What to Watch on Wednesday: The Masked Singer kicks off wild, 'game-changing' season 5

The Masked Singer

HOW/WHEN & WHERE TO WATCH: 8 p.m. on Fox

Season Premiere
Our favorite costumed reality show/fever dream is back for season 5 with some major changes. First up, Niecy Nash will be hosting the first half of the season, as Nick Cannon is out recovering from COVID-19. And for the first time, the show will feature an unknown number of wildcard rounds, which will have new masked celebrities introduced during the run of the season. There are 10 total non-wildcard contestants split into two groups: Russian Dolls, Seashell, Raccoon, Snail, and Porcupine in Group A; and Piglet, Chameleon, Phoenix, Black Swan, and Grandpa Monster will round out Group B. The show is also introducing its first "clue-meister" character, Cluedle-Doo! Not a contestant but rather a costumed celeb, he'll give audiences new clues the panelists won't see and might even crash the stage to help — or mess with — Ken Jeong, Jenny McCarthy, Nicole Scherzinger, and Robin Thicke. And like always, the contestants have some pretty crazy résumés. This season's contestants boast a combined 26 Grammy nominations, four Academy Award nods, three Super Bowl appearances, and more achievements. The Masked Singer recently teased a performance from Russian Dolls, and fans already have plenty of guesses for who might be under the costume. —Rachel Yang

Related content:

• Everything to know about The Masked Singer season 5
• See the very first costumes from The Masked Singer season 5
• Big changes coming to The Masked Singer season 5 with new wildcard rounds

Hear more on all of today's must-see picks, plus an exclusive clip from Chicago P.D., in EW's What to Watch podcast, hosted by Gerrad Hall.

Chicago P.D.

HOW/WHEN & WHERE TO WATCH: 10 p.m. on NBC

When a fellow Chicago P.D. officer is caught on camera shooting — or did he?! — an unarmed Black man, Ruzek and Atwater are charged with arresting him, leading the two to butt heads about racial bias and the responsibility of all officers to speak up about excessive force and brutality among their ranks. But things become more complicated not just by the nature of the cast, testing their partnership in the process, but also when it becomes clear that someone does want them to make it back to the station.

Related content:

• Chicago Fire star David Eigenberg breaks down the explosive events of Herrmann's lucky day
• Watch as the team scrambles to find a missing Halstead in Chicago P.D. fall finale
• Chicago P.D. boss on that shocking finale tragedy

Last Chance U: Basketball

HOW/WHEN & WHERE TO WATCH: Streaming on Netflix

Docuseries Debut
Last Chance U may have scored its final goal last year, bringing its five-season look at the world of junior college football to a close. But the series has rebounded with the debut of Last Chance U: Basketball. Over eight episodes, the East Los Angeles College Huskies — made up of former D1 recruits and powerhouse athletes — will chase an unprecedented California state basketball championship while battling adversity, inner demons, and emotions both on and off the court. All the while, hustling for a chance to fulfill their dreams of playing at the next level.

Related content:

• Last Chance U: Basketball puts a new spin on a trusted franchise: Review
• Courteney Cox to star in series based on Netflix's Last Chance U breakout
• 'I took that personally': Behind LeBron James' MJ moment during Space Jam: A New Legacy filming

What ELSE to Watch

8 p.m.

Tough as Nails — CBS

South ParQ Vaccination Special — Comedy Central

Riverdale — The CW

The Challenge: Double Agents — MTV

Chicago Med — NBC

Stormborn (docuseries debut) — Smithsonian Channel

9 p.m.

The Real Housewives of New Jersey — Bravo

SEAL Team — CBS

Nancy Drew — The CW

Game of Talents (series debut) — Fox

Chicago Fire — NBC

10 p.m.

The Con — ABC

S.W.A.T. — CBS

Good Trouble — Freeform

Snowfall — FX

Streaming

Design Star: Next Gen (series debut) — Discovery+

Marriage or Mortgage (series debut) — Netflix

*times are ET and subject to change

We know TV has a lot to offer, be it network, cable, premium channels, or streaming platforms including Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, and others. So EW is here to help, guiding you every single day to the things that should be on your radar. Be sure to listen/subscribe to our What to Watch podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts, or via your own voice-controlled smart-speaker (Alexa, Google Home).