Posted May 14th 2008 10:19AM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: Industry, Programming, The Amazing Race, CSI, Survivor, Numb3rs, How I Met Your Mother, Cancellations, Pickups and Renewals, Shark, Upfronts, Cane, Moonlight
CBS announced its plans for the 2008-2009 season today. For the most part, things are staying the same, but there are two new sitcoms and four hour dramas planned. Here are the highlights:
Returning: The Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother, Two and a Half Men, The New Adventures of Old Christine, Rules of Engagement, The Unit, Cold Case, Numb3rs, Criminal Minds, The Ghost Whisperer, CSI, CSI: Miami, CSI: NY, NCIS, 60 Minutes, Without A Trace, Survivor, The Amazing RaceOut: Shark, Moonlight, Cane, Kid Nation, Power of 10, Secret Talents of the Stars, Viva Laughlin, Welcome to the CaptainNew: The Worst Week, Project Gary, The Ex List, Eleventh Hour, The Mentalist
Mid-season: Harper's Island, Rules of Engagement
Schedule and detailed descriptions of the new shows coming soon, after the jump.Continue reading The Upfronts: CBS
Posted May 12th 2008 1:08AM by Jackie Schnoop
Filed under: OpEd, Survivor, Episode Reviews
(S16E14) "May the best woman win." - AmandaWell, this surely was a season of blindsides on
Survivor Micronesia, wasn't it? Down to the finale, it just went on and on. After the excitement we had all season due to the strategical game play, I felt tonight's finale was a bit lackluster and full of filler. No, I'm not fussing just because my favorite didn't win. Heck, if that were the case, I would have been gone when Yau-Man hit the dust! Read on past the jump for my full review of the finale.
Continue reading Survivor Micronesia: Stir the Pot (season finale)
Posted May 10th 2008 3:02PM by Paul Goebel
Filed under: Other Reality Shows, The Apprentice, Survivor, Game Show, Casting
A day hasn't gone by where we haven't received some sort of tip or email asking us, the TV Squad, how to get on [insert reality show here]. Unfortunately no, Simon Cowell does not work for us, and Donald Trump isn't my BFF, so we really can't help all that much.
The folks at RealityWanted.com often send us a list of new and existing reality shows that are looking for new, er, talent, and they've given us permission to make mention of them here. We'll try to make this a regular feature as often as we get a new list.
This time we have The Real Housewives of NYC ,The Moment of Truth and other new shows.
Continue reading Reality Show casting calls
Posted May 9th 2008 1:26PM by Bob Sassone
Filed under: Other Reality Shows, American Idol, Survivor
Everyone dumps on reality shows (though everyone watches them), but did you know that they can actually boost your career? It's true!
OK, maybe it's just true over at this Fortune article. They list 7 ways that reality shows can help you in your work life. Everything from what not to say in interviews (don't be like Rock of Love's Daisy, who said "um" too many times) to how to make watercooler friends (it involves Simon Cowell, and I'm still not 100% sure I even understand this one).
They also use Donald Trump as an example, of course.
Continue reading Reality TV can help you make more money!
Posted May 8th 2008 10:13PM by Jackie Schnoop
Filed under: OpEd, Survivor, Episode Reviews
(S16E13) "Win and survive, fail and die." - Erik
Well, maybe you can win and die, too. No, I'm not talking about an odd variant of a James Bond movie. I'm talking
Survivor Micronesia. This season has been like a roller coaster ride. While castaways I've been cheering on have been blindsided and cast away much like fish guts to seagulls, I've been enjoying the season nonetheless. After all, it's been their own darn fault!
Read on past the jump for the full review of tonight's show.
Continue reading Survivor Micronesia: If It Smells Like a Rat, Give It Cheese
Posted May 5th 2008 3:39PM by Richard Keller
Filed under: Programming, American Idol, Battlestar Galactica, Boston Legal, CSI, Desperate Housewives, ER, House, Law and Order, Lost, Scrubs, The Simpsons, Smallville, Survivor, Grey's Anatomy, Family Guy, My Name Is Earl, Bones, Supernatural, Numb3rs, Criminal Minds, How I Met Your Mother, King of the Hill, The Office, America's Next Top Model, Dancing With The Stars, Shark, 30 Rock, Ugly Betty, Brothers and Sisters, NCIS, TV Squad Lists, Reaper, Moonlight, Samantha Who?, Reality-Free, Gossip Girl
Holy frik! We've only just started to embrace the return of our shows after a shortened strike season. Now, they are almost over. In the next few weeks all of our network favorites will say good-bye for the summer to be replaced with reality shows, reality game shows, reality soap operas, and Regis on primetime (again).
Needless to say, I'm a bit depressed. As I am sure you are as well. But, we will do our duty and press on. Thusly, we here at the sprawling lakefront offices of TV Squad (you choose the lakefront) have compiled list of when your favorite, and not so favorite, shows will be saying good-bye for their summer vacation. As usual, taking the fickleness of the networks, these times and days can change at a moment's notices. We will try to update you of those changes as quickly as our little fingers can type it out.
So, with a leaden heart, here are your season and series finales.
Continue reading It's finale time again! No, really.
Posted May 1st 2008 11:20PM by Jackie Schnoop
Filed under: OpEd, Survivor, Episode Reviews
(S16E12) Okay, I officially declare
Survivor Micronesia to be one of the best, if not the best, season ever in the series. You see, the show really isn't all about surviving the elements of nature. The survival skills needed don't necessarily have to do with who might forage best in the woods or who can build a sturdy shelter. Nope, it's "Outwit, Outplay, Outlast." And, chances are ... if you outwit and outplay, you're going to outlast. Tonight's backsided blindside will make for
Survivor history.
Read on past the jump for my full review of tonight's episode.
Continue reading Survivor Micronesia: I'm Gonna Fix Her!
Posted Apr 24th 2008 10:45PM by Jackie Schnoop
Filed under: OpEd, Survivor, Episode Reviews
(S16E11) "Oh, it's going to be awkward." - James
Okay, we might be having a rather lackluster season of
Big Brother, but
Survivor Micronesia is kicking strategical butt. These castaways aren't messing around. They're not fickle and, once they've made up their minds on a plan, they follow through. They're diabolical and sneaky. I like that in my castaways. It's good to see some real strategy for a change even if I might not always want to see someone go so soon. Yes, I'm talking Ozzy. He's history and I think I have new favorites now. Yeah, I'm being fickle. What of it?
Read on past the jump for the full review of tonight's episode.
Continue reading Survivor Micronesia: I'm Ruthless ... and I Have a Smile on my Face
Posted Apr 22nd 2008 11:04AM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: Other Reality Shows, Industry, OpEd, The Amazing Race, Survivor, Project Runway
Okay, I admit it. I like reality TV. Or maybe I should say unscripted TV. These days the parsing of the term "reality" has become as much a discussion as the genre itself. And don't kill me for calling it a genre. It is. It's here to stay. As long as producers can come up with ideas that make money and networks give them air time, reality/non-fiction/unscripted television is going to continue to proliferate the tube.
It's not with any great pride that I admit I'm hooked on reality shows -- some reality shows. My favorites include the high quality, classy shows, like
The Amazing Race and
Top Chef and
Project Runway, as well as trashy ones, i.e.
The Real Housewives of Orange County (and New York),
Hell's Kitchen and
Bridezillas. I like some of the competition-oriented shows, but that doesn't stop me from gazing in astonishment at the train wreck docu-series like
Hey Paula and
Being Bobby Brown. In fact, when I hear Kathy Griffin riffing on those shows -- her imitation of Whitney screaming "Bobby!" is classic -- I want to cry out, "Yes, yes, I watch that one, too."
Continue reading True confessions: I watch reality TV
Posted Apr 17th 2008 11:00PM by Jackie Schnoop
Filed under: OpEd, Survivor, Episode Reviews
(S16E10) "When you're annoying, you might not be able to appease everybody with a donut. They might just want the donut." - James
All week the promos for tonight's
Survivor Micronesia episode were saying that a blunder would overtake James having two idols and not playing them to save himself in
Survivor China. It's true. James is no longer the goat of stupid moves. Maybe they should rename the tag line for the season. Instead of
Fans vs. Favorites, it could be
When Smart Castaways Do Dumb Things. Or,
When Smarter Castaways Outwit Those Not as Smart.
Read on past the jump for the full review of tonight's episode.
Continue reading Survivor Micronesia: I Promise ...
Posted Apr 14th 2008 5:39PM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: Industry, HDTV, Survivor
High Def -- HD -- is gradually spreading throughout the television business and more and more HD channels are proliferating the dial. Now comes news that one of reality TV mainstays,
Survivor, will be shot and broadcast in high definition next season.
With greater clarity, better images, more vibrant colors and depth of image, HD is in many ways like seeing television with new eyes. It really makes a difference. For a show like
Survivor which is set in exotic locales and emphasizes the beauty -- and occasional cruelty -- of nature -- HD is going to be a spectacular improvement visually.
Continue reading Survivor is going HD
Posted Apr 10th 2008 11:46PM by Jackie Schnoop
Filed under: OpEd, Survivor, Episode Reviews
(
S16E09) "It's something you have to try, kind of like a juicy rabbit." - James talking about the bowl of bats at the feast.
Ew! Perhaps if they didn't still have fur, were diced and then sautéed in a light garlic butter sauce. Um, no. I still don't think I'd be eating bats when there's a whole table of fruit and other good food. I guess I'm just not that experimental with my foodstuffs. For tonight's new low fat, no bat review of
Survivor Micronesia, read on past the jump.
Continue reading Survivor Micronesia: I'm in Such a Hot Pickle!
Posted Apr 3rd 2008 10:44PM by Jackie Schnoop
Filed under: OpEd, Survivor, Episode Reviews
(S16E08) After a brief hiatus and some odd scheduling due to March Madness,
Survivor has returned! Oh, you might not be as excited but after watching so much
Big Brother, it's nice to hear someone refer to another as a "lying sack of slop" instead of totally foul-mouthed. Not only did it return, but tonight's show explored a bit of new ground in the fans vs. favorites arena.
Read on past the jump for the full review.
Continue reading Survivor Micronesia: A Lost Puppy Dog
Posted Mar 19th 2008 11:38PM by Jackie Schnoop
Filed under: OpEd, Survivor, Episode Reviews
(S16E07) "This is a game called
Survivor." - James
Even thought the tribes have mixed on
Survivor Micronesia, it still has the Fans vs. the Favorites vibe for the most part. With the exception of a very few folks, the fans still have something to prove and the favorites still think of the fans as wannabes to be swatted off their shoulders. You know, kind of like the chip on the shoulders of many of the returning castaways.
Continue reading Survivor Micronesia: Like a Wide-Eyed Kid in the Candy Store!
Posted Mar 13th 2008 11:08PM by Jackie Schnoop
Filed under: OpEd, Survivor, Episode Reviews
(S16E06) The promos all this week sounded like an exciting episode of
Survivor Micronesia would hit tonight. Now, we know that the promos are edited to make us think things happen when they don't happen at all. They take things out of context and show-hungry fans will eat it up.
This week we were led to believe that Jonathan Penner's knee wound from a previous challenge might take him out of the game. We were also led to believe that fan Jason found out that Ozzy has already found the hidden immunity idol on Exile Island. Did either of these events really happen? Did both? Read on past the jump for more.
Continue reading Survivor Micronesia: It Hit Everyone Pretty Hard!
Next Page »
The Upfronts: FOX
Carter Bays of How I Met Your Mother: The TV Squad Interview
The Upfronts: CBS
