Top Chef earned $37.75 million in advertising last year, and another $16.1 million this year, and thus we know that more product sponsorships and sponsor-focused challenges are on their way. Advertising Age reports that product placement works: Top Chef 4 “posted high brand recall for sponsors such as Toyota (67% vs. the cable average of …
In its Sunday edition, The New York Times Magazine profiles Lauren Zalaznick, the NBC Universal executive who runs Bravo, Oxygen, and other things, and declares that “what she’s producing isn’t rampant consumerism on display to be emulated or mocked, or both — it’s a form of social anthropology, a cultural text as worthy of analysis …
Survivor Gabon aired its first double-elimination episode last night, forcing both the perennially lame Fang and strong Kota to vote someone off. Gone were Kota’s Dan Kay and Fang’s Ace Gordon. I liked both Dan and Ace pre-season, although Dan quickly crumbled even during the first episode, and Ace played up his evil persona way …
The Amazing Race 14 will begin production late this week or this weekend. Host Phil Keoghan confirmed that on The Early Show, saying, “It’s incredible. It’s amazing, quite frankly. We’ll be heading out for the 14th time to go around the world. We keep having this opportunity and for me, it’s the best job I’ve …
Bravo is dealing with the presumed loss of Project Runway by ordering four–yes, four–new fashion-themed reality series, none of which are Fashion House, the Project Runway-like clone that Bravo announced this summer, even if some people have been sensationalizing its existence recently. The Fashion Show (a working title, thankfully) is an American Idol-like competition for …
On Monday, the UK’s E4 debuted a satirical zombie-infected version of Big Brother called Dead Set, and now, just in time for Halloween, VH1.com is airing a spoof reality show America’s Next Top Zombie Idol. The one-episode, five-act video features eight zombies competing for the title, and it is, of course, scripted and not at …
Late last week, Cloris Leachman said it was “a miracle” she was still on Dancing with the Stars 7. Last night, like a piece of toast with the Virgin Mary’s image that was re-toasted, that miracle came to an end. Characteristically, she refused to go. “I’m not leaving!” she said, but eventually, she did go. …