Wednesday’s episode of Survivor was a mix of frustration and awesomeness. Guess who was the source of the frustration, like gravy dribbling off the mashed potatoes and getting all up in the cranberries? (Yes, Jeff Probst.) I was convinced for a long time that Ciera’s confession to Tyson was part of her plan with Caleb… continue reading
Archives for November 2013
SeaWorld Macy’s float; Elton John on reality stars; Breaking Bad doc; Trista and Ryan’s 10th
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving here in the states, and it’s a time for us to gorge on food and avoid our families by going to stores in the afternoon, where we can bond with fellow shoppers injuring each other in order to make sure we can get our hands on cheap shit. Oh, the holidays! Seriously,… continue reading
Bob Harper comes out as gay on Biggest Loser
On last night’s The Biggest Loser, Bob Harper publicly revealed he’s gay for the first time, though it’s long been well-known, and not just because he’s the trainer on the Queer Abs workout DVD or said he’s been out since he was 17. It’s just never something he’s talked about on the NBC reality competition…. continue reading
Pawn Stars shill for Microsoft in new Scroogled ad
Microsoft has enlisted two cast members from History’s high-rated series Pawn Stars for its “Scroogled” ad campaign, in which it tries to convince people that Google’s products are bad–because of course, people already know Microsoft products suck. In the 30-second ad (there’s a longer version, too, which is below), Rick Harrison talks to an actor… continue reading
Why Dancing with the Stars is so much better now
ABC’s Dancing with the Stars was cut from two episodes a week to one for its 17th season, a change that seriously hurt Fox’s So You Think You Can Dance. But improbably for a series that has always skewed old, both in its ratings and presentation, the show has improved significantly this season, and no… continue reading
Duck Dynasty’s clever Redneck Christmas cash grab
Duck Dynasty has become a ratings winner for A&E, and judging by all the products the network now sells–among other things, there’s a board game, cookbook, and brand-new Christmas album–it’s also doing well generating cash outside of advertisements. In a press release announcing the Duck Dynasty seasons 1 to 3 “collector’s set,” out Dec. 3,… continue reading
Why a gay Bachelor might not work
A new Funny or Die video starring George Takei as the host of a gay version of ABC’s The Bachelor offers a somewhat convincing, if stereotype-ridden and totally jokey, argument as to why a gay season of the show might not work structurally. This parody, which stars Jesse Tyler Ferguson and has a few fun… continue reading
Bar Rescue bar owner kills country singer; fatal shooting at another Bar Rescue bar
There were two fatal shootings at separate bars featured on Spike’s Bar Rescue early Saturday, including one that involved the owner of a bar that was to be featured on Sunday’s brand-new episode. Spike pulled the episode but later apologized for failing to pull repeats of the episode. Country singer Wayne Mills was shot dead… continue reading
Real World Seattle Irene’s must-read indictment of Real World, MTV, and reality TV’s evolution
Irene McGee is best known for her 1998 exit from The Real World Seattle: Citing her Lyme disease as the reason, she leaves the show, only to be hit in the face by a fellow cast member, Stephen, as cameras rolled. Now, 15 years later, Irene tells the story of her time on the series–not… continue reading
Bravo’s Housewives spying; Hulk Hogan was suicidal; The Miz’s holiday bounty hunter movie
The evil geniuses at Bravo are using a Facebook product to “scan private posts” of “100 million U.S. users, anonymously combining those into useful data about who’s talking about a specific topic,” Variety reports. Note how this new Facebook service uses private posts, not just public ones (although some people don’t seem to know what… continue reading
Survivor crushing X Factor; The Voice is the most-popular reality show
The strength of Survivor Blood vs. Water has given the show strong ratings that are leaving it as the number two reality show in the country, behind only The Voice, which airs on different nights. Survivor is far, far ahead of its timeslot competition, Fox’s The X Factor, which airs at the same time, and… continue reading
Survivor: throw momma from the tribe?
How many times in the history of Survivor have we heard someone say, “it’s just a game” as a way to excuse hurting others feelings? Sure, it’s a game, but it’s also one that involves developing and then manipulating and/or betraying relationships with people, and we saw a completely atypical illustration of that last night…. continue reading
Behind the Mask: fall’s best new reality show
The best new reality TV series this fall is not actually on a television network: It’s on Hulu, and it is Behind the Mask, Josh Greenbaum’s documentary-style reality series that follows four mascots and the people behind them. The show smartly follows four different mascots: Rooty from Lebanon High School, Hey Reb from UNLV, Tux… continue reading
Todd Herzog on Dr. Phil: exploitative and necessary
In the preview of Todd Herzog’s appearance on Dr. Phil, the footage of the Survivor China winner was horrifying and also sensationally presented. Was his appearance on the show exploitative or critically necessary? After the broadcast yesterday, the answer is clear: It was both. The basic details of his appearance were covered in an audience… continue reading
Jobs that Bite is an insane clone of Dirty Jobs, and Mike Rowe’s response is a must-read
The now-cancelled series Dirty Jobs was hosted by Mike Rowe and produced by Pilgrim Films and Television for the Discovery Channel; the new series Jobs that Bite is hosted by Jeremy Brandt and produced by Half Yard Productions for NatGeo WILD. Yet the new series is such a blatant rip-off of the cancelled series that… continue reading
Amazing Race 24 teams update as race begins and first team is eliminated
The Amazing Race 24 started filming Saturday, and teams identified at the airport and elsewhere confirm that this is yet another season of returning cast members, though there are several differences from the cast list that surfaced last month. There additions to the cast are Margie and Luke Adams, the Globetrotters, Mallory and Mark, Leo… continue reading
Reality TV producers, writers lose $40 million a year in unpaid overtime, Writers Guild says
The Writers Guild of America East says that reality TV show producers and crew members are owed an average of $30,000 a year for unpaid overtime and a lack of breaks, which totals something like $40 million a year in the industry. This new survey “found that 84% of nonfiction TV producers and writers work… continue reading
Mark and Donnie Wahlberg on reality TV; Idol preview; Tim Gunn’s bathroom
Two new reality series for the Wahlbergs: TVGN’s Rock the Boat, which takes fans on a cruise for a week with their favorite band, will feature New Kids on the Block first; that’ll be produced by Donnie Wahlberg. Meanwhile, A&E has ordered Wahlburgers, a documentary series that watches as “Mark and Donnie head back to… continue reading
Details on Todd Herzog’s rehab, how Survivor contributed to alcoholism, Dr. Phil appearance
Survivor China winner Todd Herzog is now in treatment for alcoholism following an appearance on Dr. Phil last week, which was essentially an intervention by his family, as he was not aware he was appearing on TV until confronted by cameras at home. I’ve learned details about his appearance from a member of the studio… continue reading
Survivor regurgitates its bitterness
Survivor Blood vs. Water sped through two episodes in a single hour, re-stocking Redemption Island and also getting through two inevitable votes, who were both kind of bitter and who the tribe was anxious to spit out. Despite the editors’ best efforts, Vytas, Tina, and Katie’s fates seemed clear after last week’s awesome blindside of… continue reading