Within one week, Netflix and Fox premiered similar shows—so similar, they even shared a contestant. But both have unnecessarily filler crowding out some really fun parts.
Masked Singer season 4’s premiere: great singers and a dangerous, unnecessary lie
The Masked Singer season 4’s premiere had strong performances and fun costumes. And it also had a fake audience that acted as if it’s okay to be unmasked and physically close to other people right now.
Top Chef 18 is filming now—in Portland? Top Chef Amateurs is up next
Top Chef season 18 is filming now, and Top Chef Amateurs will be filmed later this fall, although Bravo hasn’t yet announced it. But what is Top Chef’s city, and what will Top Chef Amateurs be like?
Did Drew Drechsel win American Ninja Warrior’s Power Tower? Who was on his team?
Drew Drechsel competed on American Ninja Warrior season 12, but was edited out after being arrested. Is he the reason why there was no Power Tower in episode one? And what happened to his teammates?
RuPaul’s Drag Race dominated at the Emmys, and so did a comedy inspired by reality TV
RuPaul’s Drag Race, Cheer, Leah Remini, and Queer Eye were among the Emmy winners. During one of the Emmy broadcasts, Jeff Probst highlighted the work of Survivor’s production crew.
American Barbecue Showdown: a great cast fires up Netflix’s new BBQ competition
Netflix’s new barbecue cooking competition The American Barbecue Showdown covers well-worn territory, but it does so well—especially with its terrific cast, including judge Melissa Cookston.
Big Brother now bans racial slurs. But what about BB22’s implicit racism or autism-mocking?
On BB22, Memphis, Dani, and Nicole mocked Ian’s autism, while Christmas worried that Bayleigh would respond violently to being nominated. Meanwhile, an all-white alliance continues to target minorities. All of this is apparently okay with the show’s producers and CBS.
Great Pottery Throw Down is a perfect show of creativity and craft
All three seasons of The Great Pottery Throw Down are now on HBO Max, and it’s just as charming and wonderful—and perhaps even better than—The Great British Baking Show.
How the Great British Baking Show season 11 filmed, and when Netflix will air it
The Great British Bake-Off is back, and just like last year, will be available in the United States just days after it premieres in the UK. But it was produced in a much different way than usual.
Dancing with the Stars lied: nothing changed except its host, a judge, and a fake audience
ABC promised that Dancing with the Stars 29 would get a “creative refresh” and “fresh take.” But it’s the same show as it always has been—just now with Tyra Banks and terrible fake audience noises.
Cheer and Last Dance win 2020 TCA Awards
The Television Critics Association announced the winners of its 2020 TCA Awards, including Watchmen, Schitt’s Creek, Succession, and A Black Lady Sketch Show.
Halloween Wars, Dancing with the Stars, and 16 other reality shows premiering this week
If you’ve run out of TV to watch, there’s plenty of new reality TV shows and seasons premiering this week, including an E! reality show for Terrry Bradshaw, the US premiere of the UK’s Great Pottery Throw Down, Flipping 101, and more.
No Survivor until 2021
Survivor 41 won’t be filmed in Fiji until at least 2021, according to a reportmeaning there may be a full 16 months between seasons 40 and 41.
Survivor, Amazing Race are finally on Pluto, which dropped its Drag Race channel
You can watch Survivor and The Amazing Race 24/7, for free, on Pluto TV, as the shows were finally added several months after ViacomCBS’s free streaming service
Get Organized with The Home Edit: an Instagram photo turned into a Netflix reality show
Netflix’s Get Organized with The Home Edit is the spiritual opposite of Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, which was all about paring things down. The Home Edit is about buying more, and then arranging it to look Instagram perfect.