Posts with tag bravo
Posted Jul 1st 2008 2:05PM by Kristin Sample
Filed under: Other Reality Shows, Programming, OpEd, Casting

Well, she's making over America one salon at a time. The former
Shear Genius contestant will be saving America's hair stylists in
Tabatha's Salon Takeover. She'll visit salons on both coasts that are in dire need of her direction. Coffey has just a week to work her magic.
This is the "hair version" of
Kitchen Nightmares. The press release goes on to say that her comments are mean and jarring. The salon owners and employees probably won't like her at first. But they'll realize that it's her passion and intensity that "drives her sincere quest to turn these salons around." After one week with Coffey, who started as a salon assistant when she was 14-years-old, we'll see dramatic results. Coffey will also recommend people to be fired and tell some of the better stylists that they should raise their rates.
Kitchen Nightmares, right? I'm not saying I wouldn't give this a try though. I like
Kitchen Nightmares.
Tabatha's Salon Takeover premieres Thursday August 21st at 10 p.m. ET on Bravo.
Posted Jun 29th 2008 5:16PM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: Industry, Project Runway

A couple of months ago, I interviewed
Lifetime president of entertainment Susanne Daniels for TV Week, asking her about
Project Runway jumping from Bravo to her network.
"We know for certain that Heidi (Klum) and Tim (Gunn) are returning. We would love to see the judges back, Michael Kors and Nina Garcia...but we're working on that," she said.
She went on to say that the show will look and feel very much like it did on Bravo; it will be airing in the same time slot, the same day of the week. And she secured Kors and Garcia, so the four important
Project Runway principals all will be in place.
Now comes word that in an effort to keep
Project Runway as much a hit on Lifetime as it's been on Bravo,
Lifetime is bringing in the veteran production team Bunim-Murray to take over as showrunners.
Continue reading Project Runway gets new producers for Lifetime
Posted Jun 29th 2008 1:24PM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: Celebrities, TV Squad Lists, Reality-Free

When I look at some of the people who have emerged as today's biggest stars on TV, I scratch my head and wonder, "how did that happen?" There are a few stars who have completely exceeded my expectations -- and I bet yours, too. In fact, after you read my five (no cell phone pun intended), I'm betting that you'll have a few more overachievers to add to the list.
1) Ty PenningtonI'm not ashamed to admit that for a couple of years I was hooking on TLC's
Trading Spaces. It may have been the perky Paige Davis, the home improvement on a $1,000, the cool things that the designers did in just 24 hours -- whatever it was, I was a regular viewer. Oh, yes, there was also a carpenter on the show named
Ty Pennington.
Continue reading Five TV stars who've exceeded expectations
Posted Jun 26th 2008 3:24PM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: Other Reality Shows, Programming, Pickups and Renewals

Has Bravo gone to the well once too much? It sure seems that way. Hot on the success of
The Real Housewives of New York City, which was inspired by
The Real Housewives of Orange County,
Bravo is now rolling out The Real Housewives of Atlanta. Now, listen, I've watched the first two series; I admit that they are addictive. And they're convenient because Bravo re-airs them again and again, but come on! This is like Coffee-Mate coming up with all these flavored creamers. Do we really need so many creamers?
Continue reading Bravo conjures up more Housewives, this time from Atlanta
Posted Jun 26th 2008 12:27PM by Kristin Sample
Filed under: Other Reality Shows, Programming, OpEd

Bravo is bringing back
Million Dollar Listing for a second season this summer. The docu-series gives viewers an inside look at the most exclusive realtors in the Los Angeles area, a luxurious but dangerous place to work. Despite the soft market, these agents will stop at nothing to close million dollar deals in neighborhoods like Malibu, Beverly Hills and Hollywood.
Josh Flagg, Madison Hildebrand and Chad Rogers, L.A.'s up-and-coming realtors, are the stars of this season. Flagg is known to send clients up in helicopters to view properties and has wrapped a home in a big red bow for a pair of new owners. Hildebrand, touted as the "King of Malibu," has sold over 80 million in real estate in the past two years. Rogers had his real estate license at the age of 18. Some of his celebrity clients include Paris Hilton, Nick Lachey, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Minnie Driver, and Coach Larry Brown.
Continue reading Million Dollar Listing premieres this summer on Bravo
Posted Jun 24th 2008 9:05AM by Kristin Sample
Filed under: Other Reality Shows, News, Industry, Celebrities

She doesn't exactly come off as a Martha Stewart-esque homemaker on the show but
Bethenny Frankel really knows her way around the kitchen. The star of Bravo's
Real Housewives of New York City has launched her own line of baked goods. The NYC cougar is bringing us
vegan cupcakes and other healthy desserts. The line is called Bethenny Bakes and she launched her new company at the Bridge Market Food Emporium in Manhattan on Sunday. Some of the products include lemon cupcakes, banana oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, fudge chocolate chip muffins, and blueberry muffins. There is no word on whether or not these will be in stores outside of New York.
I wonder if these treats actually taste good. More importantly, I wonder if Bethenny's boyfriend will help her run the business. He
lost his Wall Street job as an executive at Patriarch Partners, LLC because he appeared on the show.
Posted Jun 23rd 2008 8:07PM by Kristin Sample
Filed under: Other Reality Shows, Industry

Much like the marriage of
Top Chef and all things Glad,
Bravo's Shear Genius has inked a deal with Nexxus Salon Hair Care to be the sole integrated sponsor of the upcoming season. And we're talking full immersion here. The salon that houses the competition will be called the "Shear Genius Nexxus Salon." There will be a Nexxus challenge in the show. The stylists will use only Nexxus products. And the winner of the
Shear Genius will receive $100,000 furnished by Nexxus and an apprenticeship with the company.
Get ready to lather, rinse and compete. The
second season of SG will premiere on Wednesday June 25th at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Bravo.
Jaclyn Smith will host. Celebrity stylist Kim Vo and
Allure editor Kelly Atterton will helm the judges table. Rene Fris will be back again as the contestants' mentor.
Shear Genius is the Bravo's first original series shot in high definition.
Posted Jun 23rd 2008 1:41PM by Richard Keller
Filed under: Programming, OpEd, Law and Order, Reality-Free
So, I'm watching a new episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent on USA Network this past Sunday and, like all upstanding Americans do, I was flipping through the channels during a commercial break. As I passed by these channels at the speed of light my eye caught something on Bravo. It was another episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent. Not a new episode, mind you, just a repeat of a repeat of a repeat that Bravo airs during their Sunday night block.
Now, you're probably saying to yourself 'So what? Cable channels are allowed to air whatever they damn well please.' Well, after lecturing you about your tone of voice I would mention that you had a point. But, thanks to the wonderful world of corporate synergy, your argument would not meet the mustard. You see, Bravo is under the huge umbrella known as NBC Universal, which is the same company that owns USA Network, which is currently airing new episodes of Law & Order: CI on Sunday nights. With all of this information at hand the following question comes to mind:
Who the hell is programming these networks?
Continue reading A new and old episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent walk into a bar...
Posted Jun 18th 2008 2:02PM by Bob Sassone
Filed under: Industry, Programming, Ratings, Reality-Free
Here are the weekly cable ratings, by number of viewers.
OK, so auto racing makes it to number one for the second week in a row, but I'm just amazed at the power of SpongeBob SquarePants. Look, it's a great, fun show, but every week it has at least one episode in the top 10, and usually has two or three episodes on the list. Is it that strong with kids or is the talk that adult stoners and gays being really into it true?
1. Sprint Cup Racing (TNT)
2. Monday Night RAW (USA)
3. Monday Night RAW (USA)
4. iCarly (Nickelodeon)
5. Army Wives (Lifetime)
6. In Plain Sight (USA)
7. SpongeBob SquarePants (Nickelodeon)
8. SpongeBob SquarePants (Nickelodeon)
9. Top Chef (Bravo)
10. SpongeBob SquarePants (Nickelodeon)
Posted Jun 18th 2008 12:03PM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: Other Reality Shows, Food/Home/DIY, Episode Reviews
(S02E01) I watched the first season of
Flipping Out on Bravo last summer based on a teaser I saw during
Top Chef 3. The show is about a real estate "flipper" who buys properties, fixes them up and then resells them for a profit. You might say, "Yawn, that's just like a bunch of other shows on TLC, Discovery, et al." Well, yes, that's true.
But
Flipping Out isn't really about the flipping, it's about the flipper -- Jeff Lewis. This guy Lewis is not normal. I mean it, he's not. He says he's not. He's obsessive compulsive and it comes out in everything he does. It makes him a better flipper, because of his attention to detail, but it also makes him really hard to take if you're his employee, partner or contractor. But, boy, is it fun to watch Jeff Lewis's life! That's what
Flipping Out is really all about and it's back.
Continue reading Flipping Out: Sell Out (season premiere)
Posted Jun 16th 2008 4:26PM by Kristin Sample
Filed under: Other Reality Shows, Food/Home/DIY, Industry, Celebrities
American Idol does it.
So You Think You Can Dance does it.
Dancing with the Stars does it. And now,
Top Chef will hit the road on a nationwide tour.
Top Chef? Really? It's true. Beginning June 21st, the popular Bravo show will embark on a twenty-city tour. The tour will begin on Long Island at the Whole Foods market in Jericho.
Top Chef on wheels will feature a customized 18-wheeler semi-truck and "will offer Bravo's passionate fans and cable affiliate partners with the unique opportunity to experience the hit series in their hometowns."
Here's how it will work. In each city, select "chef-testants" from the hit show will do cooking demonstrations, give out gourmet tips, share show secrets and offer food tastings all from the monster truck which includes a state-of-the-art kitchen and can accommodate 38 guests per seating. Every one else can watch from HD screens.
Tour dates are after the jump.
Top Chef might be pulling up to a farmers market or food festival near you. What do you think? Does this sound like something you'd go to?
Continue reading Top Chef going on the road
Posted Jun 13th 2008 5:24PM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, Celebrities, Episode Reviews
(S04E01) Kathy Griffin is back, or as I choose to call her now Emmy Girl. Yes, the Emmy is on full display. In your face, everyone, Kathy's got an Emmy!
Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List won the Emmy last year and if this first episode is a sample of what season four has in store, that Emmy is going to get a companion. This show is riotous. And irreverent and a perfect blend of comedy and celebrity reality which is really unreality because how many of us interact with Anderson Cooper and Michael Moore?
Kathy Griffin has found the perfect genre for her particular brand of comedy. A sitcom wouldn't capture her true character, strict stand-up is not her best venue (although she's gotten very good at it), and a talk show would force her to chat with others and appear interested. The
My Life on the D-List format works for her and she's found a way to incorporate stand up, situation comedy and guests into a reality hour that highlights her being funny. She has supporting players -- Team Griffin, Jessica, Tiffany, Tom and Kathy's adorable mom, Maggie -- as her comic foils and partners in crime.
Continue reading Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List - Season Four Premiere
Posted Jun 12th 2008 1:23PM by Brett Love
Filed under: Other Reality Shows, Pickups and Renewals
Now that the big finale is in the books, and the right chef won, the fine folks over at Top Chef HQ have some time on their hands. It appears they'll be spending it getting going on their new spinoff, Top Chef Jr. (not an official title). According to the press release, the series comes about because Top Chef is the "number one food show on cable." I think that is a point that might be contested by someone at Food Network, but I do agree, it is my favorite of the cooking based shows.
The show will have an eight episode run and feature teens (13-16) in the familiar competitions to see if they are junior top chefs. Bravo calls it a natural expansion of their food domain and says it will be fun for the whole family. I can't help but think of Trading Spaces: Boys vs Girls. It was a fine imitation of the original Trading Spaces, but didn't hold up among the parent show's fans. And that's exactly what I would expect from Top Chef Jr.
Continue reading Bravo orders up a Top Chef spinoff
Posted Jun 12th 2008 10:35AM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: Other Reality Shows, Food/Home/DIY

Did you watch the finale of
Top Chef on Bravo last night? It wasn't as exciting as the previous three seasons, but what it lacked in drama, it made up for in history.
For the first time ever, a woman was crowned Top Chef. Chicago chef Stephanie Izard beat out Richard Blais and Lisa Fernandes by preparing a four-course meal -- including dessert -- that wowed the judges and outshone her competitors.
I was rooting for Stephanie because all through the
Top Chef challenges, she showed talent, temperment, taste and modesty (with regard to her chef skills). She consistently produced great food and even though the win last night was not based on the entire season, it could have been because she again came through.
Just to be clear, Stephanie didn't win because she's a woman and it was time for
Top Chef to give the prize to the female of the species. This isn't a Hillary thing, so don't go there!
Continue reading Top Chef crowns a new winner: a woman!
Posted Jun 12th 2008 8:02AM by Annie Wu
Filed under: Programming, OpEd, Project Runway

Unless that little ad I saw during
Top Chef was a total lie,
Project Runway's fifth season will be starting Wednesday, July 16 at 9:00 (new time). I definitely was not expecting the new round to start this early. It feels like the painful fourth season ended only three months ago because, umm, it did. It worries me when competition shows seem a little too eager to pick the next hottest thing. Let the old hottest thing bask in the limelight for a little while! I really hope
PR doesn't turn into a non-stop barrage of half-talent the way that
American Idol has, popping out new seasons like they're Danielle Steel novels and not allowing the talent pool to grow.
Continue reading Project Runway starts July 16
Next Page >