Reality TV News Rumors & Rants
A Running Log Of The Latest RTV News
Compiled By RTVC Editor Ron Lemon
May 26, 2005 Dancing With Stars
Let the Competition Begin, as Trista Sutter ("The Bachelorette"), Supermodel Rachel Hunter, Heavyweight Champion Evander Holyfield, Joey McIntyre (Formerly of New Kids on the Block), John O'Hurley ("Seinfeld"), Soap Star Kelly Monaco ("General Hospital") and Their Professional Ballroom Dancing Partners Dance in a Live, Knockout Event!
"Dancing with the Stars" is a totally unique and original series that pairs a celebrity with a professional dance partner as they train and then compete in front of a studio audience in a televised dance competition. The pairs will be judged by a panel of experts and also by viewers at home, with one couple being eliminated each week. "Dancing with the Stars" debuts WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1 (9:00-10:00 p.m., ET) in a live broadcast!
"Episode 101" -- In the first round of competition, each couple will demonstrate how well their training and rehearsing has paid off, by performing a choreographed cha cha cha routine or a waltz. This Latin style of dance (cha cha cha) allows the female professional dancers, Edyta, Charlotte and Ashly, to lead their celebrity dance partners, Evander, John and Joey. In the ballroom style (waltz), the male professional dancers, Louis, Jonathan and Alec, lead their partners, Trista, Rachel and Kelly.
At the end of each performance, judges will give each couple a score. At the end of the broadcast, viewers will be instructed on how to call in and cast their vote for their favorite couple. The highest scores (from the judges and the audience) will be combined. At the conclusion of next week's episode, one couple will be eliminated.
"Dancing with the Stars" has broad appeal, offering viewers dazzling costumes, dancing, celebrity gossip, behind-the-scenes training and contemporary music performed by a live 15-piece band. The format has already been an international hit in several countries.
The following pairs will compete:
Trista Sutter and Louis van Amstel - As the star of the romantic reality series, "The Bachelorette," Trista is no stranger to televised competition: She met and married her husband of 17 months on television. Trista comes to the competition with some dance experience, having performed with the Miami Heat dancers at NBA games. She admits that hip-hop dancing is very different from ballroom-style dancing. Luckily her dance partner, Louis van Amstel, is a legend in the dance world, particularly in the style of Latin dance. He holds several titles, including the United States Professional Latin Champion and World Professional Show Dance Champion, and he directed and produced "Latin Fusion" on Broadway.
Rachel Hunter and Jonathan Roberts - Since 1989, when she posed for the cover of Sports Illustrated, Rachel Hunter has become one of the world's most recognizable faces. She has posed for hundreds of magazines, including Vogue and Elle, and has represented
such cosmetic lines as Revlon, Covergirl and Pantene. Recently she's moved into the acting arena with appearances on "Suddenly Susan" and "The Drew Carey Show," and in one of last year's most popular music videos, "Stacey's Mom," by the Fountains of Wayne. She will be led by Jonathan Roberts, who brings ten years of dance experience to the competition. Jonathan is the 2004 USA Rising Star Latin Champion and the twice-undefeated USA Pro-Am 10 Dance Champion. He continues to compete and represent the USA in several Pro-Am competitions.
Evander Holyfield and Edyta Sliwinska - Evander Holyfield became the Heavyweight Champion of the world in 1990 and has won the title four times. As a professional boxer, he has faced numerous legends in the ring, including George Foreman, Larry Holmes, Riddick Bowe, Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson. His dance partner is Edyta Sliwinska, who took first place in both the 2001 International Grand Ballroom Competition and the 2001 Holiday Ball. Edyta is currently dating her dance partner and another competitor, Alec Mazo (Kelly Monaco's dance partner).
Joey McIntyre and Ashly Delgrosso - As a former member of the one of the original boy bands, New Kids on the Block, Joey McIntyre grew up dancing and singing -- but never ballroom! As an adult he transitioned into acting and recently starred on Broadway, first in "Tick Tick Bom" and then in "Wicked." He has also appeared on FOX's "Boston Public." His dance partner is Ashly Delgrosso, who has danced for her entire life. With her former dance partner and ex-husband, she has won several Amateur Ten Dance titles.
John O'Hurley and Charlotte Jorgensen - Best known for his role as charismatic catalogue king J. Peterman on the hit series "Seinfeld," John is an all-around entertainer. In addition to his numerous television credits, he has many stage credits. He also runs a busy company and performs comedy. His partner, Danish beauty Charlotte Jorgensen, has been dancing since the age of ten. She has held several titles, including 1999 U.S. Open Champion and 1998 Japanese Open International Ballroom Champion. Charlotte was Richard Gere's dance instructor as he prepared for the film "Shall We Dance."
Kelly Monaco and Alec Mazo - Currently starring on the ABC Daytime drama "General Hospital," Kelly also starred on the network's other daytime drama "Port Charles," for which she received her first Daytime Emmy nomination. She has also appeared on "Spin City" and a variety feature films. Her partner, Alec Mazo, began dancing at age five in his native Russia. He was the Emerald Ball Latin
Champion and placed first in the 2001 International Grand Ball and the 2001 Holiday Ball. He also runs the largest and most successful dance studio in Southern California. Alec recently began competing professionally with his girlfriend of four years, Edyta Sliwinska, who is partnered with Evander Holyfield for this competition.
In addition to learning precise movements and maneuvering in extravagant costumes, the pairs must maintain their focus, grace and composure during extremely high-pressured competition. Will they remain compatible during the process? The couples have already
embarked on intense training in preparation for the first live show. During the live shows, judges will give a score based on several factors, including technical execution. But the judges' scores alone do not decide a couple's fate. Viewers at home can call in and vote for their favorites. The scores from viewers are combined with the judges' for an ultimate score that determines each couple's ranking.
At the end of the evening, the couple with the lowest score is eliminated (although no couple will be eliminated in the first show). When the final two couples remain, the ultimate dance-off will determine who wins the trophy.
"Dancing with the Stars" is the U.S. version of the international smash hit series, "Strictly Come Dancing." This version is produced in America by BBC Worldwide. Richard Hopkins (UK) and Conrad Green (USA) are executive producers. Izzie Pick is supervising producer. Alex Rudzinski directs. This program carries a TV-PG parental guideline.
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May 25, 2005 Nanny 911
FOX has picked up a new season of the hit unscripted series Nanny 911.
Since its premiere, Nanny 911 ranks as the No. 1 program in its Monday 8:00 PM ET/PT time period among Adults 18-49, Adults 18-34, Adults 25-54 and Teens. Nanny 911 is the No.1 new unscripted series among Teens 12-17 and ranks in the Top 20 programs in Teens 12-17. In its new Monday 8:00 PM time period, Nanny 911 increased +11% in Adults 25-54 and Total Viewers. In addition, the series is also showing gains from the previous regular time period occupants this season by +13% in Adults 18-49, +3% in Adults 18-34, +12% in Teens 12-17 and +24% in Total Viewers.
Nanny 911 follows veteran Head Nanny Lilian and her team of "specialist" nannies – Stella, Deb and Yvonne – who are armed with the dos and don'ts of child-rearing. These diverse and knowledgeable English nannies have specific areas of expertise ranging from proper etiquette to controlling temper tantrums. Each one is ready to help exhausted parents tackle the issues creating chaos in their home and whip their families into tip-top shape.
Nanny 911 is produced by Granada America. Bruce Toms and Paul Jackson serve as executive producers. Michael Shevloff and Gerry McKean are co-executive producers.
May 24, 2005 American Idol
Reality TV Calendar Staff Writer Gayl Killough takes a look at the American Idol final two in a piece we called Southern Idol: Carrie Vs. Bo....
Bo vs. Carrie. Also hailed by a few as rock versus country, this is
supposed to be a showdown about two opposites going head to head. Yet
both are deeply southern in their music styles and I believe they have
more in common than not. Also, are rock and country really opposites in
music? Rock and country have more in common with each other than not as
well.
Also to label Bo as the rocker is true only if one sticks with viewpoint
that stays on the surface. Dig a little deeper. Bo is more specifically
Southern Rock to me and Southern Rock is a fusion of many different
musical elements and genres, which seemed to peak out of Bo when Bo was
challenged to sing beyond rock.
Bo is more than merely a rocker. Plus
concerns about a rock album not selling as well as pop album makes the
assumption that Bo will put out a rock album. Bo will be putting out a
pop-rock hybrid album and Bo has the talent for such an album.
Carrie represents country and many of her fans also see Carrie as having
the versatility of crossing musical genres in the same fashion as Faith
Hill and Shania Twain. Dig a little deeper. Carrie reminds me of singers
who are versatile, but reminding me of versatile singers and actually
being versatile are two entirely different things. I am not convinced
yet that Carrie is all that versatile and Carrie’s heart and soul seemed
to come out the more old-fashioned country and “countryfied” that she
was allowed to be. Carrie can be pushed to sing crossover songs, but I
believe the true Carrie and her talent are stifled when that occurs.
Carrie is young and her comfort zone will probably grow, but at the
moment I believe that Carrie is more limited than Bo.
Bo and Carrie built up early fan bases in part because I believe that
early on people understood who they were and Bo and Carrie seemed to
understand who they were as well. However, whether or not they make it
in the real world of music beyond American Idol will depend on the
ability to adapt and grow beyond the points that they are now.
Carrie has been hailed by some as being consistent during the show. I
personally debate that since Carrie had some truly horrible
performances, but putting that aside, her so called consistency is what
actually bothers me.
I went back through the performances of Bo and
Carrie and watching them back to back, it really drove home to me that
Carrie performs the songs so consistently that it would not matter what
words she was singing, it sounded all the same. Yes I realize that
Carrie can switch between country and pop styles, but techniques are
tools of the trade meant to enhance singing and are superficial without
emotions and substance to back them up. Carrie has great technique if
she were a child performer and I believe she was taught to smile and
keep smiling and sing no matter what happens, but Carrie needs to change
and adapt to a more adult style now. Time will tell if Carrie has the
emotional depth I think will be needed. Carrie can be emotional when not
singing, but seems to fight and cut off her emotions when singing.
Carrie needs to use her emotions as an asset.
Bo also suffers from his training as well. Bo does sound like a typical
bar singer at times, and that is because he probably has too much
experience performing in those types of venues. However, at other times
Bo showed he could adapt and stretch beyond his background. Bo appears
to genuinely love music and it feels as if it comes from a deep place
from inside him. Bo can use that to an advantage over Carrie, at least
now, and this is why I believe that Bo should win over Carrie.
Both have talent, along with several other finalists, and I hope that
they find long term music careers. Between Bo and Carrie, I believe that
Bo should win. However, Carrie has such a strong, loyal fan base that I
think Carrie will win. American Idol is lucky to have either one as a
winner.
May 23, 2005 The Fox Reality Channel
Are you ready for Reality TV 24 hours a day - 7 days a week?
Ready or not it coming next month.
The Fox Reality Channel will hit the air and be immediately available in over 18 million homes on Tuesday May 24th.
The announcement was made during the annual National Cable & Telecommunications Association Show in San Francisco.
"We plan to make Fox Reality the most authentic destination for America's growing legions of unscripted fans," said David Lyle, chief operating officer of the network.
Reality TV or "unscripted television" has grown in the last few years to the point that Reality TV Shows often dominate the top ten of the Neilsen ratings. Reality TV remains less expensive to produce than scripted sitcoms and dramas. The cries of television writers and critics aside, Reality TV is here to stay.
Fox Reality's initial lineup is slated to include repeats of nearly 30 reality series, including
the following:
The Swan
Joe Millionaire
Temptation Island
Last Comic Standing
For Love Or Money
My Big Fat Obnoxious Finacee
My Big Fat Obnoxious Boss
Mr. Personality
Celebrity Boxing
Love Cruise
Mad, Mad House
Meet My Folks
Arrest & Trial
The Fifth Wheel
Who Wants to Marry My Dad?
The channel will offer international versions of Joe Millionaire and Temptation
Island. You can also expect imports of shows never seen in the states like Single Girls and The Villa from the United Kingdom.
The network is currently negotiating for the rights to re-air The Bachelor and Bachelorette, The Will, Last Resort, Scariest Places on Earth and The Family.
We are hoping that shows that premiered on FOX and were prematurely cancelled like Playing It Straight and Forever Eden will finally see the light of day.
You can look for original programming to begin in the first quarter of 2006.
Once Fox Reality releases it's programming schedule we will include it in our daily and weekly listings. You can subscribe to our daily listings by filling in your email address on the upper left hand side of this page.
The network has completed agreements with and will be aired on:
Direct TV
The Dish Network
Adelphia Cable
Cox Cable
Insight Cable
You can expect that list to grow.
You can expect us to keep you informed.
We are hoping that many of the early seasons of long time Reality TV hits will be re-run on FOX Reality. When they hit the air...we will cover them.
May 22, 2005 The Apprentice
Was Tana really fired? It's a point RTVC Staff Writer Mike Meilinger questions.
I have to admit The Don had me fooled on this one. The way the season finale was shaping up I bet everything I own (with my wife) that he was going to hire both finalists.
As a potential task with the Trump organization, Tana picked overseeing The Miss Universe Pageant, which she would excel beyond belief.
Kendra picked overseeing the renovation of the Mansion at Palm Beach. No doubt, Kendra with her real estate experience will help create a Trump masterpiece.
At the end of the finale, Trump announced to Kendra, “You’re Hired”.
Earlier in the show Donald said that you would hear both “You’re hired AND You’re Fired”. The words “You’re Fired” never left his lips at the end of the show. Was this simply an oversight? Or could there be something more to it?
I wouldn’t put it past Trump to find a loophole in The Apprentice contracts that would allow him to hire both. Perhaps it is just wishful thinking (and not wanting to see my wife owning MY motorcycle) that I am holding out hope. Trump may just hire Tana as an “outside consultant” to oversee the pageant. I think it would be a very wise decision just for the sheer publicity it would generate for both the pageant and of course Mr. Trump.
It’s not like it hasn’t been done before on past reality TV shows.
Two years ago Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken were both given contracts in the season finale and who could forget Rupert from Survivor who was literally given a million dollars when he was voted America’s Choice.
Who knows maybe Tana will be next. I’m willing to bet…Hmm, I don’t really have anything left to bet with!!! Let’s just see what happens…
May 21, 2005 You Can Be On Reality TV
Reality TV Casting notices are often issued with very short notice. The studio or production company wants you to fill out an application and send in a tape or attend an open casting call. Rarely do they give you much advance notice. They expect that if you are interested, you are keeping in touch with what's going on. It's a hurry up process and if you want to be considered you have to act immediately. But you can't act quickly if you don't even know about the casting call.
Here's a simple and very inexpensive solution.
Reality TV Calendar receives notifications of Reality TV Casting Calls on a regular basis. We get them by email, by fax, and by phone. Sometimes we get two or three in a day.....sometimes two or three in a week. For a one time payment of $7.95 we will pass these notifications on to you immediately via your email.
You may have seen similar offers advertised for twenty to thirty dollars paid every month. We find that ridiculous. Our charge is a one time payment of $7.95. It's a simple matter to get you the information so we will make it an inexpensive but critical tool in your search to get recognized and get on the show you want to be on.
Payment is via PayPal, the most secure internet payment system in the world and you do not have to be a member of PayPal to use PayPal. Remember its a one time only payment. Just click on the button below. Your Reality TV Casting notifications will begin showing up in your email box almost immediately. And if we have already sent out a notice on the show you are interested in, once you have subscribed you can request back notices. We are here to help you.
May 20, 2005 American Idol
Now that we are down to the final two American Idol wannabe's; who is the favored to win?
According to an ongoing America Online Poll, here, Bo is the favorite. Although the site does not reveal the number of voters, the percentage, as I write this, places Bo in the lead with 54% of the vote.
Here is what AOL is saying:
Now that Vonzell is gone, Bo Bice is the favorite
to win AMERICAN IDOL, according to the AOL's
online poll (which has accurately predicted the
winners for the past three season). However, the
vote is still a close call -- Bo is only leading
with 54% of the vote -- so keep checking back to
see who's winning, and take control of the final
vote! Over 25 million users have voted in this
season's online poll, making it the most voted on
poll to date of all past seasons.
Meanwhile according to gambling911.com "The Internet’s largest sports book, PinnacleSports.com has seen 42% of all the money wagered on American Idol so far placed on Carrie Underwood being crowned the next pop superstar. After opening as the favorite to win the competition at 2/1 odds, bettors continue to back the Checotah, OK native." "Bo Bice was awarded co-favorite status after Mario Vasquez dropped out and has received balanced action throughout the competition."
According to readabet.com the current odds (again that is as I write this) are:
Bo Bice 1/2
Carrie Underwood 6/4
My pick now that Baby V is gone - Carrie should win it, Bo will win it.
May 19, 2005 So You Think You Can Dance
The people who bring you Dick Clark and his many shows and the people who bring you American Idol have teamed up to produce a dancers version of American Idol.
Here is the original Fox casting announcement.
"SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE" TALENT SEARCH BEGINS
CASTING CALLS FOR THE NATION'S HOTTEST DANCE FLOOR DIVAS BEGIN MAY 12 IN CHICAGO, FOLLOWED BY NEW YORK AND LOS ANGELES
This summer, FOX teams up with the creators of AMERICAN IDOL and the producers of the "American Music Awards" and "American Bandstand" on the ultimate search for the nation's best dancer in SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE. If you think the AMERICAN IDOL competition is tough, you haven't seen anything yet! Some contestants will collapse under the pressure, others will reveal their two left feet and one will dance his or her way into America's heart.
SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE is traveling the country, beginning May 12, on the hunt for the next Usher, Justin Timberlake, Debbie Allen, Gregory Hines, Savion Glover or Janet Jackson. The best undiscovered dancing talent the U.S. has to offer will be pitted against each other in a grueling 12-week competition to become America's No. 1 dancer.
Sure to spark a dance fever the way AMERICAN IDOL has created a competitive singing phenomenon, SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE will hold casting calls in Chicago on Thursday, May 12 (The Chicago Theatre); New York on Thursday, May 19 (Manhattan Center Studios); and Los Angeles on Friday, June 3 (The Orpheum Theatre). Casting is open to U.S. citizens or permanent residents who are eligible to work in the U.S.; participants must be between the ages of 18 and 30.
CHICAGO
Thursday, May 12
The Chicago Theatre
175 N. State Street
Chicago, IL 60601
Time – 8:00 AM Lineup
9:00 AM Register
10:00 AM Dance
NEW YORK
Thursday, May 19
Manhattan Center Studios
311 West 34th Street
New York, NY 10019
Time – 8:00 AM Lineup
9:00 AM Register
10:00 AM Dance
LOS ANGELES
Friday, June 3
The Orpheum Theatre
842 S. Broadway
Los Angeles, CA 90014
Time – 8:00 AM Lineup
9:00 AM Register
10:00 AM Dance
Additional information will be available at fox.com.
SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE was created by Simon Fuller and Nigel Lythgoe and comes from 19 TV Ltd. and Dick Clark productions. It is executive-produced by Simon Fuller, Nigel Lythgoe and Allen Shapiro.
About 19 Entertainment
19 is recognized as a leading creator, provider and promoter of globally successful, music-based entertainment, or "Entertainment Brands." 19 has attracted a unique collection of expertise in people who work together to integrate and leverage activity across television, music, film, merchandising, music publishing, recording, artist/writer and producer management, sponsorship and promotion. To date, 19 has been involved in the creation of 106 No. 1 singles and 83 No. 1 albums, with an impressive tally of 281 Top 40 albums and 430 Top 40 singles.
About dick clark productions
Founded in 1957, dick clark productions has grown to become a leading independent producer of a wide range of TV programming for broadcast/cable networks, distributors and advertisers. The Company has produced thousands of shows and specials in all genres and for all day parts, including such perennial hits as "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve," the "American Music Awards," the "Golden Globe Awards," the "Bloopers" specials and series, the "Daytime Emmy Awards," the "Academy of Country Music Awards" and the recent "Disney's American Teacher Awards," among others. The Company also is a leading creator of award-winning communications experiences from live events and meetings to integrated marketing programs for major corporations.
May 18, 2005 Ratings and Returns
Congrats to the Amazing Race. The finale set a new record. Over 16 million tuned in to see Uchenna and Joyce defeat Rob and Amber and win a million dollars. Variety reported that the show "ends the season as the No. 5 reality show on television, having surpassed the fading 'Fear Factor' on NBC and 'The Bachelor' on ABC."
Speaking of which....NBC has announced that Fear Factor will return with new episodes this fall.
Speaking of which 2...Surprise! The Bachelor 8 will premiere on ABC this fall!
For some of us, myself included, that is a pleasant surprise. And for the record I take back all the nasty things I said about Charlie before the season started. However, I think he picked the wrong girl and I expect we will hear about the "split" in a couple of months. Hope I'm wrong. And it was nice to see Byron and Mary are still together. Congrats.
By the way. The After The Final Rose presentation finished the night in third place pulling 7.5 million households.
May 17, 2005
NBC is beginning to let out some details on their upcoming shows. Here the latest on a couple of them.
"THE APPRENTICE: MARTHA STEWART"
"The Apprentice: Martha Stewart" will retain the general format of the original alternative series, including weekly eliminations; however, the style and feel of this new show will be tailored to Martha Stewart's personality and brand identity. The tasks will be centered around Stewart's areas of expertise: media, home renovation, entertaining, design, merchandising, technology and style. Stewart will bring her own sensibilities and creativity to the elimination process which will feature two of her most trusted colleagues who help her make the decision each week. Mark Burnett is creator and executive producer of "The Apprentice: Martha Stewart." Donald J. Trump and Jay Bienstock are also executive producers. Conrad Riggs and Kevin Harris are co-executive producers.
"THREE WISHES"
Five-time Grammy-winning recording artist Amy Grant ("Rock of Ages...Hymns & Faith") stars in this hour-long, unscripted series in which she leads a team of experts to a small town to "grant" wishes to help make the hopes and unbelievable dreams of deserving people come true. Viewers will follow some of the town folks' deeply personal and heartwarming stories as Grant and her team transform these hopes into a life-changing reality. The full spectrum of wishes ranges from paying tribute to an unsung hero to helping a despairing family in the grip of a loved one's life-threatening medical crisis. Additional "wish" examples include: tearful reunions with long-lost relatives; living out a mind-blowing sports fantasy, and helping to save a dedicated teacher's job. Carpenter Carter Oosterhouse ("Trading Spaces"), contractor Eric Stromer ("Clean Sweep") and architect Amanda Miller ("Knock First") comprise Grant's team of experts. Andrew Glassman (NBC's "Average Joe 1-4") and Jason Raff (NBC's "Average Joe 1-4") are the executive producers, and Tony Croll (NBC's "Average Joe") is the director of this pilot from Glassman Media and NBC Universal Television Studio.
May 16, 2005 Survivor Palau
As you probably know Tom won Survivor Palau. Congratulations.
But I want to congratulate one of our own. RTVC Staff Writer Cari C. Cari did an amazing job predicting the outcome of this seasons Survivor. Her predictions began with how the tribes would be divided. She got every player on each tribe right. Then with each episode she predicted the winner of the Reward Challenge, the Immunity Challenge and who would get the boot. Through the entire season she only missed one Reward winner and one Immunity winner. That's amazing. Her boot predictions were very popular and 100% accurate. Thank you Cari. Below is her final prediction for this season. She'll be back for the next Survivor. Could it be Survivor Andes?
So the end is here.
Tonight we will find out what happens and who becomes the ultimate Survivor.
This has been a season like no other and it has made for some interesting television.
I am looking forward to the part of the show when the jury gets to question the final two. I bet there are going to be some major fireworks.
Yes, Coby, I am talking about you.
Tonight the final four will participate in two immunity challenges and two tribal councils.
The final two will then face the jury and beg for their votes.
I am not going to go into all the specifics because I know what you guys want. You want to know who wins it all.
So without any more stuff you don't want to read, here you go!.
1st immunity: Tom
1st boot: Jen
2nd immunity: Tom
2nd boot: Ian
Final Two: Tom and Katie
Ultimate Survivor: Tom
May 15, 2005 American Idol
Columnist Kelley Rhodes returns to Reality TV Calendar to vent her feelings about the "premature" ouster of Constantine Mouralis.
As a former writer for RTVC and member of the American Idol rankings board for AI3 I feel compelled to address Mike Meilinger’s recent commentaries about Constantine Maroulis. I accidentally stumbled across his R.I.P Constantine article, read it, and then had the urge to write him a fast and furious hate e-mail. I wasn’t a bit surprised to read that many outraged women had indeed already beaten me to it. Thank you ladies, you did the dirty work for me. Mike, one word of advice: Never underestimate the fury of angry, horny women.
After I got over my flash of anger that undoubtedly any and all criticism of Constantine evokes in me I realized that I was actually surprised to hear that the show is still on the air. You mean to tell me people are still watching and voting? Not me.
My love/hate relationship with American Idol officially ended on April 27th at 9:30 p.m. when inexplicably the shining star of American Idol 4 was snuffed out. I was stunned. The first thing I did was delete American Idol from my DVR series-to-record-list. It’s over. End of game.
This fiasco reminded me of my feelings last season when Jennifer Hudson was eliminated before a certain red-haired singer who shall remain nameless. I was outraged, then, or so I thought. I had no idea what was to come when I made the conscious decision last January to watch American Idol 4. I debated whether I should watch another agonizing season or ignore it in order to maintain the serene, reality television-free existence I aspired to. I chose to watch and a part of me is furious that I let myself be set up once again by this show, its biased judges, and the fickle American public. After the past two presidential elections it’s obvious to me that half of the country is lacking a few essential brain cells.
For now, I spend Tuesday and Wednesday nights re-watching Constantine’s performances on the show. You see, I’d rather watch a rerun of him than anything new the final three have to offer.
The bottom line for this former fan is although American Idol 4 broke my heart it did introduce me to my American Idol – Constantine Maroulis, and for that I am grateful. I can’t wait to see and hear just what this amazing man will do once he is out of AI’s clutches.
So, thank you American Idol and goodbye. I’m off to re-watch Constantine’s riveting performance on Nickelodeon.
May 14, 2005 The Amazing Race
As an editor I always love it when writers have different but well thought out views on the same subject. Was the Amazing Race fixed? That is the question that RTVC writers are debating.
Yesterday we had reports on the finale of The Amazing Race from Evan D. Baltz and Professor Dan. Today we have a followup report from Evan and then a different view from our Amazing Race Recapper, Cari C. First Evan -
The saga continues. Since the minute the last installment of The Amazing Race aired, speculation has been running rampant across the internet about some of the fishy circumstances and inconsistencies with the show's finale. So loud has the clamor been that it has now reached the mainstream media.
Fox News and the NY Post are featuring an article on their websites discussing what we have been talking about on Reality TV Calendar for the past three days. You can read the article at here.
The story discusses how Rob and Amber certainly feel that some strings were pulled and that Uchenna and Joyce's airport miracle was just a little too miraculous to believe. CBS contends that it was just a friendly pilot who helped them out.
This may be the case, however we will never know, and it doesn't reduce the feelings of many of us that something a little shady was up. As I first reported, American Airlines was a big sponsor of Amazing Race. They had a lot of incentive and perhaps pressure to keep the race close. Lets face it, the more people who watch the show and stay with it to the end; the more people see their product placement and advertisements. So even if it was, as CBS claims, a helpful pilot, we are left believing that Uchenna and Joyce received help above and beyond what was probably fair within the boundaries of the race.
E-mails have continued to flow into my inbox expressing the same feelings. Loyal fans of the show, who have learned to sniff out inconsistencies found this one too big to swallow. The integrity of the show is at risk. Could the show also plant taxi drivers at various location that are extra helpful, or less than helpful, to direct the flow of contestants as the producers see fit? We all know that the hours of operation trick they play to bunch everyone up. We all know about the planes they must take that only leave at certain times. We are familiar with these tricks to keep the race close. But what other tricks do they employ that we aren't shown, or don't know about. CBS is playing all innocent, but the viewing public isn't that naïve. Most of us have seen the movie Quiz Show, and realize that for the sake of ratings, networks and producers might do just about anything.
I realize that it would have been difficult for American Airlines to stop Uchenna and Joyce from boarding and in so doing rain down upon themselves scorn and anger. I am sure even the race card would have been played against them. But fans of the show just want an honest race. We are intelligent, just let the people race and show us what happens. Don't try to over produce or manipulate the results. I think the plan was to keep Rob and Amber in the race as long as possible because they were interesting—love them or hate them, but to have them loose to Uchenna and Joyce, the more needy couple, in the end. If you wanted the best ratings, that is how you would have designed the show. So excuse me for being a little critical when it ends up exactly that way. That is just a little to neat and tidy for me.
If we keep up the clamor on this season, maybe we can convince CBS and the producers of The Amazing Race to keep things on the up and up. Enough with the product placements and the obvious sponsorships. We have enough of that on The Apprentice. Let's keep The Amazing Race as pure as possible. When the show looses its Emmy this year, let's hope they realize it was our complaints that made the difference.
And now a different view from Cari C. -
I am sure many of you have read the articles Evan has been writing about the supposed conspiracy on The Amazing Race. It is a hot topic right now. Romber fans are all over the Internet complaining about how their team was robbed. Rob and Amber were far from being robbed. In fact let’s look at the true conspiracy of this season.
If anyone on the show got special treatment it was Rob and Amber. If you don’t believe me lets look at how they got on the show in the first place. For those that don’t know, this show was on the verge of cancellation. The producers and CBS have said winning the Emmy helped keep the show from being cancelled. I would like to disagree. When the president of the network loves your show as much as CBS president Les Moonves loves TAR you aren’t going anywhere. Don’t believe me; look at the show Big Brother. The worse thing on that show is Julie Chen. Fans have wanted a new host for years. Do you know why she is still there? Well, it doesn’t hurt when you marry the man who is the president of your network.
Les Moonves loves TAR. In fact, it is rumored that he helps pick the contestants for each season and loves to involve himself with the show. In fact the big rumor circulating is that old Les was the one who told the producers to put Rob and Amber on the show in the first place. The producers did not want them there. I think the word I read was cheesy. They also didn’t want Allison on last season but I guess Les thought his wife’s show needed a boost in the arm. If he really wanted to give it a boost in the arm he would take his wife off the show.
So the fix was in to get Rob and Amber on the show. I am sure Les didn’t rally to get Uchenna and Joyce on the show. I also find it odd that the magazine covers that focused on this season all featured Rob and Amber. Why not use the group shot? Rob and Amber were in the group shot along with all the other teams. Why was it all about them? Could it be that CBS was trying to boost interest in their upcoming wedding special?
The whole season all the Romberites were complaining. Everyone was always against them. I remember when the betting spoiler came out and the guy from TV guide made a joke saying that all the unusual bets were coming from Boston. People were livid. How could anyone think that Romber would do anything bad? The Romberites need to chill out. I guess they know how we felt last season when Kendra and Freddy won. If anyone ever deserved to win TAR it was Jon and Kris but do you see us throwing a fit? I know, CBS made that train come just in time to delay Jon and Kris. Yeah, that’s the ticket. I always thought it was a little fishy how that train came just as they were getting ready to get to the finish line.
So the real question is did CBS do something to ensure that Rob and Amber wouldn’t win? Did they help Uchenna and Joyce get on the plane? I don’t think they did. To be honest, if I was an airline worker and I saw I might get on television I might be a little more helpful. Rob and Amber should never have made that plane either. The flight was already closed and as so many of you have pointed out you have never been able to get on a closed flight. So how did Rob and Amber do it? In fact if you want to get technical, how did they catch that earlier flight? You remember the flight that was already ready to go with the people who actually finished the barbeque Roadblock. Right, you forgot about that one. I thought that whole thing was a little shady but I just thought Rob used his charm and charmed his way onto the flight.
Let’s face it; this game is 50 percent skill and 50 percent luck. That’s why the biggest and strongest teams or the smartest teams don’t always win. You need a combination of intelligence, athletic ability, street smarts, common sense and a little bit of luck to win this game. Still even I will have to admit that the producers help a little. They do set up tasks that open only at certain times so that teams will bunch together. I have never been a fan of the bunching but it is part of the show. Even Rob and Amber were helped by it.
The producers have always done some thing to manipulate this show. Read interviews with past contestants and you will see that many times the producers make it look like the teams are right behind one another when in reality they aren’t. They are trying to make good television. If you know that one team is eight hours behind, are you really going to keep watching if you know that team is definitely gone. I am also sure that they do help the teams out sometimes by making sure there are cabs in certain areas to pick the contestants up. I don’t think they tell the drivers whom they can and can’t pick up. Do you realize how many taxi drivers they have used over seven seasons? It’s hard for me to believe that if this was true not one of them has come forward to say yes he was paid off to help a certain team.
We also have to remember that we only see bits and pieces of what actually happened. Maybe Uchenna explained to the airline lady that he and Joyce had to get on the flight for some other reason than the truth. Mirna and Charla did it two seasons ago so why not Uchenna and Joyce. Rob tried to lie at one point and say he had to get on the flight because of his mother. To be honest we don’t know the whole story because we only see maybe 30 minutes of a 24-hour period.
So did the producers screw over Rob and Amber? I don’t think so. Rob and Amber were great racers but so were Jon and Kris, Drew and Kevin, Frank and Margarit, Blake and Paige, Ken and Gerard, Teri and Ian, Kelly and Jon, David and Jeff, Jon and Al, Colin and Christie, and Brandon and Nicole. Were they robbed too? They were all good racers and some lost to people who weren’t half as good as them. Is the whole show a sham? If you were to believe some of these people then it could very well be. If you are not a favorite of the producers then you should just throw in the towel and quit before you start.
Hey, if the TAR is rigged then what about other shows. Maybe Paula really did help Corey advance to the top 32. Maybe Kim Locke did sleep her way to a third place finish. Maybe Mark Burnett really did tell Dirk to vote off Stacey instead of Rudy. Hey while we’re at it, maybe all the survivors of Lost really are dead! People this is a reality show. It’s a contest. Rob and Amber didn’t win, it all over and done with so get over it. You are doing exactly what CBS wants you do. I heard a rumor that Rob and Amber will talk about being robbed in their upcoming wedding special. Who wants to bet that little tidbit was planted just to get people to watch so that they can get the "true story".
I am so sick of all of this nonsense. My advice to Evan and every other conspiracy theorist out there is if you don’t like it don’t watch it. I have heard House is a good show. Veronica Mars was renewed why don’t you give it a try. I haven’t liked the winner of American Idol the last two seasons. Does that keep me from watching? No, it is just a show and I enjoy it. Can I be mad that the person I liked didn’t win, of course I can. Everyone has that right. I can think Latoya and Clay were robbed but that doesn’t mean I have to come up with some great conspiracy about why they lost. Please just stop trying to make yourself feel better by blaming everyone under the sun for the outcome of reality television show. People are going to lose; it is after all a game.
Did Rob and Amber get special treatment? Who knows, who cares, they raced a good race. Did Uchenna and Joyce get special treatment? Who knows and who cares, they raced a good race. Rob and Amber had luck with them from the beginning. Like Rob said, it was like he was born with a horseshoe up his butt. Eventually, luck will run out and I think in the end Karma came into play. Uchenna and Joyce are good people with horrible luck and I think Karma finally came in and evened the score. I guess next people will be blaming Karma. Oh well, this will never end and I am personally tired of the whole thing. The best way to tell the producers how you feel is by not watching next season. Of course you will really only be hurting yourself. While you will be missing one of the best shows on television, CBS will still be counting their money. Oh well, hope to see you next season but if not it was fun while it lasted.
May 13, 2005 The Amazing Race
Congratulations to the Amazing Race....you've made it into the big leagues. Tuesday night's finale drew 16 million viewers. More than any other episode of the Emmy winning program. CBS deserves credit for sticking with the show and letting the audience build. And Rob and Amber deserve credit for helping to build that audience. Whether you love them or hate them, they made for good TV and people tuned in to see them.
There has been a lot of speculation about the finale. Was it rigged? RTVC writers Evan D. Baltz and Professor Dan have opposing view points. They are presented below. First, Evan's thoughts.
Since its very first season, I have been a huge fan of The Amazing Race. I think it has consistently been the best reality TV program, if not one of the best TV programs period. The production and editing always make it exciting and interesting and new.
This season was no exception. It was a great season and very exciting.
Love them or hate them, Rob and Amber were fun to watch. Watching old people make it as far as they did through the difficulties they had was inspiring.
There were plenty of great stories. Teams to love and teams to hate. And, as always, great locations.
There had been times in the past where it seemed the producers may have been working behind the scenes to make sure the racers staid close. After the first season, we all realized that they could do this at any time by making them take a flight that didn't leave until late in a day. It ensured that most of the teams would stay bunched up and make for exciting racing. I don't have a problem with that. Each team faced the same things.
However last night, on the final flight, both the final two teams were told that the earliest flight was an 11:15am flight. But Rob and Amber didn't want to settle for that. They begged and pleaded to get on an earlier flight, to no avail. But then they went to another counter and an agent there told them they could make an earlier flight that had been delayed if they ran. So they did and they made it just as the door was closing. Having made this flight, the race was over. A two hour lead with only a few last tasks made it pretty much a foregone conclusion.
But the, Uchenna and Joyce showed up. They also had been told the 11:15am flight was the only one. But then they saw on the board that another flight for Miami was in boarding status. They ran to that gate only to find the doors closed and the flight officially closed. The begged and pleaded to get on and were told the flight was closed. Race over, right?
At that point there was a commercial. I told my wife, if somehow they end up making it on to a closed flight, we will know this thing is fixed and that the producers stepped in and worked with a sponsor (American Airlines) to re-open a flight to allow Uchenna and Joyce to get on so that the final leg would be interesting.
When the show came back from a commercial, that is exactly what happened, suddenly for some reason now the agents who told them the flight was closed were singing a different tune. Now they said, well it is up to the pilots. So the agents called to the pilots (supposedly) and the flight was re-opened. Now how many times have you begged to get on a closed flight and the plane has re-opened the doors so you could get on? Never? Probably. So it smelled very, very fishy to me. I had a feeling that the producers were hoping that Uchenna and Joyce would win. I think they really wanted to give the money to them, knowing that Rob and Amber didn't need it. But, this isn't supposed to be a show about who needs the money the most. It is a show about who is the best racing team, and who can work the rules the best and win without the help of the producers.
For the record, I didn't necessarily want Rob and Amber to win. I think Uchenna and Joyce were great. But I wanted them to win fair and square. I didn't want them to win this way. Rob and Amber deserved to win that final leg and they were robbed. Yeah, yeah, I know they will survive and be just fine, but again, that isn't the point.
I think the producers then again intervened at the very end instructing the cab driver not to let them get by without paying. Do you mean to tell me that with $1 million dollars just a few feet away you would really worry about paying a cabby? I don't think so. You would have said to him, we are going to win $1 million dollars in about 2 minutes, if you sit right here for a few minutes we will give you a thousand dollars. It was just unrealistic. The producers wanted Rob and Amber to catch up a bit. The fact remains though; Uchenna and Joyce should not have made that last flight and should not have won.
I am pretty disappointed with that last 20 minutes. It ruined for me what was a great season. It tainted the victory and left a sour taste in my mouth. I will certainly continue to watch upcoming shows, but this is a memo to the producers: Don't mess with the show. Just let it be real. Don't over produce it and don't help people along. Once the show looses its integrity, it will no longer be the Emmy worthy programming it has always been.
Professor Dan offers his ideas -
I have to disagree with my esteemed colleague Evan D. Baltz, who is of the opinion that the producers of The Amazing Race influenced the outcome of the race by somehow getting Uchenna and Joyce on that plane.
The decision whether to let them on or not was up to the pilot.
Now, did the attendant tell him "These people are contestants on an American Reality TV show", and did that influence his decision? Who knows?
But the "producers" aren’t with the racers. In fact, I've read that the producers aren't even necessarily on that leg. As for Phil, he races ahead so that he can shoot his stand-ups and they can be at the Pit Stop ahead of the teams.
I've been viewing the Insider Video stuff on CBS.com all season, and Phil has talked about this, and how, in fact, sometimes the production crew has to struggle to stay a step ahead! So it was highly unlikely that any "producer" got to speak with that pilot.
More than likely, the only ones there were Uchenna, Joyce, their cameraman, and their sound guy. Of course, the cameraman and sound guy are in communication with the production staff, so that they know where each team is at all times, and what is going on. So I suppose that the cameraman or sound guy could have intervened, on the instructions of some producer who wasn't there, but that's really stretching the "conspiracy" thing a lot, isn't it?
Bottom line: there was no conspiracy, just a nice pilot. And if the pilot did what he did because it was going to be on TV, or it was going to make the airline look good, or whatever: well, people have helped Romber all season because of their TV "fame".
Sauce for the goose, I say...
May 12, 2005 American Idol
This season of American Idol will be remembered as the season where everything went wrong. For a second time they screwed up the numbers when telling people how to vote.
We would have thought that after having to rerun an entire vote because of this kind of error they would have been a little more careful. But apparently not.
It is a slightly different situation this time. It appears that all the numbers that were seen on the broadcast are correct....except for those seen by viewers using closed caption systems.
In this case the text vote number was shown correctly. But the toll free 866 number was incorrect for Bo, Anthony and Vonzell. All three of those showed the number 1-866-IDOLS-01 underneath which was the number 1-866-436-5701. 5701 was Carrie's number.
This time FOX ignored the situation. Nothing was said about rescheduling the vote. We're not surprised, FOX would never live it down. But it does raise serious questions.
FOX has a policy of not revealing the voting breakdown. We don' know how many people voted for Vonzell, or Anthony. We don't know if Baby V lost by 10 votes, or a million. But if it is only 10, could it have been 10 votes that she should have gotten but went to Carrie instead because once again FOX messed it up.
This also brings into question again the reliability of the voting system. We are used to hearing complaints from voters about how difficult it is to vote, while other voters tell us they have no problem voting hundreds of times. A show that garners 24+ million viewers should be able to correct this.
American Idol has suffered from obvious voting irregularities, allegations of misconduct between contestants and judges (and now producers as well), and a policy of not revealing information. All of this has destroyed the credibility of the show. FOX, Freemantle, and 19 Entertainment need to mend some bridges here before what is now a joke becomes a farce.
So what will FOX do about this screw-up? Not much, they issued the following statement on an Idol forum -
STATEMENT REGARDING CLOSED CAPTIONING ON AMERICAN IDOL
During the second round of songs on the Tuesday, May 10 live broadcast, the closed-caption graphic listing call-in numbers for the various contestants was identical for every performer. While the producers and network acknowledge the closed-captioning error, the correct call-in number for each performer was still read by Ryan Seacrest and broadcast on screen during each performance, as well as the show recap.
The producers and network apologize to our hearing-impaired viewers for any confusion, and the situation was immediately corrected for our tape-delayed west coast broadcast.
What they should do but never will - Turn the voting over to an independent firm and provide full disclosure of the results including all irregularities. Never happen.
May 11, 2005 Survivor
Survivor Peru? That may be the next destination for Burnett's biggest success. Dan Bollinger's Survivor Maps is saying that"Multiple reports put the" production in Peru for what might be called Survivor Andes. According to the the site the "first choice, somewhere in the Indian Ocean, was canceled following the devastating tsunami."
The President of Palau says Survivor "worked wonders." for his nation. Reportedly "the number of people visiting the government's web site has jumped from only a few thousand hits to at much as 3,000,000 a month". Palau's president, Tommy Remengesau, says "we're now getting tourists to Palau simply because they watched Survivor. But I think the exposure has certainly worked wonders for Palau."
American Idol
Paula Abdul reportedly "burst into tears on the set of 'Saturday Night Live' just hours before she appeared in the opening sketch." Page Six is reporting that she was not happy with her appearance on SNL saying "was not happy with it," a "pal" of hers tells Page Six. The gossip column also says "Abdul was asked to appear in three sketches, but agreed only to make an appearance at the end of the opening skit."
May 10, 2005 American Idol
Sources are saying that Paula was actually relieved after last Wednesday night's Fallen Idol expose. The story goes that the American Idol Judge was under the impression that the major thrust of the report would be her involvement with drugs.
Involvement that she has vehemently denied.
I'm not sure what rock she would have to be living under to think it was mostly about drugs, but I'm glad she's feeling better about it.
The report comes from Matt Drudge who says, "Paula Abdul feared ABC News was investigating drug use for its PRIMETIME LIVE special." The letter her lawyer sent to ABC was a "2 page warning to ABC News strongly denying any wrongdoing regarding Abdul and drugs."
An anonymous ABC source reportedly told Drudge, "It was sure odd. We were never investigating Paula Abdul and drugs, and we never asked her lawyer about any such allegation."
It raises an interesting question. Doing a line is a no-no, but doing a contestant is ok? Maybe so. Maybe this is just one more case of "sex-lives" should be "off-limits." But I still wonder about FCC regulations governing contact between game show contestants and judges. But in the end I seriously doubt that will be brought up.
Meanwhile Paula made a cameo appearance on Saturday Night Live over the weekend. She introduced the opening skit and then judged the performances.
As reported by UPI "In a skit, Amy Poehler portrayed Abdul as a judge in a talent show who made not-so-veiled comments about the male contestants' special talents. "You have a great voice and a great style, but I think you need to focus on coming over to my hot tub and letting me rub your feet," Poehler told one competitor.
In the skit, Clark was spoofed as trying to make money by hawking T-shirts that said: "I did it with Paula Abdul."
Abdul closed the skit by judging the not-ready-for primetime-players.
"Amy, you need to perfect the clap-o-rama and be a lot more sexier so that contestants will be willing to sleep with you," Abdul told Poehler.
Here is what NBC has to say about her appearance on Saturday Night Live.
In a late breaking booking, "American Idol" judge Paula Abdul appeared on NBC's "Saturday Night Live" on May 7 with a comedic response to the allegations of an affair with former "Idol" hopeful Corey Clark.
Abdul appeared in the opening sketch of the show hosted by Johnny Knoxville, introducing what she called "a re-enactment of some events from this week's biggest news story." Adding, "All the facts have been changed to get laughs at my expense. I hope you enjoy it."
What followed was a satirical follow-up to the "PrimeTime Live" "Fallen Idol" report that sparked the controversy.
The sketch showed SNL's Amy Poehler as Abdul (alongside Chris Parnell and Kenan Thompson as fellow judges Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson) judging a performance by Clark (Finesse Mitchell) saying, "Corey, that was beautiful. You really blew me away. It's like I rolled over and said to you this morning, 'You have real star quality.' I'll see you at home."
In addition, Clark (Mitchell) denies claims that his allegations are a publicity stunt, saying, "I just want to clear my name before my record comes out and before my book comes out. And before I start selling these t-shirts." He then holds up a crudely made t-shirt that reads: "I Did It With Paula Abdul!" on the front and "Straight Up!" on the back.
The sketch continued with Poehler (playing Abdul) making similarly brazen and obvious advances to contestant Mario Vasquez (Maya Rudolph): "I think you need to focus on coming over to my hot tub and letting me rub your feet." She also refers to Justin Guarini (also Rudolph) as "a tender and generous lover" and offers to buy him a cell phone.
Abdul (Poehler) then has an emotional outburst when Constantine Maroulis (Will Forte) is voted off the show: "Not my beautiful Constantine! Why does everyone I care about leave me? Keanu Reeves, The Lakers, MC Skat Cat...I can't take it anymore!"
At that moment, the real Paula Abdul returns with three notes for the performers: "Chris, great impression, but you need to wear a push-up t-shirt. Kenan, you need about 14 more 'dawgs'. Amy you need to perfect the clap a little more and be a lot more sexier so that contestants will be willing to sleep with you and be willing to admit we're Live from New York, It's Saturday Night!"
May 9, 2005 CBS Reality Summer
CBS has released details on it's Summer Reality lineup. Here is what CBS is saying:
"Fire Me... Please" Premieres Tuesday, June 7 at 9:00 PM With the First of
Four Broadcasts
"The Cut" Premieres Thursday, June 9 at 8:00 PM
"Big Brother 6" Will Be Broadcast Three Times Weekly on Tuesday, 9:00 PM, the Live Elimination Show on Thursday, 8:00 PM and Saturday, 8:00 PM, Beginning July 7
Mark Burnett's "Rock Star: INXS" Debuts Monday, July 11 at 9:00 PM and Will Also Be Broadcast on Tuesdays and Wednesdays
FIRE ME...PLEASE
A new four-episode reality series that follows two people starting new jobs on the same day with the goal of intentionally getting fired by 3:00 PM, premieres on Tuesday, June 7 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. To most people, getting fired seems like it would be the end of the world, but, what if getting fired meant you could win $25,000? The person that gets fired closest to, but does not go past the 3:00 PM deadline, wins the cash prize. Hidden cameras capture the action as the participants drive their managers and co-workers crazy with outrageous behavior.
Eric Schotz ("Kids Say the Darndest Things") and Bill Paolantonio ("Kids Say the Darndest Things") are the executive producers for LMNO Productions and Magic Molehill Productions in association with BBC Worldwide. Colin Davis and Robin Meltzer are executive producers for BBC Worldwide.
THE CUT
Hosted by fashion icon Tommy Hilfiger, premieres Thursday, June 9 (8:00-9:30 PM, ET/PT) with a special 90-minute episode, the first of four Thursday broadcasts before it relocates to a new time period, which will be announced at a later date.
THE CUT pits 16 style-savvy contestants against each other in a competition to find America's fashion trendsetter of tomorrow. The winner will be awarded the opportunity to design his or her own collection under the Tommy Hilfiger label with an eye on becoming the next great American designer.
THE CUT is produced by Lions Gate Television in association with Pilgrim Films and Television. Craig Piligian is executive producer along with co-executive producer Darren Maddern, who created the series with Piligian. Also executive producing is Peter Connolly, President of Worldwide Marketing for Hilfiger. Eli Frankel will also serve as co-executive producer.
BIG BROTHER
The hit summer reality series, returns for its sixth edition beginning Thursday, July 7 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT), with the first of BIG BROTHER's three weekly broadcasts. BIG BROTHER 6 will be broadcast on Tuesdays (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT), Thursdays (8:00-9:00 PM, live ET/delayed PT) and Saturdays (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT). The Thursday broadcast, hosted by Julie Chen, will feature the live eviction of one of the houseguests.
BIG BROTHER 6 follows a group of strangers living together in a house outfitted with dozens of cameras and microphones recording their every move 24 hours a day. One by one, the houseguests will vote each other out of the house. At the end of three months, the last remaining houseguest will receive the grand prize of $500,000.
BIG BROTHER 6, created by John de Mol, is an Arnold Shapiro ("Scared Straight," "Rescue 911") and Allison Grodner ("Rescue 911") Production, in association with Endemol U.S.A.
ROCK STAR: INXS
From "Survivor" executive producer Mark Burnett, combines the world of rock music with relationship-style unscripted drama, performance competition and a weekly contestant elimination. The last singer standing will become the lead singer of the internationally renowned band INXS and embark on a worldwide concert tour with the band and be part of the group's new album.
ROCK STAR: INXS will be broadcast three times weekly beginning with a special one-hour premiere on Monday, July 11 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT), followed by a one-hour broadcast on Tuesday, July 12 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) and a half-hour edition on Wednesday, July 13 (9:30-10:00 PM, ET/PT).
Beginning the following week, ROCK STAR: INXS will be seen regularly on Mondays (9:30-10:00 PM, ET/PT), Tuesdays (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) and Wednesdays (9:30-10:00 PM, ET/PT).
Those that make the casting cut will be housed together in a Hollywood Hills home. Each week will feature taped reality segments focusing on the competitors' relationships and activities (Monday episodes), along with a performance competition (Tuesday) and weekly results (Wednesday).
The series is produced by Mark Burnett Productions. Mark Burnett, David Goffin ("American Idol") and INXS managers David Edwards and Michael Murchison are executive producers. Conrad Riggs is co-executive producer.
May 8, 2005 You Can Be On Reality TV
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May 7, 2005 American Idol
You know, it does not seem to matter which side of the Abdul/Clark "affair" I come down on. If I say, "yeah I think it happened", the crazed Paula Abdul fans write in droves. If I say "I have my doubts," the Corey Clark fanatics spring to the attack. If I take a middle ground, which is pretty much what I have done, I get it from both sides. Oh well, it is Saturday and I'm going to take a break. Below is a UPI report that quotes Clay Aiken as saying he doesn't think it happend. After that you will find a link to a second Corey Clark interview, this time on MSNBC, where he reveals a lot more and says he is willing to take a lie detector test. But first, the UPI story:
UPI News Service, 5/5/2005: Clay Aiken, the singer who rose to fame on "American Idol," told CBS News he does not believe that fellow contestant Corey Clark had an affair with Paula Abdul.
Clark claimed the affair on ABC News' "Prime Time Live."
"It's a shocker that I think a lot of us have been hearing about for the past week, preparing ourselves for," Aiken said in an interview on "The Early Show" Thursday morning. "Last night kind of threw a lot of curveballs our way."
Aiken, Clark and other contestants lived together in the Idol House during the 2003 season. He said that they could not leave the house without checking in and out.
Aiken called Abdul a "nurturing and caring person" who gave contestants support and advice.
"She was like that for everybody on the show," he said.
Aiken also suggested that much of the evidence for the supposed affair was either circumstantial or came from Clark's family and close friends.
May 6, 2005 American Idol
Wednesday night ABC aired the PrimeTime Live news special Fallen Idol in which former American Idol contestant Corey Clarke told his story of favoritism for sex with American Idol Judge Paula Abdul. Clarke alleged that Abdul at first befriended him and offered him advice and guidance aimed at advancing him in the competition. He said that she later seduced him into a sexual and emotional relationship that lasted until he was kicked off the show by American Idol producers for failing to disclose a criminal past.
His story was supported by interviews with his mother and father who said they were aware of the relationship at the time, by friends of Corey who also said they were aware of it at the time and had actually met with Corey and Paula in a social setting. Clothing receipts, phone records, and answering machine recordings were also presented to back up Clarke's allegations.
It was compelling evidence and in the end I came away believing that the affair did occur. If that is the case then I believe several things to be true.
It was inappropriate for Paula Abdul to be involved "off set" in any manner with a contestant. She should have known better.
I have no doubt that Corey Clarke timed his revelations to promote his upcoming single, album and the possibility of a kiss and tell book. Corey is no gentleman.
ABC is in it for the ratings. Don't be fooled. This was not some major news event that the public needed to know. This was gossip and titillation. Designed for ratings. I'm not saying ABC was wrong to do it, I'm just saying be honest about it. The report was beneath PrimeTime Live. But the ratings will be killer, so congrats.
What do I think should happen now? Nothing. I hope Corey fades back into obscurity. I hope Paula keeps her job. The embarrassment has hopefully taught her a lesson.
However I am not at all sure that is what will happen. People find it very difficult not to respond and just let it go away. Below are the responses from the American Idol/FOX camp and from Paula Abdul.
A statement from the producers of American Idol, Freemantlemedia, 19 Entertainment and FOX Broadcasting says...
"We have concerns about the motives behind last night’s purported news special, as much of it was filled with rumor, speculation and assertions from a disqualified contestant who admitted during the special to telling lies. Regardless, we are absolutely committed to the fairness of this competition. We take any accusations of this nature very seriously, no matter their source, and we have already begun looking into them.
Despite documented procedures and multiple opportunities, as well as contractual requirements for contestants to raise any concerns, we were never notified or contacted by Mr. Clark or any other individual, nor presented any evidence concerning these claims.
Upon recently hearing rumors of Mr. Clark’s claims, we contacted him and requested that he detail his accusations to us. That has yet to happen.
It should also be noted that the ultimate decision on which contestants move forward on “American Idol” has always been determined by the voting public. We have gone to great lengths and great expense to create a voting system that is fair and reliable. Judges may offer opinions, but viewers vote using their own subjective criteria; and it is the voters who ultimately determine each season’s American Idol.
According to Celebrity Justice Paula "is hitting back with claims Clark tricked her into saying certain buzz words and then editing a taped conversation that made it look as if Abdul was courting him.
The tape was edited out of context to make Paula look bad.
The show was also told that Clark allegedly told Abdul on the phone, "American Idol f**ked me," and "I have nothing to lose".
The same unidentified source told Celebrity Justice "that a producer from an entertainment show overheard this conversation and that at one point a clicking sound could be heard. Paula then asked Corey, "Are you taping me?"
What will happen? Time will tell, but I am betting on not much of anything.
And finally, if FOX thinks they have a "voting system that is fair and reliable" I want some of the happy pills they are taking.
May 5, 2005 American Idol
Last night's shocking results show...again. And last night's explosive expose are not the only American Idol news. (You'll find that coverage else where on Reality TV Calendar.)
American Idol 1 Kelly Clarkson was on Access Hollywood last night whinning about how bad it was in the bad old days and how good the contestants have it now. On the show she said that he "was on 'Ghetto Idol'" in comparison with today's "American Idol." "We didn't have any of the stuff they have now."
The pop star also says when it came to fashion, she and her fellow "American Idol" contestants had to fend for themselves. "We went shopping on our own," she said. "They dropped us off at the mall...you know we did our best but good Lord, I know I didn't do well. I'm not good with clothes at all."
When it comes to marriage and kids, the newly blonde Clarkson says that she's in no rush to go down that road. "I'm young, I'm living it up right now," she said. "So I'll leave the marriage thing to the veterans, Britney (Spears) and Jessica (Simpson) and all of them. They can get married and have kids, and I'll wait."
I just can't muster any sympathy for that.
Hit Me Baby One More Time
NBC has decided to try and ride the talent show coatails. Yesterday they released the following:
NBC has added a new alternative series to its summer 2005 lineup with "Hit Me Baby One More Time," a one-hour competition program featuring veteran music hit-makers who will each perform their greatest hit -- as well as cover a popular contemporary song -- with the favorite to be determined by audience voting, beginning Thursday, June 2 (9-10 p.m. ET).
All three episodes of the series will be hosted by Vernon Kay, who also hosted the British version on ITV.
The announcement was made by Craig Plestis, Senior Vice President, Alternative Programming & Development.
"This exciting new series will reunite the audience with some of their favorite classic musical performers and groups who will play their hits and then compete against each other in an entertaining battle of the bands," said Plestis.
Also included in "Hit Me Baby One More Time" will be background packages on what made the hit-makers famous as well as updates of their current lives and careers.
Kay is a veteran host (or "presenter") in the United Kingdom whose credits include "Head Jam" and "Boys and Girls." He also appeared as himself in the feature film "Shaun of the Dead."
The new series joins six other original alternative series that NBC recently announced would premiere this summer.
"Hit Me Baby One More Time" will be produced by Granada America. The executive producers are Paul Jackson ("Nanny 911," "Hell's Kitchen"), Curt Northrup ("Celebrity Fit Club," "America Princess"), Michael Agbabian & Dwight D. Smith ("Last Comic Standing," "Weakest Link"), Daniel Soiseth ("Hell's Kitchen," "Big Brother 4") and Stewart Morris ("Brainiac," "Million2One")
May 4, 2005 American Idol
Yesterday I found an interesting item when I News Googled Paula Abdul. A press release was listed from an orgainzation called PRLeap. In the interest of fairness I am going to quote the entire release here.
PRLEAP
Paula Abdul to Be Voted Off American Idol; VoteOffPaula.Com Begins Movement to Remove Paula as a Judge
(PRLEAP.COM) Detroit, MI — In recent American Idol episodes, the tension between Paula Abdul and her fellow judges has come to a near high point. In addition, tabloids and various online sources have alleged that Paula is the center of an off stage affair with a former American Idol contestant. Although reports have not been substantiated, there is concern that Abdul’s constant encouragement to male contestants is evidence of her backstage escapades.
Due to Abdul’s increasingly biased opinion, voter confidence has plunged in her observation of American Idol contestants. The problem is, however, that she cannot be voted off the show. Voting has been limited to American Idol contestants only.
VoteOffPaula.com enters as a voice for American people to assist in the removal of Paula Abdul as a judge. Visit votepaulaoff.com for more information on this effort.
Contact:
Duane Robinson
DR Domains
Well everybody is allowed their opinion and I don't mind when somebody expresses it, no matter how far out in left field it may be. I've been known to shag a fly or two out there myself. But I do hate a scam.
Visit that website and there is NO additional information as promised by Mr. Robinson. Rather that website exists as a "redirect" only. What it does is send you to an ebay page where you can place a bid to buy that domain name.
When you check out that ebay page you will find the starting bid is $5.99 and there have been no bids. It may be true that one is born every minute, but fortunately none have yet visited that page. The seller is listed as duanerobinson. He has a feedback of only 5 with with a negative. In case you are interested he also has a Metronome up for bids. It's doing a little better.
If I were not such a nice guy I might fake an ebay ID and place an outrageous bid just to mess with his head.
Meanwhile...
In a NY Daily News article a former American Idol contestant comes to Paula's defense saying Paula would not "sabotage" the show.
Second season Idol wannabe Carmen Rasmusen said, "I do not see Paula doing something that stupid that would hurt her image and hurt the show as well." "I just do not see Paula Abdul as a person who would try to sabotage 'American Idol."
Carmen also denied claims that Paula gave special treatment to some contestants, "I never felt (Paula) was favoring one person over the other one," and "I never saw her alone with Corey." "I think it's pretty disingenuous of Corey to use 'American Idol' as a negative thing as his goal to get back into the limelight."
And finally...
The Boston Globe is saying "Abdul, who has been under fire for erratic on-air behavior, may voluntarily vacate the judge's podium after "Primetime Live'' airs answering-machine messages she left for a 24-year-old contestant. Although they would not speak on the record, Fox execs expressed dismay at the developments as the hit show heads into its final weeks."
May 3, 2005 American Idol
Are Paula's days as an American Idol Judge numbered? Will she step down? Those are the questions buzzing around the net today as ABC get ready to air its "explosive expose" Wednesday night.
In case you have been in a coma for the last week we will breifly recap the situation for you.
Former American Idol contestant Corey Clarke, who was kicked off the show for failing to diclose his criminal and legal issues to the show's producers is now shopping a kiss and tell all book. In the book Clarke alledges that Paula "seduced him" with offers to help him with song selection, style choices and generally help him succeed in the compitition. He says she gave him money and offered him up to two-million dollars in exchange for having sex with her and being her "special friend."
Clarke also says he is not the only one. He claims Justin Guarini "bragged about having an affair with Paula." A representative for Guarini says it's just not true.
Last week FOX announced that it was launching an internal investigation of Paula. No further details were given. According to the Drudge Report FOX agreed last week to furnish answers to a series of questions from ABC News by close of business last Friday. It appears that FOX was not happy with the outcome of its own investigation and as a result, they changed positions and have not answered any questions from ABC.
Paula's people did issue a statement saying Paula would not dignify the allegations with a response. Then she responded by calling Clarke a liar.
Here's the latest. There are tapes. According to The Drudge Report, "Late night phone calls and answering machine messages are said to tie Abdul, 42, to an inappropriate relationship with a 22 year-old contestant. ABC is preparing to play the audio, along with on-camera interviews given by former contestants who did not receive the same personal 'coaching.'"
According to JuiceeNews "Paula...may voluntarily step down from her position this week."
I hope that does not happen. If it is all true, then it was inappropriate to say the least, it was also unfair to the other contestants, and (I'm not a lawyer) but I wonder if it is a violation of FCC rules dealing with game shows. But the final result was Corey was booted, supposedly for other reasons, and he went no where on the show. No harm - no foul, but it is really bad judgement on Paula's part. However I don't think she should lose her job over it. Although wanting to hide because of the embarrassment I can understand. I mean really, Corey Clarke?
ABC will air the tapes even though they have been told by Abdul's attorney Marty Singer "that the network faces legal action if it proceeds with Wednesday night's PRIMETIME LIVE expose." But ABC lawyers are so sure of the validity of the audio and video evidence being presented that they are not concerned with any legal challenge. Besides, May is sweeps month.
The Drudge report quotes a top FOX executive as saying "I am quite surprised and disappointed ABC is devoting an hour of its prime time programming to air tabloid trash." And FOX owner Rupert Murdoch has said he believes ABC is attempting to maliciously "destroy" the nation's most-watched series as it heads into the final weeks.
I guess nobody told him about CSI.
So the controversy continues. A lot of it will be resolved after Wednesday night. We hope we don't lose Paula. Honestly she lends very little to the show, but she would be missed. I'm not sure I can even say why. But wouldn't you agree?
May 2, 2005 Coming Back, Coming Soon, In Development and Rumored
Reality TV is soooo dead.
This summer will see the premiere of at least 28 new Reality TV shows. That's what we know of at this moment and I can guarantee you there will be more. As always it comes down to ratings and money. Reality TV continues to hold a significant portion of the top 20 shows on television. And Reality TV cost less to produce while still demanding top advertising dollars. Add in the ease of product placement dollars in Reality TV and it becomes very profitable.
But before we get to the new shows we have some huge finale's coming during the May sweeps. During May we will see the conclusions of the current Reality TV blockbusters:
May 10 - The Amazing Race
May 15 - Survivor Palau
May 19 - The Apprentice 3
May 24 - American Idol Performance Finale
May 25 - American Idol Results Finale
Then as June rolls in we will see the return of some mega-hits, some old friends, and a few has-beens best left to history. June will bring us Big Brother 6 and if you haven't signed up of Big Sister's newsletter yet...you should. Sign up at the end of today's column. This Summer will see the return of Gilligan's Island, Average Joe, Real World and more. Here is a complete list of what we know about now.
May 9, 8/7c, Extreme Makeover: Wedding Edition - ABC
Click Here To Sign Up For Big Sister's Big Brother Newsletter May 1, 2005 Writers Wanted
Reality TV Calendar is looking for writers. If you are a fan, or even better a fanatic of Reality TV and you have a creative flair for writing we would like to hear from you. We are looking for recappers and those who want to write commentary, editorial or news.
Recappers are needed for the following shows.
Super Nanny - On Going - ABC
Fear Factor - On Going - NBC
Nanny 911 - On Going - FOX
May 9, 8/7c, Extreme Makeover: Wedding Edition - ABC
May 17, Britney Spears - UPN
May 24, Rob & Amber's Wedding - CBS
June 1, 10/9c - Sports Kids Moms and Dads - Bravo
June 7, 9/8c - Blow Out 2 - Bravo
July 10, 8:30/7:30c - Welcom To The Neigborhood - ABC
July 13, 9/8c - Brat Camp - ABC
June 21, 8/7c - I Want To Be A Hilton - NBC
June 28, 8/7c - Average Joe 4 - NBC
June 30, 10/98c - Being Bobby Brown - Bravo
July 27, 9/8c - The Law Firm - NBC
July 27, 10/9c - Kathy Griffin: My Life On The D List - Bravo
July - Real World: Austin - MTV
August 3, 8/7c - Meet Mister Mom - NBC
August 9, 9:30/8:30c - Tommy Lee Goes To College - NBC
August 10, 9/8c - Battle of the Network Reality Stars - Bravo
Commentary and Editorial
Here is your chance to say what you want to say, sort of. Isn't that a wonderful qualification? Your commentary must be on or about Reality TV programming. It can be about individual shows, stars, creators and producers, or the genre as a whole. You can write everyday, or once a year. Each article will be evaluated by the editor. We would love to have a daily or weekly column, or two, so give us your best.
We are not interested in articles that point the finger of moral outrage at Reality TV, it's stars or creators. If it is your opinion that Reality TV is destroying society then please take your articles elsewhere. You will find plenty of sites who will be happy to publish them. We are not interested in taking cheap shots. The basic tenet of our editorial philosophy is that the people who watch Reality TV do so because they enjoy it. We are here to help them enjoy it.
That said, don't hesitate to be critical. If you think the latest show is just badly done and not at all entertaining say so, and say why. The same goes for the personalities and companies involved in Reality TV. We want commentary with opinion. We don't want someone on a moral pedestal crying "doom."
News
We are always looking for stories about Reality TV. Maybe you know about the latest twist, just a little in advance. Maybe you can get an interview. Maybe you just have some interesting facts to string together. If it's Reality TV news, we'd like to have it. Please write it and submit it.
If You Want To Write For Us
There are just a few rules....you must be 18 or older and you must be able to write. If you write for other sites, you are still welcome here.
For recaps, we require they be submitted by noon eastern time the day after the show airs. The sooner it is in, the more people will read it.
We require all writers to have an email address associated with their articles so that readers can write to you. We recommend a web based email like yahoo or hotmail. We request that you furnish a short "bio-sketch" to place at the end of the article. See any of the recaps on the site for an example. If you want a photo attached to your byline we will do that. It's your option, but you must let us know what byline you want to use.
Experience is not required. We value enthusiasm and reliability....they go a long way.
Please let us know what it is you want to write. If you want to recap, let us know what show or shows you are interested in. If you want more than one and think you can handle it, let us know.
We can't offer any kind of payment for your services.....but you will be able to point to what you have had published.
Submitting An Article?
If you are submitting an article now, please provide the following.
RTVC Editor Ron Lemon is a United State Air Force veteran who has lived in Alaska, Florida and many places in between. He has worked in the Radio, TV and Print media and spent too many years running computer operations for a state prison. Today he edits and manages Reality TV Calendar for fun and a little profit.
Your thoughts, complaints, compliments, questions and rants are welcome. Email Ron
Got an item for News Rumors and Rants. Email it to us.
Just click here.
Questions, comments, and submissions are always welcome.
Please address them to Reality TV Calendar Editor Ron Lemon
at RealityTVCalendar@adelphia.net
