reality blurred + archives + August 29 to September 4, 2010

week of August 29, 2010

Five years after Hurricane Katrina, TV reminds us of its horror and impact
Five years ago today, hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans. The results of that are well-documented, but now, even five years later, it's particularly horrifying to...
Must-watch The Cove airs on Animal Planet, spin-off series follows former Flipper trainer
The Cove is definitely the best documentary I've seen in years, although it's perhaps better classified as a real-life thriller; it's both entertaining and important....

Lane wins HOH, Pandora's Desperate Attempt at Entertainment returns to Big Brother
Big Brother 12's Sunday episode started with nine minutes of recap, 21 minutes of a relatively lame competition, and more of Hayden shouting in the...
Despite dumping host award, Emmys do better with reality TV, but can still do better
While the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences has gotten better with its treatment of reality TV in recent years, it still has a long...
Top Chef Las Vegas wins best reality competition Emmy, dethroning Amazing Race
The seemingly impossible happened during the Emmys last night: Top Chef Las Vegas won the Emmy for best reality competition show, finally dethroning seven-time winner...
Top Chef's French episode beat TAR's weak WWI ep; Probst won for Russell Swan ep
In the Emmy competition for outstanding competition reality TV show, each series enters a single episode. That, as succinctly discussed here, is perhaps the primary...
Edyta Sliwinska quits Dancing with the Stars
Edyta Sliwinska, who has been the only pro on Dancing with the Stars since season one, has quit the show, and although one report says...

Dancing with the Stars cast is exactly what pre-faux-press conference leaks said it'd be
The cast of Dancing with the Stars 11 was announced during a live, faux press conference that aired toward the end of Bachelor Pad. The...
Big Brother 11's Michele is on Playboy's sex-on-TV reality show Foursome
Michele Noonan, the bisexual neuroscientist who came in fourth place on Big Brother 11 last summer, will be on Playboy TV's Foursome this fall, presumably...
Whale Wars season three finale was Animal Planet's most-watched episode ever
Whale Wars awesome two-hour finale on Friday, during which Pete Bethune snuck aboard the Shonan Maru #2 and surprised its crew while the helicopter--and the...
Jeff and Jordan's visit to Big Brother offers a behind-the-scenes look at the house
Jeff Schroeder is currently in Laos and heading to Bangkok, where he "needs a ride from the airport and a place to stay in Bangkok,"...
Bethenny Frankel officially quits Real Housewives now that her spin-off is a success
Bethenny Frankel has officially quit The Real Housewives of New York City now that she has a successful spin-off, Bethenny Getting Married, so she won't...
Survivor contract, rule book are back online
After a challenge from CBS, the Survivor cast contract, which includes the show's rule book, are back online on reality blurred. In late July, almost...

Thom Beers calls Deadliest Catch's Emmy loss to "boring" Ken Burns doc "an abomination"
Deadliest Catch executive producer Thom Beers has never been shy about the nonfiction and reality TV Emmy categories, which last year he told me were...
Big Brother's higher ratings attributed to "rootable," "fun," not "completely hatable" cast
Big Brother ratings are up 6 percent from last summer and the show is regularly getting its highest demo ratings in years, which is evidence...
Amazing Race 17 cast announced
The Amazing Race 17 11-team, highly telegenic cast has been announced, including the previously revealed beauty queens, although CBS only identifies one of three beauty...
Discovery networks protester shot and killed after taking three people hostage
A man who'd previous protested Discovery's programming held three people hostage at Discovery Communications' headquarters outside of Washington, D.C., was shot to death by police...

Big Brother houseguests actively resist playing the game, clean house instead
Big Brother's singing clam and sock puppets made to look like the houseguests should have one giant mouth hug to viewers. Instead, they came off...
Top Chef all-stars filming in New York, probably for a full all-star season
The next season of Top Chef may be a full all-star season, as contestants from the previous seven seasons are currently filming in New York...
Big Brother will be preempted, delayed tonight by football for many people
Big Brother 12's lack of drama will be delayed for many people across the country, while others will see the show on a different channel....
I Love New York's Heat on Foursome with BB's Michele, who "give[s] the best head ever"
Playboy TV has posted a new trailer for Foursome featuring Big Brother 11's Michele Noonan. Her name may be spelled wrong, but that's her, saying,...
Does Tim Gunn's outrage mean that Project Runway is better this season?
I confess: the one minute and nine seconds of Project Runway 8 below is the only part of this season that I've seen. I gave...

Ragan out but Big Brother gets real drama from Matt smugly confessing wife lie
At the start of Big Brother 12's penultimate Thursday episode, Ragan said, "I am not just going to roll over and die. I'm going to...
Dancing with the Stars cast all paid the same: $345,000 if they last 10 weeks
The collection of C-list celebrities, reality stars, and Bristol Palin that comprises the Dancing with the Stars cast will all be paid the same amount...
Next week: Labor Day brings reality TV marathons, and some fall shows debut
Labor Day weekend has arrived with a bunch of reality TV marathons. Although a few shows debut new seasons this week, it won't be the...
Kara DioGuardi out of American Idol because "now is the best time to leave"
As expected and reported back in late July, Kara DioGuardi is out as a judge on American Idol after two seasons. In a statement released...