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 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 Mar 19th 2008 4:23PM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: The Amazing Race, Pickups and Renewals
Okay, here's the pitch. A reality competition show in which American contestants go to other countries and have to adapt. Does that sound like CBS's
The Amazing Race? It did to me, but apparently it's not.
ABC has ordered an unscripted competition show in which Americans go abroad and face challenges. I guess this is a case of imitation being the sincerest form of flattery?
Continue reading ABC orders new globetrotting reality show
Posted Feb 22nd 2008 2:24PM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, The Amazing Race, CSI, Doctor Who, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Casting
Nobody would ever confuse Rufus Sewell for Patrick Stewart (
Star Trek: The Next Generation), right? Well, super-producer Jerry Bruckheimer
has chosen Sewell for the lead in the $4 million pilot of the British drama series
Eleventh Hour. Presumably, Rufus will be playing the same role Patrick played, that is Professor Ian Hood, Special Advisor to the government's Joint Sciences Committee, enlisted to tackle all kinds of dangerous threats stemming from science gone awry.
Continue reading Rufus Sewell cast in new Bruckheimer pilot
Posted Jan 20th 2008 10:45PM by Jackie Schnoop
Filed under: OpEd, The Amazing Race, Episode Reviews
(S12E11) You know, it's tough to actually like all three teams racing for the finish line on
The Amazing Race. Other seasons there have always been teams I so didn't want to win the million dollars. This year, what can I say?
The three teams in the run for the win include a father and daughter team, a grandfather and his grandson, and a rather offbeat mellow new-agey, yet throwback couple who get along together amazingly well.
My favorite team coming out of the gate this season was Kynt and Vyxsin, but they're long gone. It's been the Ronald and Christina show the past few weeks. Was it tonight? Finale spoilers after the jump!
Continue reading The Amazing Race: The Final Push (season finale)
Posted Jan 13th 2008 10:55PM by Jackie Schnoop
Filed under: OpEd, The Amazing Race, Episode Reviews
(S12E10) Ohh ... it's the penultimate episode of
The Amazing Race, determining which three teams will race to the finish on next week's season finale.
Now, I've been rather vocal about one team in particular I really want off of my TV set and out of my nightmares -- Jennifer and Nathan. I'm so adamant that I want them gone that I declared them my favorite team last week (and encouraged readers to join in with me) in an effort to jinx them.
Did our valiant efforts and chanting work? After all, it's rare that I enjoy all three teams in the finale. Could it be...? After the jump.
Continue reading The Amazing Race: Sorry, Guys, I'm Not Happy to See You
Posted Jan 11th 2008 8:00AM by Jason Hughes
Filed under: Late Night, The Amazing Race, Desperate Housewives, Lost, Daytime, The Daily Show, Entourage, Music and Variety, Talk Show, Project Runway, 30 Rock, Awards, Pushing Daisies
Finally someone shows some love for
Lost, which got itself back on track last season. The Directors Guild announced their nominees for this year's awards.
Lost nabbed two nominations in the Dramatic Series category, for "The Looking Glass" and "The Brig."
The Sopranos picked up two of the three remaining nominations, saving the last one for AMC's excellent freshmen drama,
Mad Men.On the comedy side,
30 Rock nabbed two nominations, with
Desperate Housewives and
Entourage picking up one each. And the critical love for ABC's incredibly charming
Pushing Daisies continues as it snatches the final spot. But one category in which the Directors think very differently than anyone else is in Reality Programs. Not only is the kitschy
Who Wants to be a Superhero? nominated, but is joined by
Shooting Sizemore and
Pros vs. Joes. The full list, including commercials, documentaries and mini-series after the jump.
Continue reading Directors Guild Awards nominations are in
Posted Jan 6th 2008 11:00PM by Jackie Schnoop
Filed under: OpEd, The Amazing Race, Episode Reviews
(S12E09) This season of
The Amazing Race, albeit with an impromptu early start, is going to be heading to the finish line before long. And, with the promos and the episode title of tonight's show, it seems to indicate that one team might be facing some health issues. Perhaps it's a good thing that the finale is but an episode or two away, eh?
After all, the death of a racer would probably blow the show's chances for its next Emmy nod, don't you think?
Yes, I am wasting space here before the jump. If I put any kind of spoiler here on the main page, I just might be croaked. Virtually, but it still hurts.
Continue reading The Amazing Race: I Just Hope He Doesn't Croak on Us
Posted Dec 31st 2007 11:31AM by Jackie Schnoop
Filed under: OpEd, The Amazing Race, Episode Reviews
(S12E08) Sometimes when things seem so perfect, that's when all goes kerflooey. That's often how it goes when I watch reality television shows. I've learned over the years not to become too attached to the teams I'd like to see win. Or, to try not to cheer a team on too much, to be just a bit more realistic about the matter.
Tonight's episode of
The Amazing Race brought me back to my vows with a crash and burn I didn't see coming. And I'm not talking about the propane tanks featured on the show. After all, had they crashed and burned ... well, there would be some honest to gosh news, right?
Continue reading The Amazing Race: Honestly, They Have Witch Powers or Something
Posted Dec 24th 2007 1:07AM by Jackie Schnoop
Filed under: OpEd, The Amazing Race, Episode Reviews
(S12E07) My, it seems like it's been a long time since the last episode of
The Amazing Race. Last week's
Survivor finale bumped it and the holidays seem to be taking a toll, too. However, tonight's show was indeed worth the wait.
A new twist, a couple of wrong turns, a surprise or two, and ink where you least expect it. But, of course, I won't get to the real skinny until after the jump. I could talk about the weather to fill the pre-jump space. The weather here is windy and rainy. The weather on the race tonight looked splendid.
There. On with the show.
Continue reading The Amazing Race: This is Forever, Now
Posted Dec 10th 2007 12:35AM by Jackie Schnoop
Filed under: OpEd, The Amazing Race, Episode Reviews
(S12E06) Darn it. I know the
Amazing Race takes its episode titles from actual words uttered by the contestants on the show, but this one is downright silly. More apropos from the team at hand would have been ...
"I hate you!"
"I hate you more!"
On a side note, I'd like to see the cabs in NYC spell taxi the way it's spelled in Lithuania. Taxi without the X Factor, gotta love it. I think it would add a nice cultural influence to NYC cabs. Oh, wait. Most of the cabbies are from various countries anyway. Never mind. Let's get on with the show!
Continue reading The Amazing Race: Cherry on Top of the Sundae That's Already Melted
Posted Dec 2nd 2007 11:28PM by Jackie Schnoop
Filed under: OpEd, The Amazing Race, Episode Reviews
(S12E05) I can't help but wonder if the production staff has changed a bit for this season of
The Amazing Race. The challenges seem more all-ages oriented, perhaps a bit less exciting and adrenalin-pumping when compared to some past seasons.
But I think it makes things more interesting from a cultural point of view. I've mentioned before that one reason I enjoy the show so much is due to the fact I can take a peek into other countries I might never be able to visit.
Nothing against bungee-jumping, but if you've jumped a bungee once, why do it twice? Or every season? Fresh and different is a good thing, I say.
Continue reading The Amazing Race: We've Really Burned Bridges, for Sure
Posted Nov 26th 2007 12:14AM by Jackie Schnoop
Filed under: OpEd, The Amazing Race, Episode Reviews
(S12E04) Goths tend to be sincere and genuine according to Kynt of
The Amazing Race. And, if one were to base his perception of Goth kind of folks just on this particular episode of the show, it would be and accurate perception indeed.
There was a lot to enjoy with the episode and the Goth couple, Kynt and Vyxsin were just a part of it. Ah, but there was a team to boo, too. That team was genuine, as well. Genuine creeps, that is!
Continue reading The Amazing Race: Let's Name Our Chicken Phil
Posted Nov 19th 2007 12:56AM by Jackie Schnoop
Filed under: OpEd, The Amazing Race, Episode Reviews
(S12E03) They could have called tonight's episode of
The Amazing Race "Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Milking a Camel, but Were Afraid to Ask."
Sure, it's a reality television show, but it's educational, too. Not only did I learn all about the do's and don'ts of milking camels (which I'm sure will come into some use during the course of my life in the greater metropolitan NYC area), but I also learned the word for tree in a rather obscure West African language. Tiiga is tree. Now you know it, too.
Continue reading The Amazing Race: Please, Lord, Give Me Milk
Posted Nov 18th 2007 10:15AM by Jackie Schnoop
Filed under: Industry, OpEd, The Amazing Race, Watercooler Talk, Casting
Now, keep in mind, this is
if I were to apply to be on the
The Amazing Race. I'm not saying I did it, nor am I even saying I plan to apply.
If I were to apply to be on any reality show, this would be the one. If I were on
Big Brother, I'd probably hide from my whacko housemates. If I were on a dating show, I'd be the first dumped. If I were on a cooking show, they would probably make me eat foods I don't like and I'd leave in tears while gagging. Ah, but
The Amazing Race?
Not that I'm applying, but I checked out the
13 page application as casting is on for the next season of the Emmy-winning reality series.
Continue reading If I were to apply to be on The Amazing Race
Next Page »
The Upfronts: FOX
Carter Bays of How I Met Your Mother: The TV Squad Interview
The Upfronts: CBS
