Netflix

Two reality shows following groups of 20-something people—random strangers in Austin, Black friends in Los Angeles—deliver very different kinds of drama.

In today’s Ask Andy, several questions about the past and future of various reality shows, including The Quest, The Last Alaskans, Marrying Millions, Instant Hotel, and Karma.

Blown Away: Christmas brings back Cat, Andi, Alexander, Edgar, and Nao to compete in four holiday-themed challenges for $20,000. But it’s dropped Nick Uhas as host, replacing him with Bobby Berk.

Netflix has made its own version of American Pickers and Pawn Stars, using a call-in radio show, Swap Shop, as an excuse to watch pairs of pickers look at stuff.

On Netflix’s Baking Impossible, The Great British Bake-Off finalist Andrew Smyth’s “bakineering” talents have become a Netflix competition series that pairs bakers and engineers and challenges them to create functional things out of edible materials. Highly recommended!

For Netflix’s reality TV competition Metal Shop Masters, someone took Blown Away, copied and pasted it, changed some details, and hoped we wouldn’t notice.

Netflix has revived A&E’s short-lived Sexy Beasts, which was an import from the UK. The third time isn’t the charm, it’s a wreck. My review explores why.