As WINK TV anchor Chris Cifatte explained to viewers who’d tuned in to watch the news last week, they were about to watch “a troubling WINK News exclusive.” Anchor Amanda Hall called it “stunning.” Other media outlets have picked up the story and reprinted versions of it. What was so stunning, troubling, and newsworthy? Cifatte explained… continue reading
Naked and Afraid
Killer bees attacked Naked and Afraid’s crew
Naked and Afraid has published a video of its crew members on an island off the coast of Panama being attacked by killer bees. They’re scouting for locations two days before the survivalists arrive to begin the experiment. The video is brief, but shows them fleeing, suffering from the effects of the bee stings (including… continue reading
Naked and Afraid XL is like a more juvenile version of Real World
After just three episodes, Naked and Afraid XL has become more like current The Real World seasons than its amazing sibling show. While the survival elements are familiar–tough conditions, extreme challenges–the personal drama is an unwelcome addition to the spin-off of the usually fantastic series. Dividing up the group into threes has mostly served to… continue reading
How Naked and Afraid is produced
For a series with a sensational title, Naked and Afraid continues to deliver authentic and highly entertaining episodes each week. That’s the result of a simple format that works, and also a product of the work done by the small on-location production team. I talked to executive producers Steve Rankin and supervising producer Mathilde Bittner… continue reading
Naked and Afraid gets spin-off, Bear Grylls knock-off
Discovery’s hit reality TV series Naked and Afraid is spinning off a new series, while NBC has nearly simultaneously ordered a show, The Island, that sounds extremely similar. When Discovery announced the fourth season of Naked and Afraid, which returns in April, its press release started with, “There have been many copycats, but nothing ever comes close to the original.” That’s… continue reading
Biggest Loser Rachel gains weight; Naked and Afraid butt maggots; game jam reality show walk-out
Biggest Loser winner Rachel Frederickson previously defended her disturbing weight loss by only saying that her “body is going to balance and find its rhythm with maintenance and it’ll be perfect,” and Rachel now says she’s reached that perfection: “I’ve gone up about 20 pounds. I think I’m at my perfect weight!” Naked and Afraid‘s… continue reading
Summer reality shows you should be watching
Thanks to the awful things its cast members have said, Big Brother has gotten an inordinate amount of attention this summer, here and elsewhere. That’s unfortunate; while the format has potential, the execution is continually mediocre. But there’s a lot of high-quality TV on right now, too, and those shows deserve positive attention. Nearly all… continue reading