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past forward

Next week: Real World returns, Kathy Griffin meets Levi Johnston, and Wipeout goes World Cup

by Andy Dehnart 25 Jun. 2010 | 4:16 pm

Along with me, past forward took a vacation last week, too, but now we’re back. We’re both feeling very refreshed after unplugging, hiking, kayaking, having quality friend time, and doing yoga dance. Don’t ask about the last part.

The Past

  • Last week, the Glee reality show died, American Idol made a stupid rule change, and another Bachelor couple split up, followed by lots of insane drama. In gay news, two Big Brother houseguests appeared in the same gay porn movie, the Jersey Shore guys’ abs illustrated a paper’s queer issue, and Danielle Staub may or may not be gay, but is definitely looking for attention.

Meanwhile, Neil Patrick Harris got a piece of Survivor and Phil Keoghan got another hosting job, and Cyndi Lauper got her own reality show, and Survivor Nicaragua started taping.

The Forward

  • Friday, June 25
    Before Party Down, one of the funniest sit-coms on TV, concludes its second (and perhaps final) season on Starz, there’s some reality TV to keep us company. Wife Swap is back [ABC, 8 p.m.] and includes a family that “live the lifestyle of 1840s pioneers, including traditional roles for men and women.” Sigh. Meanwhile, the Ady Gil finally arrived to help out on Whale Wars [Animal Planet, 9 p.m.], which means the tension is getting ratcheted up because we know what’s coming.
  • Sunday, June 27
    Last week was the debut of The Real L Word, a series that’s a reality version of Showtime’s scripted series about lesbian friends. The first episode, “Power of the Clam” (really) repeats [Showtime, 9 p.m.] followed by a new episode. Meanwhile, the surprisingly watchable shooting competition Top Shot continues [History, 10 p.m.] with a challenge that tests the contestants’ ability to decide whether a fast-appearing target is friendly or worthy of being blown away.
  • Monday, June 28
    All day, A&E repeats episodes from previous seasons of Intervention, which returns [A&E, 9 p.m.] with an episode that follows an alcoholic mother who drinks with her 20-year-old addict son, and Obsessed [A&E, 10 p.m.], which debuts its second season with an episode that follows a compulsive exerciser and a compulsive hand-washer. Oh, and Andy Cohen’s Watch What Happens Live on a crappy set with even crappier graphics has found a new night for the summer, Mondays.
  • Tuesday, June 29
    Wipeout [ABC, 8 p.m.] airs a special World Cup-themed episode that turns the big balls into football/soccer balls. Later, on My Life on the D-List [Bravo, 9 p.m.], Kathy Griffin goes to Alaska to spend time with her pretend boyfriend Levi Johnston, and the preview shows them looking at his Playgirl photos together, which along with just being in Alaska should provide Kathy some great opportunities for one-liners.
  • Wednesday, June 30
    The Real World returns to New Orleans [MTV, 10 p.m.] and returns to its even stupider, drunker ways. Also tonight, Man Shops Globe [Sundance, 10 p.m.] and Locked Up Abroad [National Geographic Channel, 10 p.m.] return, while on Top Chef DC [Bravo, 9 p.m.], the remaining chefs go to Capitol Hill to make a meal for interns, and on Work of Art [Bravo, 10 p.m.], the contestants create shocking works of art.
  • Thursday, June 17
    Wipeout airs on a special night with an episode that will include the 1,000th contestant to bounce off shit [ABC, 8 p.m.].

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about Andy Dehnart

Andy Dehnart’s writing and criticism about television, culture, and media has appeared on NPR and in Vulture, Pacific Standard, The Los Angeles Times, and other publications. He has covered reality television for more than 18 years, and created reality blurred in 2000.

A member of the Television Critics Association who serves on its board of directors, Andy, 41, also directs the journalism program at Stetson University in Florida, where he teaches creative nonfiction and journalism. He has an M.F.A. in nonfiction writing and literature from Bennington College. Learn more about reality blurred and Andy.

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about reality blurred

reality blurred is your guide to the world of reality TV and unscripted entertainment, with reality show reviews, news, and analysis. It was created in 2000 by Andy Dehnart. He's still writing and publishing it today.

reality blurred is regularly updated with highlights from the world of reality TV: news and analysis; behind-the-scenes reports; interviews with reality TV show cast members and producers; and recaps and reviews of these reality TV shows, including Survivor, Big Brother, The Great British Baking Show, Shark Tank, The Amazing Race, The Bachelor, Project Runway, Dancing with the Stars, Top Chef, and many more.

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