Name That Tune is an American musical game show that premiered on Fox in 2021. It is the latest revival of one of the longest-running formats in American television history — originally created by Harry Salter and first broadcast on NBC Radio in 1952 before moving to television in 1953. The show aired on NBC and CBS in various forms through 1959, was revived in syndication with host Tom Kennedy from 1974 to 1981, and had a further syndicated run with host Jim Lange from 1984 to 1985. The current Fox revival marks the format’s first return to primetime network television since the 1950s.
The series features two stand-alone contests between two contestants or celebrity pairs, who compete across a rotating selection of musical games drawn from the original format — including Bid-a-Note, in which players wager on how few notes it will take them to identify a song, bidding down until one player either names the tune or calls the other’s bluff. The player who accumulates the most money in the contest advances to the Golden Medley bonus round — a rapid-fire sequence of songs in which they attempt to identify seven tunes in 30 seconds to win the $100,000 grand prize. Throughout this, Randy Jackson and his live band provide the music, with Jackson playing piano and leading the performance from the stage.
The show’s format has evolved across its five seasons. Season 1 featured civilian contestants, while Season 2 introduced a mix of celebrity and non-celebrity episodes. From Season 3 — retitled Celebrity Name That Tune — the show shifted fully to a celebrity format, with pairs of well-known personalities competing for charity across all subsequent seasons.
Jane Krakowski hosts the current version of the series. A Tony Award winner best known for her roles in 30 Rock and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Krakowski brings warmth and sharp comedic timing to the role. Randy Jackson — the Grammy Award-winning producer and former American Idol judge — serves as bandleader across all five seasons, doubling as a fan-favourite personality who frequently interacts with contestants and celebrities throughout each episode.
