Many have played hide-and-seek. Few have played hide-and-Shaq. ABC’s new competition series, Can You Hide… Shaq?, hosted by comedian Nicole Byer, challenges eight contestants to hide the 7-foot-1, 325-pound NBA legend in plain sight across Dallas. The series premieres with two episodes Thursday, December 3, at 9 p.m. on ABC and the ESPN app, with two more episodes following December 10, streaming on Hulu the day after each broadcast.
Contestants split into two teams of four, each given a set mission and time limit. Per the official logline, the team that completes its mission with the fewest spottings earns immunity for one team member heading into the next round, with that person becoming team captain. Ultimately, the teams work together toward a shared goal: building prize money into a “Shaq-pot” that one eventual winner claims outright. The series features several real Dallas landmarks, including the Perot Museum of Nature and Science, Reunion Tower, and the ISD Athletic Center, though specifics on what tools or disguises contestants are actually allowed to use remain unclear.
O’Neal explained his motivation for the format in a statement: “I’m 7-foot-1. I’m not exactly easy to miss. I love meeting people wherever I go, but for years I’ve always wondered, could somebody actually make me disappear? Well, we finally decided to put it to the test.” He added that while the stakes and prize money are real, “we’re gonna have some fun along the way.”
Can You Hide… Shaq? is produced by Fulwell Entertainment and Jersey Legends Productions in partnership with ESPN. O’Neal, Ben Winston, Colin Smeeton, Mike Parris, Jeremy Castro, Emma Conway, Charlie Van Vleet, Shyam Balse, Adam Cooper, and Byer all serve as executive producers.
With a premise this specifically built around one unmistakably recognizable celebrity, the format practically begs for a spinoff franchise, whether that means Can You Hide… Tilda Swinton or anyone else famous enough to make disappearing in plain sight the whole point of the game.