At the start of the film Hawking, Stephen Hawking, through his now-well-known computerized voice, says, “This film is a personal journey through my life, told in my own life. Come with me and I will tell you the story of how I became who I am.” PBS broadcast the film on TV last night and… continue reading
Archives for January 2014
Top Chef’s soul problem, and how Roy Choi can help the show find it
As Top Chef New Orleans starts its two-part finale tonight to wrap up its 11th season, it became clear to me that it’s a solid show, but no longer must-watch. The series isn’t quite as bad yet as its short-lived spin-off Top Chef Just Desserts became with its crazy, rigid formula, but it’s getting there…. continue reading
Why CBS will keep bringing back contestants you hate
I basically laughed when, in the cast preview video for The Amazing Race‘s 24th season, host Phil Keoghan said that these returning cast members were “those teams you’ve grown to love.” He didn’t even add “and love to hate.” In fact, he said, “We continually hear from fans that they want their favorites back, and… continue reading
Facebook will show real-time American Idol voting results
American Idol will reveal voting results in real-time for the first time ever, and do so via Facebook. In addition, the show has added yet another way to vote for contestants: people can vote while they’re searching Google, in addition to voting on the show’s web site, via its app, via text messaging, and via… continue reading
Amazing Race’s secret “dramatic twist” is not all that secret, dramatic, or twisty
This morning, CBS revealed the teams competing on The Amazing Race 24, an all-star season featuring the return of Rachel and Brendon and a bunch of other annoying people. The network also teased a twist that isn’t really a twist at all. In fairness, Phil Keoghan calls the teams “your favorites” and “those teams you’ve… continue reading
COPS creator on Survivor; RHOM and Bieber, RHOA arrest; Xbox reality TV; Mitt Romney on Netflix
State and federal officials will investigate Animal Planet’s Call of the Wildman, which was revealed to be staging scenes with planted animals, some of which were drugged or even killed as a result. Xbox Entertainment Studios now has an unscripted programming executive, Ari Mark, who comes from AMC, where he developed The Pitch and Comic… continue reading
The Taste’s second season: so much better than the first
Along with the silly spoons, most of the annoying parts of The Taste have all but disappeared, improving the ABC competition in its second season. The first season just didn’t work, but there was a lot of potential that has been realized now, and that’s both surprising and great: rarely does a show get time… continue reading
The new Fox series that combines Big Brother and Survivor
The brand-new reality series that strands 15 people for a year and broadcasts live feeds of their interaction is coming to Fox. Utopia debuted to strong ratings just a few weeks ago in the Netherlands and was created by John de Mol, who’s behind the original Big Brother format. The show is like Big Brother… continue reading
Call of the Wild not only fake, but abused, even killed animals
Animal Planet’s series Call of the Wildman has been revealed to not only be staged, faking its animal rescues by planting animals and using them as props in a scripted series. It’s even caused death to one of the animals it is supposed to be about saving. The network’s press release for the show’s second… continue reading
Survivor Cagayan cast officially announced
CBS has officially announced the Survivor Cagayan cast, and as we already knew, it’s all new players, though heavily stocked with people who have some fame already. In the cast preview video below, Jeff Probst explains that “We have more heroic, likable, funny people that are salt of the earth. Doesn’t mean we don’t have… continue reading
First thoughts on Opposite Worlds, aka Glass House 2.0
ABC’s short-lived competition series The Glass House is back, it feels like, in Syfy’s new competition series Opposite Worlds, which takes much more from that series than it does from Big Brother–though of course, Glass House improved on the CBS summer competition. The major addition and twist here is that one team lives in relative… continue reading
The most disturbing reality show of the year may also be the most important
Esquire’s reality series Friday Night Tykes, which follows youth football teams in Texas, debuted last week, and has already generated response from USA Football, which insists what happens on the series is “in sharp contrast to USA Football’s core beliefs and what is taking place on the majority of youth football fields across the country.”… continue reading
Shipping Wars death; Whodunnit’s future; Penn & Teller competition; Hoop Dreams’ 20th
The star of A&E’s Shipping Wars, Roy Garber, died Friday, two days after the show’s fifth season finished airing. His cat is okay. The cause of death was a heart attack, according to Variety. The documentary feature films nominated for an Oscar are The Act of Killing, Cutie and the Boxer, The Square, Dirty Wars,… continue reading
The weird future of Celebrity Apprentice
Celebrity Apprentice‘s seventh season is so delayed that it there may be at least two years between seasons for the show, which was not on NBC’s schedule this year and which has not yet started production. It’s possible the show won’t return until summer 2015, if at all. Sunday, NBC Entertainment Chairman Robert Greenblatt told… continue reading
Juan Pablo on gay Bachelor: not “a good example for kids,” gays are “more pervert[ed]”
The Bachelor star Juan Pablo Galavis was asked if the franchise should have a gay or bisexual star, and in his answer he said he has “respect” for gay people but that they’d be a bad example for kids because they’re more perverted. Has he ever watched Bachelor Pad–or, you know, his own damn show?… continue reading
CBS boss “thrilled with” Survivor; nothing will ever change on Big Brother
CBS Entertainment President Nina Tassler was asked yesterday during a press conference with TV critics about Survivor and Big Brother, and challenged repeatedly about how the casting and producing on the latter, which led to last summer’s parade of bigotry. First, Tassler was asked why “with each subsequent season, the contestants on the show get… continue reading
Kate Gosselin’s twins say everything by refusing to talk in this must-watch interview
The most awkward and uncomfortable thing to come out of Jon and Kate Plus Eight may just be two of the kids’ appearance on The Today Show with their mother this morning. Whether all kids are “normal,” as Kate insists, or “have problems”, as Jon said, cannot be answered by a single interview, but this… continue reading
Top Chef gets an EXTREME ULTIMATE ALL-STAR BATTLE spin-off
Bravo is creating yet another spin-off of its successful competition series. Its working title is Top Chef Extreme, and it’s a search for the “Ultimate Top Chef.” How mega-extreme! The show features head-to-head competition between all-stars from previous seasons of Top Chef and Top Chef Masters; Bravo describes those as “three rounds of extreme culinary… continue reading
Survivor gets a late start due to the Olympics
CBS announced today that Survivor Cagayan will debut Feb. 26, about a week later than usual, though it will have a two-hour premiere. That’s likely to get out of the way of NBC’s coverage of the Winter Olympics, which ends Feb. 23–the day The Amazing Race‘s all-star season premiere. A press release notes that Survivor‘s… continue reading
Survivor DWI selfie; X Factor future; Runway’s first double winner criticizes challenges
Fox Entertainment President Kevin Reilly was asked about the future of The X Factor yesterday, and he told TV critics, “There is no decision.” Of Simon Cowell’s grandstanding, he said, “I love him. He’s doing what he should do as a producer.” Reilly admitted that the series “underperformed this year” but said in other countries,… continue reading