Question: I enjoyed both Extreme Makeover and The Swan. Why are they no longer on the air?
Answer: The trend in reality moved away from these sorts of physical makeover shows, although ABC has ordered four special editions of Makeover to air in the future. (When Extreme Makeover: Home Edition exploded in the ratings, ABC went with the numbers.) As for The Swan — and I don't mean to be insulting — but even the bottom-feeders in Fox's reality division must have realized they couldn't milk this ghastly freak show more than twice. (Second time around, the curiosity factor had ebbed, thankfully.)
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(Warning: Do not read if you haven't watched the Shield finale and intend to do so.)
Easily the most shattering episode of this TV week came from a show that has delivered the goods for the last 11 hours of what has been arguably The Shield's best season yet.
I'm talking about the cliff-hanger finale of The Shield's split season (10 more episodes are scheduled to air early next year), which really seems to me more like a season finale. The producers have yet to declare the back half of this fifth season The Shield's series finale, but given the enormity of what transpired in this latest episode, my gut tells me that the best creative decision would be for them to wrap the show in these next 10 episodes and go out on a dramatic high.
The dramatic stakes have rarely been more intense as poor Lem (the excellent Kenneth Johnson
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Question: With all this talk about Fox's schedule and how there isn't enough room for The Simple Life to return and how Prison Break won't return until May, don't you think it's time Fox got with the program and became the real fourth network, after 18 years (truly an appropriate age to finally grow up and be an adult). Shouldn't the network move the local 10 pm/ET news to 11 to make way for original programming?
Answer: This question has come up a lot lately, especially in the wake of the Prison Break situation, so this is a good time to remind everyone once again of the "business" side of the TV equation. In Fox's early days, it programmed a limited number of hours for regulatory reasons (most of which no longer exist). But even if Fox desired to program a 22-hour weekly schedule, which many months of the year (when American Idol is absent, say) would seem to be more than this network of The Swan, Stacked and Killer Instinct could handle, it's a fact that Fox's local affiliates ...
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If you can't stand reality shows then this one is probably akin to one of Dante's circles of Hell. But for unscripted-TV fans this is the equivalent of giving a junkie crack. The show combines reality "stars" from nearly every show, like Joe Schmo, The Amazing Race, Survivor and even The Swan. While it's missing the charm of the original '70s series — less hair flipping makes a big difference — it still includes all the silly games like the dunk tank and the obstacle course. Just good old-fashioned fun. And I think that the cast members of the Real World/Road Rules Challenge, like Mike the Miz and Coral, have an advantage because they've been doing contests like this for years on MTV. But the real problem with this show is the fact that teams have to vote to evict one of their players each week. Because fan favorites like Charla and Chip's wife, Kim, are nice compared to the brute force of so
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Charla Faddoul
On The Amazing Race 5, Charla Faddoul (along with her cousin Mirna Hindoyian) proved that just because she's small doesn't mean she's not a force to be reckoned with. At 4 feet tall (due to a form of dwarfism), she carried a 55-lb. side of beef half a mile and survived a run-in with an electric fence. Now she's back on Battle of the Network Reality Stars (premiering tonight at 9 pm/ET), Bravo's newly revamped version of the '70s series. TVGuide.com gave Charla a ring to talk about her stellar jousting skills and the never-say-die attitude she displayed while facing Swan winner Rachel Love-Fraser.TVGuide.com: What are you doing these days? Charla Faddoul: I m
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Did you notice that there is a theme of pretty people on tonight's programming? Interesting that Monday night TV in the summer has become a beacon for the attractive. Also, I can't help but think of that HBO special a few years ago about Swan... it just makes me wonder if there are stage parents who prep these girls their whole life for a pageant like this one. That aside, I was going to pick on the high pitched voices on some of these girls, but if you've ever listened to our podcast, I can't really talk. I'm at least a decade older that all these girls and I still sound like I'm 12. Four of the judges are from current or upcoming NBC programs... subtle. I did appreciate the juxtaposition of the constant Biggest Loser commercials that were interspersed between the teeny teenagers in bikinis and dresses. I actually start to feel sorry for the girls though when they have to strut around to this badly synthesized music. Gracefull
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Question: I cannot believe what NBC did during the premiere of The Law Firm! I have never witnessed something so egregious in reality television. They actually aired a preview for the next episode, which showed who was eliminated in the premiere before the episode was over and the people were eliminated! I just do not understand how that could happen. Sorry, just had to rant and would love to hear your opinion on this ridiculous TV low. Now NBC is compromising its own show for advertising?
Answer: Jeez, I was hoping this letter was a slam against the show itself, not the promos. I watched an advance tape of this one, so I didn't see the actual broadcast or the promos, and this is the only complaint I heard about it. I suppose I would care more if I gave a shrug about the show itself, but if this is true, that is beyond sloppy and you have every right to be upset. But really, more egregious than The Swan? Or Who's Your Daddy? I guess the point here is that the only thing more shameles ...
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