contestants-related stories
Posted Oct 29th 2009 12:40AM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: OpEd, Celebrities, Episode Reviews, Top Chef
(S06E10) After last week's restaurant wars, which I found really disappointing, I was hoping for a really tough challenge tonight. As
Hemal guessed, having Natalie Portman as a guest judge did turn this main competition into a vegetarian duel. Oooh, yum. Vegetables. More about the kale and mushrooms after the jump.
Continue reading Review: Top Chef - Meat Natalie
Posted Oct 15th 2009 1:10AM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: Food/Home/DIY, OpEd, Episode Reviews, Top Chef
(S06E08) Well, things have certainly heated up on
Top Chef, haven't they? Oh, I'm not talking about in the kitchen; I'm talking about in the house. These chefs are getting testy, or some are. Eli mentioned in the open that there was a lot of "emotional stress." Well, he should know because he's behind some of it. Then there's motor mouth Robin. Could she really be as yappy as she appears to be on camera?
Continue reading Top Chef: Pigs and Pinot
Posted Jul 30th 2009 9:02AM by Jason Hughes
Filed under: Other Reality Shows, Pickups and Renewals
G4 has been bringing Japan's
Ninja Warrior to the states for a few years now. And for those of you who haven't seen it, it's one of the most addictive and difficult challenges in the world. The past several runs, they've even worked to send a group of Americans over to Japan to compete in the competition alongside a whole bevy of Japanese personalities and athletes.
Now they're taking it a step further,
creating an all American Ninja Warrior. Unfortunately, the plan is to send ten American competitors over there to compete on Sasuke, the official
Ninja Warrior obstacle course. I'd have much rather them build an American version of the course here. That way, like in the Japanese version, they can have 100 competitors from all walks of American life.
Just imagine. We'd have actors plugging crap giving it a try, and reality show contestants trying to extend their fifteen minutes. And most of them will fail and land in the water. The fear I have is that if we only have ten contestants in Sasuke, what happens if they all blow the first of four stages? Show's over?
Posted Jul 29th 2009 10:02AM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: Other Reality Shows, Food/Home/DIY, OpEd, Watercooler Talk, TV Squad Lists
Jacob at FoodNetworkAddict.com has come up with five good reasons why he thinks
Melissa Darabian will win The Next Food Network Star when the competition wraps next Sunday. His points are well thought out, especially the one that suggests that Melissa's journey on the show has been dramatically edited to make her seem like an underdog who has now emerged as a dynamic player. However, I'm banking on Jeffrey Saad to win. Here's my five reasons:
1. The likability factorSince the opening episode, there hasn't been a more attractive and likable competitor on
The Next Food Network Star. Jeffrey makes viewers feel comfortable, like a Tom Selleck or James Garner, and when you're talking about TV personalities, that's the most important asset. Jeffrey would be welcomed on TVs in living rooms -- and kitchens -- around the country.
Continue reading Five reasons why Jeffrey will win The Next Food Network Star
Posted Jun 12th 2009 4:29PM by Bob Sassone
Filed under: American Idol, Contestants
It seems like it was just a few weeks ago that Kris Allen was crowned the new
American Idol champion (it was), but
auditions for the next season have already begun! As this photo from
The Boston Herald shows, contestants had to stand out in the rain at Gillette Stadium (home of the New England Patriots). This is the first of seven cities where auditions will be held. (There's also video at the link above, where you can see one or two singers that might have their dreams crushed.)
Posted Apr 25th 2009 3:02PM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: OpEd, American Idol, Celebrities, Contestants
Question: Do you think any one of the five remaining
American Idol contestants have any idea who were in the original Rat Pack?
Answer: Sure, Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, Anthony Michael Hall, Molly Ringwald, Ally Sheedy, Demi Moore and Rob Lowe.
No, that was the Brat Pack.
American Idol is honoring the original Rat Pack, which is actually not the Las Vegas Rat Pack. The Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop pack of the 1960's Sands Hotel was in fact an outgrowth of the Rat Pack that Humphrey Bogart and Sinatra first formed in the late 1940s.
Continue reading American Idol takes on the Rat Pack
Posted Apr 22nd 2009 3:06PM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: American Idol, Contestants, Performances
Very early on, it seemed to me that Danny Gokey was a lock to be in the finals for
American Idol. He has a great voice, a compelling story, a nice personality that comes across the TV screen, and unless he completely screws it up, Danny is going to be there for the really big finale shows. However, after last night's tepid performance of "September" -- or as
Kona put it, he's the "best wedding singer ever" -- I have real concerns about Danny.
Handicapping the finals now, which is a risky endeavor since I'm not a Vegas oddsmaker, I see Adam Lambert and Kris Allen singing it out for
American Idol supremacy. Danny Gokey has sung himself out of the top two. He simply hasn't been interesting or creative or dynamic in the past few weeks. Kris and Adam are leaving him in the dust.
Continue reading Danny Gokey needs to shake it up...or else
Posted Mar 24th 2009 10:00AM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: The Amazing Race, Survivor, Vs.
It might seem crazy to suggest that either one of CBS's two long-running reality series doesn't work, but I'm sticking to my convictions.
Survivor has lost the edge it had when it started, and it's no longer a show that works for me.
On the other hand,
The Amazing Race continues to set the industry bar high for quality reality (assuming you don't think that's an oxymoron). So, stacking them up, one versus the other, here's how
The Amazing Race tops
Survivor.
Continue reading Amazing Race vs. Survivor: Why one works and the other doesn't
Posted Feb 2nd 2009 9:01AM by Eliot Glazer
Filed under: The Amazing Race, Video, Casting
Just when you thought everyone you knew, ever, had endured their 15 minutes on some reality show, you've been hoodwinked. It's no longer just the lady in accounts payable who you spotted on
Cheaters or your brother's friend whose family appeared on
Wife Swap. These days, it's low-profile celebs, too, who are seeking a 16th minute, and no longer exclusively via humiliation on VH1.
Continue reading Why does that reality show contestant look so familiar? - VIDEO
Posted Jan 31st 2009 10:02AM by Bob Sassone
Filed under: OpEd, Game Show, Reality-Free
The way that game show fans feel about
Wheel of Fortune is so well-documented it has sort of become a cliche.
Wheel of Fortune is for a certain type of person, and shows like
Jeopardy are for another type. I don't know if I agree with that.
There's something for game show fans in each show, whether you're solving a letter puzzle or trying to answer a question about ancient Rome or literature, though I can certainly see why one would appeal to a person and the other wouldn't. But I have to admit that I
drifted away from
Wheel of Fortune for many years because of contestants such as the one from last night's episode.
Continue reading Wheel of Fortune contestants make me sad/crazy
Posted Jan 29th 2009 1:01PM by Danny Gallagher
Filed under: Web, Game Show, Reality-Free
Studying was never my strong-suit. I always got by in college on my looks; that would explain why I was a C-student. Come to think of it, planning isn't either. Neither is getting enough REM sleep, keeping a clean house or (as you can see by my picture) sticking to a regular skin care regime.
So when it came to preparing for my
Jeopardy! test, the same substandard habits applied. I could have started cracking the books at least a month ago when I first heard the website was holding
online contestant tests at the Jeopardy! website. It just seemed like a huge mountain of knowledge to tame in one sitting. Plus, I had about 15
Tales from the Darkside episodes that my TiVo had taped and were about to go to waste.
So when it came time to crack the books and cram in as much information as my brain could hold, I not only had to make up for lost time.
Continue reading Danny hits the books for his Jeopardy! test, and the books hit back...hard
Posted Nov 13th 2008 11:01AM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: Other Reality Shows, Episode Reviews
(S05E01) When I watch
Project Runway, I'm reminded of the fact that I'm no fashion designer. I'd be up a tree if I faced the challenges those contestants face. The same with
Top Design, not to mention any of the hair shows. However,
Top Chef is a different story. I do cook and every day is a challenge to figure out what to make and how.
So, the return of
Top Chef -- season five -- was like greeting an old friend. Here are people I can relate to, even if they have culinary skills that exceed mine.
The new edition is set in New York, a point that was obvious from the start with arrivals not coming via a pedestrian airport. No, here we are at Grand Central Station, a landmark. Then it's onto a ferry to Governor's Island to really get a look at the city.
Continue reading Top Chef: New York (season premiere)
Posted Aug 7th 2008 9:02AM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: Other Reality Shows, Food/Home/DIY, Casting
Food Network is either creating a new reality food competition program that sounds remarkably like a miniature version of
Top Chef or this is the biggest coincidence in the world of cable television.
Food Network has put out a
casting notice that calls for professional chefs who are interested in testing their skills in the kitchen against other chefs by having their food judged on taste, creativity and presentation by experts.
They're looking for four contestants; each week one will be eliminated till a winner remains. The winner will then be -- wait for it -- top food maker. No, that part I made up. They're not saying what the winner will be called or even what the best chef will win. The details aren't spelled out in the casting notice.
Continue reading Food Network plotting a Top Chef rip-off
Posted May 22nd 2008 11:05AM by Debra McDuffee
Filed under: OpEd, American Idol, Watercooler Talk, Contestants, Predictions and Trends
Like Jason wrote in his
reviewcap of the American Idol finale, I too think that America got it right. But more than that, I think the outcome of last night's vote has some deeper significance to
AI's future.
First of all, it was not only a record-breaking number of votes, but the outcome was more distinct than in years past. That means that America really wanted David Cook to win. That's not to say David Archuletta can't belt out a good tune, but for America to pick the more original contestant who brought a unique style to everything he sang is notable.
The relevance to future
Idols is this: If America actually picked the more talented contestant, the singer most likely to have a bang-up career, the hipper, cooler dude who should have had more appeal, then the future is bright for
AI.
Continue reading American Idol outcome could have a deeper significance
Posted May 9th 2008 10:03AM by Debra McDuffee
Filed under: OpEd, American Idol, Contestants, Alumni, TV Squad Lists
Watching
American Idol this season, I've come to the not-so-astute realization that we can't all like everyone who makes it to the top ten each season. There are different musical styles, personalities and, let's face it, some pretty crappy singers who make it through.
So I've begun to fantasize about an all-star
AI top ten. Imagine if everyone that you really liked from the top ten of all the past seasons of
AI were in the top ten together. I know the top ten can't be all the handsome rocker men I so adore, but it can be a good mix of good music, memorable personalities, and lasting talent.
If memory serves me correctly (and we all know it probably doesn't), these are the contestants that I'd pick, in no particular order:
1. Brooke White, season seven, fifth placeNo, I'm not a sucker for a crier. I simply love her singer/songwriter style, something we really haven't ever seen in
Idol and something I hope we see more of. When
AI started, it was the boy-band voice, then it moved to the rockers; hopefully Brooke has started a new force of no-nonsense talent coming through.
Continue reading American Idol: My fantasy top ten
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