I'm really trying to cut down on my reality show watching. Most of them are either ridiculous, irritating, or soul-crushing, so I only stick with a few of them (Survivor, Hell's Kitchen, some of the documentary-type shows, like Airline and Little People, Big World). But that doesn't mean I don't have a few ideas I'd like to see implemented on the shows:
1. Survivor: Enough with the warm weather, island settings. Why not give us a season in a cold climate? Some place where the contestants would have to wear jackets, make hot coffee, struggle with cold temps and maybe some snow? Sure, the hot-chicks-in-bikinis factor would go way down, but they can always give a hot tub as a prize in one of the challenges.
2. Hell's Kitchen: The last dinner service, between the last two contestants, should be aired live. Wouldn't that be exciting, with the pressure of being live and in real-time? (Ramsay would have to sign something promising not to swear.)
3. The Real World: Find contestants that have never watched the show, or get older contestants. The first few years of this show were fantastic, because they were mostly normal young people with real lives and real jobs. Now the contestants are too media-savvy and seem to go on the show just for the opportunity to be on The Real World. If you got contestants that didn't watch the show or maybe hadn't seen the show in years or got contestants that were older, it would make for an interesting season.
4. American Idol. Well, I'd get rid of Paula, but she's there forever, so I'd change some other things. Limit the voting to one per household or phone number (not sure how the hell they'd do this technically, but it can probably be done). Make the contestants sing full versions of the songs, not the edited versions they always arrange. Have the last 4 or 6 contestants have to go to some bar or nightclub and sing and see how the audience reacts and see if the stars can handle it.
5. The Mole: Actually, I'd just like to see this show return, with Anderson Cooper as host. But that's never gonna happen.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
8-17-2006 @ 2:41PM
Veruka said...
I don't watch Survivor but maybe I would if it took place in Northern Quebec during the winter. The contestants would learn how to do winter camping very quickly!
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8-17-2006 @ 2:56PM
Dorsey said...
I have been wondering about changing climates on Survivor for awhile now. For some reason I don't think it would be quite as exciting, but it would be nice to change things up a bit.
As for the Mole, I rather enjoyed that show but I never bothered with the Celeberty edition. I think the Amazing Race is a damn good substitute though.
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8-17-2006 @ 3:09PM
John S. said...
I'm going to add my support for the return of The Mole with Anderson Cooper or another host that takes it seriously and isn't in it for the vacation (see Ahmad Rashad).
I've heard the UK and AUS versions were good...anyone know where you can get the DVDs? Do they even exist?
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8-17-2006 @ 3:20PM
TVLover said...
I think your Survivor idea is tops. My idea for the season after that is to plunk them down in the middle of a forest in Scotland to see how they survive. It isn't necessarily cold...but it sure is wet all the time. There is the added benefit of them not having very much in the way of food due to lack of available weapons...
There's an idea...put 'em in the middle of a war torn environment...see how long they can really survive! :)
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8-17-2006 @ 3:21PM
Jason said...
I agree 100% about Survivor. Back in the early seasons, following Australia and Africa, I has assumed they would eventually follow it up with something like this, but instead we've seen season after season of interchangable tropical locales.
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8-17-2006 @ 3:25PM
Whitney said...
I agree about American Idol-- and they CAN limit the number of calls, I believe that Last Comic Standing and Dancing with the Stars already do so... But then they couldn't say they had more votes than the Presidential Election! Or maybe they could...
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8-17-2006 @ 3:26PM
Myron said...
I think the "survivor in the snow" bikini problem could be solved by providing shelters that are over-heated.
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8-17-2006 @ 4:37PM
NANCY TILLMAN said...
Would like to see an international version of Survivor. People from all over the world competing.
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8-17-2006 @ 5:16PM
Patti said...
I've wondered about a cold-weather Survivor as well, but as it is now, so many of the challenges are done in water. Could they come up with a variety of challenges without putting the survivors in the water?
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8-17-2006 @ 6:24PM
Sean said...
how bout...
get rid of reality tv...
it sucks anyway and it's not in HD.
but that's just me...
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8-18-2006 @ 9:09AM
erroneous_nick said...
What would I like to see on reality shows? How about the last episode(s) ever? That would make my day.
I realize some people really enjoy them, I even watch Survivor sometimes, but I'd be much happier without any reality shows.
Just an opinion from an over-opinionated curmudgeon.
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8-21-2006 @ 1:22PM
Kevin M. said...
More shows like Solitary. Deep, psycological, and intense.
Unan1mous was a great start. It was very psycological and the contant strain on the players was great to watch. It also had the best set on a reality show, ever. But Unan1mous had problems. FOX took it WAY too fast, and most of the show is just people voting and getting outcasted. We saw very little footage of life in the bunker.
Unan1mous was on FOX. And it actually did well. But what baffles me, is why Solitary is limited to FOX Reality. Solitary is way better than Unan1mous ever was, yet very few people have seen it.
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8-22-2006 @ 7:19PM
Lisa said...
On Survivor, I love the idea of it being somewhere cold. Plus I'm sick of seeing all the skinny little Barbie girls and Ken dolls. They might actually use some REAL people, POOR people, of all DIFFERENT AGES,and SIZES, not just the 20 somethings with trust funds, that are barely out of their teens. Also, I would love to get to vote on a weekly basis like American Idol does. I guarentee, poor folks could really get down and dirty for a million dollars. That would make GREAT TV.
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