating in the adults 18–49 demographic and about 5.5million viewers, a "pretty significant improvement" over the average ratings of the previous lead-out, "Lego Masters". Subsequent episodes continued to retain about half of "The Masked Singer"s viewers, which is considered above average for an aftershow. Including DVR, the program concluded the 2019–2020 United States television season with an average viewership of 5.29million (ranking sixty-eighth among all series broadcast), and an average 18–49 rating of 1.4 (ranking twenty-seventh). According to "Variety", it received higher ratings "than shows that probably cost ten times to produce".


title: The Masked Singer (American TV series)

text: Ellen DeGeneres began conducting a parody, "The Masked Dancer", as a recurring segment on her daytime talk show. On January 7, 2020, Fox Alternative Entertainment and Warner Bros. Television announced plans to broadcast "The Masked Dancer" as a television series. Craig Robinson hosts the show, and Jeong, Brian Austin Green, Paula Abdul, and Ashley Tisdale act as panelists. Like "The Masked Singer" format, celebrity contestants wear head-to-toe costumes and face masks concealing their identities, but perform different dance styles. It premiered on Fox on December 27, 2020.


title: The Masked Singer (American TV series)

text: After being worn during a season, the costumes are placed in storage and occasionally displayed. In mid-2019, some from the first season were accompanied by video and Toybina's original sketches in an exhibit, "Fashion & Fantasy: The Art of "The Masked Singer"", at the Los Angeles Paley Center for Media. Selections were also present at the annual "Art of Television Costume Design" exhibit at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising Museum in Los Angeles from August to October2019. On February1, 2020, two costumes were displayed at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County as part of a meet-and-greet promotion. For a week in May 2021, costumes from the fifth season were shown in a West Hollywood, California storefront as part of a For Your Consideration campaign for the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards.


title: The Masked Singer (American TV series)

text: Hoodies, coffee mugs, phone cases, and other merchandise using the show's branding are purchasable on the series' online store. "Family fun packs" consisting of coloring pages, a word search, and a do it yourself mask were once downloadable on its website, as were official Giphy stickers, clue notebooks, Bingo cards, and phone wallpapers. Images of the series were made available to users on Microsoft Teams and Zoom as custom backgrounds. In October 2020, the show launched an official weekly podcast hosted by Bow Wow. In addition to a post-elimination celebrity interview, it features guests and extra clues. During the fifth season, viewers could use the Fox Bet Super 6 app to answer questions about each episode and be entered into weekly draws to win money, including a grand prize of $100,000. In October 2021, Fox launched an online community known as the "MaskVerse" in which users can trade mask NFTs and communicate on a Discord server.


title: The Masked Singer (American TV series)

text: In February 2020, it was announced that the program would be getting a live tour with shows in over forty American cities featuring two celebrity hosts and a local mystery celebrity who would be unmasked at the end of each. Originally scheduled for mid-2020, the tour was later postponed to the following year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and eventually delayed indefinitely. In June 2021, Plestis said plans were being materialized and that he hoped it would occur in 2022.


title: The Masked Singer (American TV series)

text: On November 1, 2021, the tour was reannounced for 2022, and later began on May 28. Natasha Bedingfield, who was costumed as "Pepper" in season six, serves as host of the tour. Shows in the tour include previous "Masked Singer" costumes such as Queen of Hearts, Alien, and Thingamabob. Each show also includes a mystery celebrity, who performs in a tour-specific costume, "Boom Boom Box".


title: Margin Call

text: Margin Call is a 2011 American drama film written and directed by J. C. Chandor in his feature directorial debut. The principal story takes place over a 24-hour period at a large Wall Street investment bank during the initial stages of the financial crisis of 2007–2008. In focus are the actions taken by a group of employees during the subsequent financial collapse. The title comes from a finance term for when an investor must increase the securities or other assets used as collateral for a loan when their value falls below a certain threshold. The film stars an ensemble cast consisting of Kevin Spacey, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons, Zachary Quinto, Penn Badgley, Simon Baker, Mary McDonnell, Demi Moore, and Stanley Tucci.


title: Margin Call

text: The film was produced by the production companies Myriad Pictures, Benaroya Pictures and Before the Door Pictures (first to sign on, and owned by Zachary Quinto). Theatrically, it was commercially distributed by Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions. The director and screenwriter, J. C. Chandor, is himself the son of an investment banker; the screenplay was partially informed by Chandor's own foray into real estate investments in New York City shortly before the financial crash. Preceding its theatrical release, "Margin Call" was met with positive critical reviews. Following its wide release in theaters, the film garnered award nominations from the Detroit Film Critics Society, along with several separate nominations for its screenplay and direction from recognized award organizations, including a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. The score was composed by musician Nathan Larson.


title: Margin Call

text: The film made its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 25, 2011, and opened in theaters nationwide in the United States on October 21, 2011. Though it grossed just $5.4 million in domestic ticket sales from 199 theaters, the film had a ground-breaking day-and-date release that earned more than $10 million in video-on-demand sales. The DVD and Blu-ray editions of the film were released in the United States on December 20, 2011.


title: Margin Call

text: In 2008, an unnamed investment bank begins laying off a large number of employees. Among those affected is Eric Dale, head of risk management. Dale's attempts to speak about the implications of a model he is working on are ignored. On his way out, he gives a flash drive containing his work to Peter Sullivan, an associate in his department, warning him to "be careful." Sullivan, intrigued, works after hours to complete Dale's model.


title: Margin Call

text: Sullivan discovers that the assumptions underpinning the firm's present risk profile are wrong; historical volatility levels in mortgage-backed securities are being exceeded, which means that the firm's position in those assets is over-leveraged and the debt incurred from those over-leveraged assets will bankrupt the company. Sullivan calls his colleague, Seth Bregman, to return to work with the head of credit trading, Will Emerson. Emerson in turn summons Sam Rogers, his boss, after reviewing Sullivan's findings. Attempts by the four to contact Dale end unsuccessfully due to his company phone having been shut off. Peter and Seth go out to find Eric, while Sam and Will inform the company's senior management of the situation.


title: Margin Call

text: A subsequent meeting of division head Jared Cohen, chief risk management officer Sarah Robertson, and other senior executives concludes that Sullivan's findings are accurate, and firm CEO John Tuld is called. Upon Tuld's arrival, and after Sullivan explains the problem, Rogers, Cohen, and Tuld spar regarding a course of action. Cohen's plan, favored by Tuld, is a fire sale of the problematic assets. Rogers disagrees, pointing out that the sale will damage the firm's relationships and reputation within the industry and will cause major instability in the markets. Tuld stresses that his desire to avoid the firm's bankruptcy is worth that risk and the cost.


title: Margin Call

text: After the meeting with Tuld, Emerson is informed by Dale's wife that he has returned home. Emerson travels to Dale's residence with Bregman and attempts to persuade him to return to the firm, but is unsuccessful. During the drive back, Bregman asks if he will lose his job; Emerson responds that he likely will, but, philosophizing on the nature of the financial markets, tells him not to lose faith, and that his work is necessary.


title: Margin Call

text: Tuld selects Robertson to act as the scapegoat for the firm's over-leveraged position and demands that she resign after the fire sale. Robertson argues that she warned Tuld and Cohen about the situation over a year ago, but fails to persuade him. Meanwhile, Eric Dale is bribed and forced into cooperating with Cohen's plan, with the firm threatening to cut his benefits and severance if he refuses. He spends the day commiserating with Robertson.


title: Margin Call

text: Despite his misgivings, Rogers rallies his traders and informs them of the fire sale. He acknowledges the damage likely to be done to their reputations and careers, but informs them that they will be well compensated if most of the traders' assigned assets are sold by day's end. As trading progresses, the firm elicits suspicion and eventually anger from their counterparties, and incurs heavy losses, but they are able to sell off most of the bad assets.


title: Margin Call

text: As another round of layoffs occurs, Rogers confronts Tuld and submits his resignation. Tuld dismisses Rogers' view of the situation by recalling past economic crises, arguing that such events always happen and that Rogers should not feel guilty for acting in his and the firm's interests. Tuld asks Rogers to stay on for two more years and Rogers reluctantly accepts, citing personal financial needs. Tuld also informs Rogers that Sullivan is going to be promoted.


title: Margin Call

text: The film ends with Rogers burying his euthanized dog in his ex-wife's front yard during the night. She informs him that their son's firm also sustained heavy losses but avoided bankruptcy.


title: Margin Call

text: Principal photography began on June 21, 2010, in New York City. More than 80% of the action was shot on the 42nd floor of One Penn Plaza, which had recently been vacated by a trading firm.


title: Margin Call

text: The film premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. The film also played In Competition at the 61st Berlin International Film Festival and was nominated for the Golden Bear. The film was produced by Zachary Quinto's production company, Before the Door Pictures, by Quinto and his two producing partners and Carnegie Mellon University classmates, Neal Dodson and Corey Moosa.


title: Margin Call

text: The film received positive reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has an approval rating of 87% based on 172 reviews, with an average rating of 7.20/10. The website's critical consensus reads: "Smart, tightly wound, and solidly acted, "Margin Call" turns the convoluted financial meltdown of '08 into gripping, thought-provoking drama." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 76 out of 100, based on 38 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".


title: Margin Call

text: "The New Yorker" film critic David Denby said it was "easily the best Wall Street movie ever made". Roger Ebert of the "Chicago Sun-Times" gave the film three and half stars out of four, and said: ""Margin Call" employs an excellent cast who can make financial talk into compelling dialogue." A. O. Scott of "The New York Times" wrote: "It is hard to believe that "Margin Call" is Mr. Chandor’s first feature. His formal command—his ability to imply far more than he shows or says and to orchestrate a large, complex drama out of whispers, glances, and snippets of jargon—is downright awe inspiring." In 2022, "Bloomberg News" financial columnist "Matt Levine (columnist)" said that "Margin Call" was "the best finance movie".


title: Margin Call

text: Roger Ebert wrote: "I think the movie is about how its characters are concerned only by the welfare of their corporations. There is no larger sense of the public good. Corporations are amoral, and exist to survive and succeed, at whatever human cost. This is what the Occupy Wall Street protesters are angry about: They are not against capitalism, but about Wall Street dishonesty and greed. ... [The cast] reflects the enormity of what is happening: Their company and their lives are being rendered meaningless." A. O. Scott wrote: ""Margin Call" is a thriller, moving through ambient shadows to the anxious tempo of Nathan Larson’s hushed, anxious score. It is also a horror movie, with disaster lurking like an unseen demon outside the skyscraper windows and behind the computer screens. It is also a workplace comedy of sorts. The crackling, syncopated dialogue and the plot, full of reversals and double crosses, owe an obvious debt to David Mamet’s profane fables of deal-making machismo. Hovering over all of it is the dark romance of capital: the elegance of numbers; the kinkiness of money; the deep, rotten, erotic allure of power."


title: Margin Call

text: Although the film does not depict any real Wall Street firm, and the fictional firm is never named, the plot has similarities to some events during the 2008 financial crisis: Goldman Sachs similarly moved early to hedge and reduce its position in mortgage-backed securities, at the urging of two employees, which essentially mirrors Tuld's comment about the advantage of moving first. Lehman Brothers moved second and went bankrupt. John Tuld's name is said to be a combination of Merrill Lynch's ex-CEO John Thain and Lehman Brothers' ex-CEO Richard Fuld.


title: Genesis (band)

text: Genesis are an English rock band formed at Charterhouse School, Godalming, Surrey, in 1967. The band's most commercially successful line-up consisted of keyboardist Tony Banks, bassist/guitarist Mike Rutherford and drummer/singer Phil Collins. The 1970s line-up, featuring singer Peter Gabriel and guitarist Steve Hackett, was among the pioneers of progressive rock.


title: Genesis (band)

text: The group were formed by five Charterhouse pupils, including Banks, Rutherford, Gabriel, and Anthony Phillips, and named by former Charterhouse pupil Jonathan King, who arranged for them to record several singles and their debut album "From Genesis to Revelation" in 1968. After splitting from King, the band began touring, signed with Charisma Records and became a progressive rock band on "Trespass" (1970). Following Phillips' departure, Genesis recruited Collins and Hackett and recorded "Nursery Cryme" (1971). Their live shows began to feature Gabriel's theatrical costumes and performances. "Foxtrot" (1972) was their first hit in the UK and "Selling England by the Pound" (1973) reached number three there, featuring their first UK hit "I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)". The concept album "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" (1974) was promoted with a transatlantic tour and an elaborate stage show, before Gabriel left the group.


title: Genesis (band)

text: Collins took over as lead singer, and the group released "A Trick of the Tail" and "Wind & Wuthering" (both 1976) with continued success. Hackett left Genesis in 1977, reducing the band to Banks, Rutherford, and Collins. Their ninth studio album, "...And Then There Were Three..." (1978), contained the band's first major hit "Follow You Follow Me". Their next five albums – "Duke" (1980), "Abacab" (1981), "Genesis" (1983), "Invisible Touch" (1986) and "We Can't Dance" (1991) – were also successful. Collins left Genesis in 1996, and Banks and Rutherford replaced him with Ray Wilson, who appeared on their final album "Calling All Stations" (1997). The commercial failure of the album led to a group hiatus. Banks, Rutherford and Collins reunited for the in 2007, and again in 2021 for The Last Domino? Tour.


title: Genesis (band)

text: With between 100 million and 150 million albums sold worldwide, Genesis are one of the world's best-selling music artists. Their discography includes 15 studio and six live albums. They have won numerous awards (including a Grammy Award for Best Concept Music Video with "Land of Confusion") and have inspired a number of tribute bands recreating Genesis shows from various stages of the band's career. In 2010, Genesis were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.


title: Genesis (band)

text: The founding members of Genesis, Peter Gabriel, Tony Banks, Anthony “Ant” Phillips, Mike Rutherford, and drummer Chris Stewart, met at Charterhouse School, a public school in Godalming, Surrey. Banks and Gabriel arrived at the school in September 1963, Rutherford in September 1964, and Phillips in April 1965. The five were members in either one of the school's two bands; Phillips and Rutherford were in Anon with singer Richard Macphail, bassist Rivers Jobe, and drummer Rob Tyrrell while Gabriel, Banks, and Stewart made up Garden Wall.


title: Genesis (band)

text: In January 1967, after both groups had split, Phillips and Rutherford continued to write together and proceeded to make a demo tape at a friend's home-made studio, inviting Banks, Gabriel, and Stewart to record with them in the process. The group recorded six songs: "Don't Want You Back", "Try a Little Sadness", "She's Beautiful", "That's Me", "Listen on Five", and "Patricia", an instrumental. When they wished to have them professionally recorded they sought Charterhouse alumnus Jonathan King, who seemed a natural choice as their publisher and producer following the success of his 1965 UK top five single, "Everyone's Gone to the Moon". A friend of the group gave the tape to King, who was immediately enthusiastic. Under King's direction, the group, aged between 15 and 17, signed a one-year recording contract with Decca Records.


title: Genesis (band)

text: From August to December 1967, the five recorded a selection of potential singles at Regent Sound Studios in Denmark Street, London, where they attempted longer and more complex compositions, but King advised them to stick to more straightforward pop. In response Banks and Gabriel wrote "The Silent Sun", a pastiche of the Bee Gees, one of King's favourite bands, which was recorded with orchestral arrangements added by Arthur Greenslade. The group exchanged various names for the band, including King's suggestion of "Gabriel's Angels", before taking King's suggestion of "Genesis", indicating the start of his production career. King chose "The Silent Sun" as their first single, with "That's Me" on the B-side, released in February 1968. It achieved some airplay on BBC Radio One and Radio Caroline, but failed to sell. A second single, "A Winter's Tale" / "One-Eyed Hound", followed in May 1968, which also sold little. Three months later, Stewart left the group to continue with his studies. He was replaced by fellow Charterhouse pupil John Silver.


title: Genesis (band)

text: King believed that the group would achieve greater success with an album. The result, "From Genesis to Revelation", was produced at Regent Sound in ten days during their school's summer break in August 1968. King assembled the tracks as a concept album, which he produced. Greenslade added further orchestral arrangements to the songs, but the band were not informed of this fact until the album was released. Phillips was upset about Greenslade's additions. When Decca found an American band already named Genesis, King refused to change his group's name. He reached a compromise by removing their name from the album cover, resulting in a minimalist design with the album title printed on a plain black background. When the album was released in March 1969, it became a commercial failure because many record shops filed it in the religious music section upon seeing the title. Banks recalled that "after a year or so", the album had "sold 649 copies". A third single, "Where the Sour Turns to Sweet" / "In Hiding", was released in June 1969. None of the releases was commercially successful. The lack of commercial success led to the band's split with King and Decca. King continued to hold the rights to the album, which has seen numerous reissues. In 1974, it peaked on the US chart at No. 170.


title: Genesis (band)

text: After the album was recorded, the band went their separate ways for a year; Gabriel and Phillips stayed at Charterhouse to finish exams, Banks enrolled at Sussex University, and Rutherford studied at Farnborough College of Technology. They regrouped in mid-1969 to discuss their future, for their offers in further education might result in the group splitting up. Phillips and Rutherford decided to make music their full-time career, for they were starting to write more complex music than their earlier songs with King. After Banks and Gabriel decided to follow suit, the four returned to Regent Sound in August 1969 and recorded four more demos with Silver: "Family" (later known as "Dusk"), "White Mountain", "Going Out to Get You", and "Pacidy". The tape was rejected by each record label that heard it. Silver then left the group to study leisure management in the United States. His replacement, drummer and carpenter John Mayhew, was found when Mayhew looked for work and left his phone number "with people all over London".


title: Genesis (band)

text: In late 1969, Genesis retreated to a cottage owned by Macphail's parents, in Wotton, Surrey, to write, rehearse, and develop their stage performance. They took their work seriously, playing together for as much as eleven hours a day. Their first live gig as Genesis followed in September 1969 at a teenager's birthday. It was the start of a series of live shows in small venues across the UK, which included a radio performance broadcast on the BBC's "Night Ride" show, on 22 February 1970, and a spot at the Atomic Sunrise Festival held at the Roundhouse in Chalk Farm a month later. During this time the band met with various record labels regarding contract offers. Initial discussions with Chris Blackwell of Island and Chris Wright of Chrysalis were unsuccessful. In March 1970, during the band's six-week Tuesday night residency at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in Soho, members of Rare Bird, whom Genesis had previously supported live, recommended the band to producer and A&R man John Anthony of Charisma Records. Anthony attended one of their shows and enjoyed them enough to convince his boss, label owner Tony Stratton-Smith, to watch their next appearance. Stratton-Smith recalled, "Their potential was immediately apparent ... the material was good and their performance was good ... It was a long shot, because they needed time to find their strength ... but I was prepared to make that commitment". He agreed to a record and management deal within two weeks, paying Genesis an initial sum of £10 a week (equivalent to £ in 2022).


title: Genesis (band)

text: Genesis stayed at Wotton until April 1970, by which time they had enough new material for a second album. Recording for "Trespass" began in June at Trident Studios in London, with Anthony as producer and David Hentschel hired as assistant engineer. The album included longer and more complex songs than their first, blending folk and progressive rock elements with various time signature changes, as in the nine-minute song "The Knife". "Trespass" is the first in a series of three Genesis album cover designs by Paul Whitehead. He had completed the design before the band decided to include "The Knife" on the album. Feeling the cover no longer reflected the album's overall mood, the band persuaded Whitehead to slash a knife across the canvas and have the result photographed. Released in October 1970, "Trespass" reached No. 1 in Belgium in 1971 and No. 98 in the UK in 1984. "The Knife" was released as a single in May 1971. "Rolling Stone" briefly mentioned the album with a negative view following its 1974 reissue: "It's spotty, poorly defined, at times innately boring". "Genesis seemed to be dying a death around our second album", Gabriel told Mark Blake. "We couldn't get arrested. So I got a place at the London School of Film Technique."


title: Genesis (band)

text: After "Trespass" was recorded, ill-health and developing stage fright caused Phillips to leave Genesis. His last show with the band took place in Haywards Heath on 18 July 1970. He felt the increased number of gigs affected the group's creativity, and that several songs he wrote were not recorded or performed live. He had contracted bronchial pneumonia and became isolated from the rest of the band, feeling that it had too many songwriters in it. Banks, Gabriel, and Rutherford saw Phillips as an important member, being the most instrumental in encouraging them to turn professional. They regarded his exit as the greatest threat to the band and the most difficult to overcome. Gabriel and Rutherford decided the group should continue; Banks agreed on the condition that they find a new drummer that was of equal stature to the rest of the group. Mayhew was therefore fired, though Phillips later thought Mayhew's working-class background clashed with the rest of the band, which affected his confidence.


title: Genesis (band)

text: The search for a new guitarist and drummer began with advertisements placed in copies of "Melody Maker". The invitation was spotted by drummer Phil Collins, formerly of Flaming Youth, who already knew Stratton-Smith. He recalled, "My only knowledge of Genesis was through seeing the ads for their gigs. It seemed like they were constantly working. ... I thought 'At least I'm going to be working if I get the gig'." Roger Taylor, subsequently of Queen, turned down an invitation to audition. Collins went to the audition at Gabriel's parents' house in Chobham, Surrey with his Flaming Youth bandmate, guitarist Ronnie Caryl. As they arrived early, Collins took a swim in the pool and heard what the other drummers were playing. "They put on 'Trespass', and my initial impression of a very soft and round music, not edgy, with vocal harmonies and I came away thinking Crosby, Stills and Nash". Gabriel and Rutherford noticed the confident way Collins approached and sat at his drum kit and knew he would be the right replacement. Banks said, "It was a combination of things. He could make it swing a little bit ... he could also tell good jokes and make us laugh ... And he could sing, which was an advantage because Mike and I were not very good at back-up vocals". In August 1970, Collins became the new drummer for Genesis. Caryl's audition was unsuccessful; Rutherford thought he was not the player the group were looking for.


title: Genesis (band)

text: After a short holiday, Genesis began to write and rehearse as a four-piece band in Farnham, Surrey. The now empty guitar sections in their songs allowed Banks and Rutherford to expand their sound and play what Gabriel described as "interesting chords". As they had not found a new guitarist, Genesis resumed as a live act with Rutherford adding bass pedals and Banks playing lead guitar lines on a Pianet through a distorted fuzz box amplifier in addition to his keyboard parts, something that he credits in helping him develop his technique. In November 1970, after a second audition with Caryl fell through, Dave Stopps, owner of Friars club in Aylesbury, suggested they use Mick Barnard of The Farm, who joined the band for their gigs; which included Genesis's television debut on BBC's "Disco 2". After two months of performances, the band found Barnard lacked in expertise and wished to try someone else. In December, Gabriel spotted a "Melody Maker" advert from Steve Hackett, formerly of Quiet World, who wanted to join a band of "receptive musicians, determined to drive beyond existing stagnant music forms". Gabriel advised Hackett to become familiar with "Trespass" and attend their upcoming gig at the Lyceum Theatre in London. Hackett auditioned with the group in a flat in Earl's Court and formed an instant rapport with Rutherford through a common interest in inverted chords. After Hackett joined in January 1971, Stratton-Smith organised a UK tour with Genesis opening for fellow Charisma acts Lindisfarne and Van der Graaf Generator. Their first overseas dates took place in March with gigs in Belgium followed by their first of three consecutive appearances at the annual Reading Festival on 26 June.


title: Genesis (band)

text: Rehearsals for the band's third album, "Nursery Cryme", took place at Luxford House near Crowborough, East Sussex, which Stratton-Smith had owned. Recording began at Trident Studios in August 1971 with Anthony and Hentschel reprising their respective roles as producer and assistant engineer. The band's sound evolved, with Hackett's more aggressive electric guitar work and Banks adding a Mellotron previously owned by King Crimson to his set of keyboards. The opening track, "The Musical Box", originated when Phillips and Mayhew were in the group. The band developed the piece further including the addition of new guitar parts from Hackett. "The Musical Box" and "The Return of the Giant Hogweed" are the first recordings in which Hackett uses the tapping technique. Hackett and Collins wrote "For Absent Friends", which was the first Genesis track with Collins on lead vocals. On the album's cover, Whitehead depicted a Victorian manor house based on Gabriel's parents' home, and scenes and characters from the lyrics to "The Musical Box".


title: Genesis (band)

text: "Nursery Cryme" was released in November 1971 and reached No. 39 in the UK in 1974. Though the group still had a minor cult following at home, they started to achieve commercial and critical success in mainland Europe, with the album reaching No. 4 in the Italian charts. From November 1971 to August 1972, Genesis toured to support the album, including further visits to Belgium and, for the first time, Italy, where they played to enthusiastic crowds. In January and March 1972 they recorded radio sessions for BBC's "Sounds of the Seventies" program, and later in the year performed at the Reading Festival to some critical acclaim. During the tour, Genesis recorded "Happy the Man", a non-album single, with "Seven Stones" from "Nursery Cryme" on its B-side.


title: Genesis (band)

text: Following rehearsals in a dance school in Shepherd's Bush, Genesis recorded "Foxtrot" at Island Studios in August and September 1972. During the early sessions, disagreements between Charisma and Anthony contributed to the end of his association with Genesis. After two replacement engineers were tried out, the band settled on John Burns and a new producer, Dave Hitchcock.


title: Genesis (band)

text: The album features the 23-minute track "Supper's Ready", a suite of various musical segments. The track included an opening acoustic piece, a Gabriel-penned song called "Willow Farm", and a piece derived from a jam by Banks, Rutherford and Collins called "Apocalypse in 9/8". Other songs were the science-fiction-themed "Watcher of the Skies" and the property-development-themed "Get 'Em Out by Friday". "Foxtrot" was released in October 1972 and reached No. 12 in the UK. It fared even better in Italy, where it went to No. 1. "Foxtrot" was well received by critics. Chris Welch of "Melody Maker" thought "Foxtrot" was "a milestone in the group's career", "an important point of development in British group music", and that Genesis had reached "a creative peak". Stephen Thomas Erlewine thought "Foxtrot" marked the first time "Genesis attacked like a rock band, playing with a visceral power".


title: Genesis (band)

text: The "Foxtrot" tour covered Europe and North America from September 1972 to August 1973. Gabriel surprised the other members of the band at the National Stadium in Dublin on 28 September 1972 by wearing a costume on stage, following a suggestion by Charisma booking agent Paul Conroy. He went off stage during an instrumental section in "The Musical Box" and reappeared in his wife's red dress and a fox's head. The incident resulted in front cover reports in the music press, allowing the band to double their performance fee. In December 1972 Stratton-Smith organised the band's first gigs in the US, with a show at Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts, and one at Philharmonic Hall in New York City with openers String Driven Thing, in aid of the United Cerebral Palsy Fund. They were well received despite the band complaining of technical issues. Gabriel's costumes expanded in the following months to include fluorescent face paint and a cape fitted with bat wings for "Watcher of the Skies", several guises throughout "Supper's Ready" and a mask of an old man for "The Musical Box". An album of recordings from the following UK leg, initially recorded for the American radio program "King Biscuit Flower Hour", was released as "Genesis Live" in July 1973. It reached No. 9 in the UK and No. 105 in the US.


title: Genesis (band)

text: In the summer of 1973, Genesis resigned their contracts with Charisma. Stratton-Smith said they got "a much improved deal" despite them being able to get a better one with a bigger label, but the group were loyal and trusted the label with their careers. With a new contract and thus a green-light for a new album, Genesis recorded "Selling England by the Pound" at Island Studios in August 1973, the second Genesis album that Burns co-produced. Much of it was written at Una Billings School of Dance and Chessington. Gabriel contributed lyrics based on the idea of commercialism and the decline of English culture and the rise in American influences. Its title refers to a UK Labour Party slogan to make it clear to music critics who may have thought Genesis were beginning to "sell out" to the US. "Firth of Fifth" features an extended electric guitar solo from Hackett. The album's cover is a modified version of a painting named "The Dream" by Betty Swanwick who added a lawn mower to tie the image to the lyrics of "I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)".


title: Genesis (band)

text: "Selling England by the Pound" was released in October 1973 to a positive critical reception, though slightly more muted than "Foxtrot". The album reached No. 3 in the UK and No. 70 in the US. By this time, Genesis had made little effort to organise their finances and were £150,000 in debt (equivalent to £ in 2022).. They hired promoter Tony Smith as their new manager to improve their fortunes and published the band's subsequent music through his company, Hit & Run Music Publishing. The "Selling England by the Pound" tour visited Europe and North America between September 1973 and May 1974. Their six shows in three days at The Roxy in Los Angeles were well received by audiences and critics. The success of the tour earned the group the "Top Stage Band" title by readers of "NME". At its conclusion, Macphail resigned as their tour manager as he wished to pursue other interests. "I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)" was released as a UK single with "Twilight Alehouse", a non-album track recorded in 1972; it reached No. 21 following its release in February 1974. Its success led to an offer for Genesis to appear on BBC's national show "Top of the Pops"; the group thought this would not suit their image, and they declined the offer.


title: Genesis (band)

text: In June 1974, Genesis started work on their double concept album "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway". This marked a point at which Gabriel's relationship with the rest of the group became increasingly strained, which contributed to his departure. The album was written at Headley Grange in East Hampshire, where upon their arrival the building had been left in a very poor state by the previous band, with rat infestations and excrement on the floor. Gabriel objected to Rutherford's idea of an album based on "The Little Prince" by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, thinking the idea was "too twee". He proposed to the band a less fantastical and more complicated story involving Rael, a Puerto Rican youth living in New York City who embarks on a spiritual quest to establish his freedom and identity while meeting several bizarre characters on the way. Gabriel wrote the story with influences from "West Side Story", "a kind of punk" twist to "Pilgrim's Progress", author Carl Jung, and the film "El Topo" by Alejandro Jodorowsky. Most of the album's lyrics were written by Gabriel, leaving much of its music to the rest of the group. His absence from a considerable amount of writing sessions due to difficulties with his wife's first birth was something about which Rutherford and Banks "were horribly unsupportive". Gabriel also left the group when director William Friedkin asked him to write a screenplay, but returned after the project was shelved. In August 1974, production moved to Glaspant Manor in Carmarthenshire, Wales with Burns as co-producer, operating Island Studios' mobile equipment. Further work and mixing took place at Island, where Brian Eno contributed synthesizers and effects that the album's sleeve credits as "Enossification". When Gabriel asked Eno how the band could repay him, Eno said he needed a drummer for his track "Mother Whale Eyeless". Collins said, "I got sent upstairs as payment". Gabriel was pleased with Eno's work but Banks was less enthusiastic.


title: Genesis (band)

text: "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" was released in November 1974 and reached No. 10 in the UK and No. 41 in the US. "Counting Out Time" and "The Carpet Crawlers" were released as singles in 1974 and 1975, respectively. Its sleeve is the first of four Genesis albums designed by Storm Thorgerson and Aubrey Powell of Hipgnosis. From November 1974 to May 1975, Genesis completed 102 dates across North America and Europe as part of "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" tour. Their set included "The Lamb..." performed in its entirety with an encore, a decision that was not supported by the entire band considering most of the audience were not yet familiar with the large amount of new material. The stage show involved new, more elaborate costumes worn by Gabriel, three backdrop screens that displayed 1,450 slides from eight projectors, and a laser lighting display. Music critics often focused their reviews on Gabriel's theatrics and took the band's musical performance as secondary, which irritated the rest of the band.


title: Genesis (band)

text: During their stay in Cleveland during the tour, Gabriel told the band he would leave at its conclusion. He wrote a statement regarding his departure to the English press that was published in August 1975 titled "Out, Angels Out", explaining he had become disillusioned with the music industry and wanted to spend extended time with his family. Banks later stated, "Pete was also getting too big for the group. He was being portrayed as if he was 'the man' and it really wasn't like that. It was a very difficult thing to accommodate. So it was actually a bit of a relief."


title: Genesis (band)

text: Following the "Lamb" tour, Hackett recorded his first solo album "Voyage of the Acolyte" as he felt unsure that Genesis would survive following Gabriel's departure. He reconvened with the remaining group members in London in July 1975. Collins' idea of continuing as an instrumental group was quickly rejected by the group as they thought it would become boring. Rehearsals for "A Trick of the Tail" took place in Acton where material was quickly written and with little effort; most of "Dance on a Volcano" and "Squonk" was put together in the first three days. Recording began in October 1975 at Trident Studios with Hentschel as producer. As a replacement singer had not been found, the band decided to record the album without vocals and audition singers as they went. They placed an anonymous advertisement in "Melody Maker" for "a singer for a Genesis-type group", which received around 400 replies. Collins proceeded to teach selected applicants the songs; Witches Brew frontman and flautist Mick Strickland was invited into the studio to sing, but the backing tracks were in a key outside of his natural range, and the band decided not to work with him. Having failed to find a suitable vocalist, Collins went into the studio and attempted to sing "Squonk". His performance was well received by the band, and they decided that he should be their new lead vocalist. Collins then sang on the remaining tracks.


title: Genesis (band)

text: "A Trick of the Tail" was released in February 1976 and was a commercial and critical success for the band. The album reached No. 3 in the UK and No. 31 in the US. The title track was released as a single, though it did not chart. In June, the album was certified Gold by the British Phonographic Institute for selling over 100,000 copies which helped the band clear the £400,000 of debt (equivalent to £ in 2022) they owed when Gabriel left. For the first time in their career Genesis filmed promotional videos for their songs, including "A Trick of the Tail" and "Robbery, Assault and Battery". Before the upcoming tour, Collins sought a drummer he felt comfortable with while singing; he chose Bill Bruford who offered to do the job. From March to July 1976, Genesis performed across North America and Europe with the "A Trick of the Tail" tour, to enthusiastic crowds. Collins adopted a more humorous rapport with the audience, unlike Gabriel's theatrical approach, which was successful. The shows in Glasgow and Stafford were filmed for their concert film "", released in cinemas in February 1977 as a double bill with "White Rock".