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‘Name That Tune’: Why are there no American contestants? Meet the players set to win $100K on musical game show

Tony Award winner Jane Krakowski and Grammy Award-winning producer Randy Jackson are hosting the show

FOX network’s reboot of the vintage musical game show 'Name That Tune' premiered on January 6, 2021. The original version was presented by NBC in 1952 and was created and produced by orchestra conductor Harry Salter and his wife Roberta Semple Salter. Cut to 2021, reboot reality show 'Name That Tune' is being hosted by Tony Award winner Jane Krakowski and Grammy Award-winning producer Randy Jackson, whom we all know as the longest-serving judge on the reality show ‘American Idol,’ accompanies her as the bandleader.  

What is the show about?

The contestants on FOX’s ‘Name That Tune’ battle it out in an assortment of challenging musical games for cash and prizes. Each episode consists of two standalone half-hour contests, each pitting two players against each other as they race against the clock to test their knowledge of songs, performed by the live band. The first two rounds on the show test the guessing and bidding skills of the contestants. The one who makes the most amount of money in the first two rounds goes on to play the Golden Buzzer round to win prize money of a whopping $100,000. 

Why are there no American contestants?

In the first episode, we saw contestants Stevie and Chip battling it out for the prize money as the latter took over the game like a cakewalk with his sharp guessing skills. In the next episode, we will see contestants Ciara and Nicole, Kylie and Cessalee, Melissa and Devin testing their musical knowledge with an intention to get their hands on the grand prize. 

Now, not many know but the show was entirely filmed in Australia with American expats. According to multiple reports, the reality show was shot in Sydney at the International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney) in Darling Harbour, if we go more specific. The contestants featured on the show are all American expats. For those who are not aware, an expatriate is an individual residing in a country other than their native country. The term often refers to professionals, skilled workers, or artistes taking positions outside their home country, either independently or sent abroad by their employers.

‘Name That Tune’ was filmed in Australia due to the crisis of the deadly Covid-19 in the US. The show was shot in the presence of a partial studio audience under strict Covid-19 protocols from November to December 2020.