REALITY
The Voice: Why Am I Not Addicted?
Feb 15th
As you may know, I’ve had a complicated relationship with The Voice, ever since the smash NBC music competition series debuted last Spring.
At first I thought The Voice was going to bomb. Then I realized the series was definitely here to stay!
And now I’m really trying to give the show a second shot. And I like it. Kinda. But I’m just not addicted…
So do any of you out there feel the same way.
I’ll be the first to admit I’m a sucker for a good competition reality show. I used to love Project Runway and America’s Next Top Model. I currently adore Face Off. And I sat through many, many years of American Idol before it drifted into utter blandness last season. But there’s something about The Voice that just doesn’t work for me. (more…)
The X Factor: The Bloodbath Begins!
Jan 31st
Bad news for fans of good looking but awkward British TV hosts. Steve Jones is officially out as the host of the The X Factor.
And if you have a penchant for word garbling, slightly deranged female judges there’s more bad news – Nicole Scherzinger and Paula Abdul have also been shown the door too!
Wow, what a day, as Simon Cowell and the Fox network cleaned house on last year’s semi-successful X Factor debut.
Let’s be honest – we all knew Jones was on the way out. The Welsh host was so utterly hopeless in his role – stiff, awkward, unfriendly and generally just way out of his depth – it was obvious from the first few episodes that his days were numbered.
Terrible TV: Tabatha Takes Over
Jan 27th
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You know how sometimes you watch something on TV and your jaw just drops? And not in a good way. Well this week I had one of those moments.
The cause? Tabatha Takes Over, the long running Bravo series featuring former hair stylist and Shear Genius contestant Tabatha Coffey as she attempts to turn around a range of struggling businesses.
Earlier this week I caught one of the show’s recent episodes, featuring Tabatha trying to save a rundown gay bar in Long Beach, California. And all I can say is – what the fuckety fuck was that I just watched?
Now let me get a couple of things straight from the start. I actually rather like Tabatha herself. I wasn’t a Shear Genius fan but I think Tabatha is funny, sharp and a good TV character with a strong presence on screen. I’ve also watched a couple of previous episodes of Tabatha Takes Over, back in the days when Tabatha just concentrated on hair salons, and enjoyed them.
American Idol’s Ratings Plunge: What Went Wrong?
Jan 20th
By now you’ve probably heard the news… for the first time ever American Idol is starting to look vulnerable.
Yep, Wednesday’s opening night ratings for the first show of the 2011 season plunged a painful 17% in total viewers (to 21.93 million) and an even more disturbing 24% in the 18-49 demo (from a 9.8 to a 7.4). And the trend continued last night – with Idol even BEATEN by CBS’s Big Bang Theory and not even reaching 18 million. Ouch!
Now first up let’s just say these are still great ratings. American Idol is now in its 11th year – and for a show that old to be scoring over 20 million viewers for its opening night is pretty darn incredible. Most shows would be thrilled to come even close to those numbers.
However, those ratings do represent a significant chink in the veteran talent show’s armor. For years American Idol grew season after season, becoming such a ratings monster that it virtually crushed its competition. Sure this week’s premiere did hurt competing shows (most notably the NBC ‘comedy’ line-up of Whitney and Are You There, Chelsea – but that’s no big feat!) – but ABC’s line up remained generally unscathed. Heck More >
101 Ways To Make TV Better: Enough With The Docu-Series!
Jan 19th
 Today’s installment of 101 Ways To Make TV Better definitely hits home with me as it’s a subject I feel VERY passionately about.
Yep, I’m talking about the virus like spread of docu-series on our TV screens, a modern day pestilence that has become the easy cop out for network executives wary of untested formats and ideas.
Docu-series encompass everything from celebrity reality (the darn Kardashians) to adventure series (Deadliest Catch) to local businesses (Cupcake Sisters) – but all ask us to invest in the lives of a group of strangers, soap opera style. In fact you could even argue that the modern day decline of the soap opera genre is a result of the spread of the docu-series. After all who needs One Life To Live with the Real Housewives airing virtually around the clock?
Coming Soon: Re-Modeled
Jan 17th
When Does It Start: Tonight, Tuesday 17th Jan at 9.00pm EST on The CW
In A Nutshell: It’s Ramsey’s Kitchen Nightmares with modeling agencies…
What’s It About: Welcome to America’s Next Top Model – the local version! Supermodel expert Paul Fisher is on a mission to transform struggling modeling agencies across America with his tough love approach. Apparently Fisher’s in it to help the small guys compete with the big agencies and to make sure the models themselves aren’t exploited. And if you believe that you’ll believe Tyra is a darling to work with! (more…)
Is The Sun About To Set On Jersey Shore?
Jan 3rd
Thursday night sees the return of Jersey Shore to MTV – as Season 5 of the guido and guidettes docu-series kicks off. But am I the only person detecting a distinct lack of buzz for the former smash series this time around?
My instinct is that this season will be the year that Jersey Shore finally comes back down to earth after notching up some stellar ratings over the last couple of years.
Let’s be honest – the whole premise of Jersey Shore is kind of a yawn now. The cast look bored and are all more concerned with their outside ventures and future ‘careers’ than ‘performing’ circus style for the MTV cameras. And MTV has rattled out so many series so quickly that there’s not been time for viewers to catch their breath and miss the show. Season 4 only just finished in October and now, just two months later, season 5 arrives. Talk about overkill.
The 10 Best TV Shows Of 2011
Dec 29th
Yes, it’s that time of the year again where I pick my top shows of the last 12 months. Many shows – New Girl, The Borgias, Homeland, Nurse Jackie – almost made the list. But in the end there could be only 10… here they are!
REVENGE: There were shows this year with better writing, better directing and better acting. But NOTHING on our screens in 2011 was as ridiculously entertaining as Revenge, the season’s most surprising new hit.
Who would have thought that the primetime soap opera would make a comeback in 2011 and that its story of rich people receiving their comeuppance would seem quite so timely. Revenge has been perfectly played since episode one – hooking us into Emily Thorne’s grand plans to avenge herself on the Grayson family – led by the wonderfully icy matriarch Victoria (Madeline Stowe).
But Revenge has also done a wonderful job of surrounding Emily with a series of equally gripping storylines. There’s grasping social climber Tyler who’s gradually becoming more and more unhinged, bisexual billionaire Nolan who helps fund Emily’s schemes, reformed party boy Daniel who may be the key to Emily’s undoing and the Poison Ivy-like Amanda who’s out to cause a whole heap More >
The X Factor: Did The Right Singer Win?
Dec 23rd
And the X Factor winner is… Melanie Amaro. Wow, what a shocker! I mean seriously, did anyone out there really have any doubt that the hands down strongest singer in this year’s competition was going to scoop that $5 million record deal? You think Simon Cowell was going to let The Stereo Hogzz or Leroy walk away with that prize?
Looking back, it’s been pretty obvious from day one that Simon had his sights set on crowning Melanie his first X Factor USA champ. I lost count of how many times Amaro ended a show in the prized ‘pimp’ slot. And then there was that patently ridiculous last minute switcheroo, in which Cowell pretended to eliminate Melanie at the Judges’ Homes stage of the contest, only to bring her back at the last minute as an extra contestant. Are we seriously meant to believe that Simon let Melanie go for the likes of Simone Battle? Come on!
The X Factor Season 2: Five Key Changes The Show Has To Make
Dec 16th
The end is almost here…
After countless weeks, an avalanche of hype and the biggest promo campaign in recent memory, The X Factor will finally unveil its $5 million winner next week. But will it be Melanie, Josh or Chris?
While far from the smash hit Fox expected, The X Factor has been a solid Fall performer for the network and has given us some great drama along the way. Remember Astro’s bottom 2 brat attack? Simon flipping out at Paula and Nicole after Drew was sent packing? And most famously, Rachel Crow’s elimination breakdown which had many of us questioning if the X Factor age limit was too low.
But while The X Factor has done plenty right this season it’s also made some crucial missteps. So now Simon Cowell, Fox Exec Mike Darnell and the rest of the team have 9 months to right the ship ahead of Season 2.
