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"Pirate Master": Even More Ridiculous Than I Expected!

BuzzSugar — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 13:42:50 -0700

Of course, I knew "Pirate Master" was going to be silly, but this week's premiere episode was more absurd than I was expecting. Basically, it feels like a parody of a reality show, not an actual series that anyone should take seriously. I recommend watching it very late at night, when you've already got the giggles. Here were some of the most over-the-top moments:

First of all, how did they make a pirate show without a plank? Nobody walks the plank; instead, the rejected wannabe pirate gets lowered onto a raft and then literally set adrift ... where I'm sure he or she travels about 15 feet before being rescued by a team of CBS producers.
Nothing about this show is even remotely real. The lagoon where the "pirates" carried out their challenges looked basically like "Six Flags Over Blackbeard," with super-fake skeletons dangling from trees and artfully-placed slimy moss. And there's no way those crabs just happened to find their way in to the chest filled with the $40,000 in gold coins. Speaking of which, isn't that a remarkably round figure for coins that were supposedly buried hundreds of years ago?
The outfits Joe Don and the officers got after their election looked way more like Civil War reenactment costumes than pirate gear.
John, we hardly knew ye ... and your "scientist/exotic dancer" self. Granted, he was a little crazy and looked like a refugee from an '80s hair-metal band and made me uncomfortable, but he would have been fun to watch for a few more weeks.
Not a single "yarrrrrr" all episode, people! Not a single "ahoy" or "matey," either! C'mon, pirates, you've got to step it up.

Photo courtesy of CBS

Buzz News Roundup, 4/25

BuzzSugar — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 14:20:26 -0700

Avril Lavigne's album The Best Damn Thing debuts at No. 1, Billboard reports.
Rainn Wilson will play a lonely geek who hires a prostitute to pretend to be his girlfriend in the comedy Girlfriend Experience, says Variety.
MySpace and Mark Burnett are trying to find potential presidential candidates to compete on a new reality show, USA Today reports.
E! reports that Anika Noni Rose will be the voice of Disney's first black princess.
NBC's ratings keep tanking, the Associated Press reports. And the network's not alone - shows including "Ugly Betty" and "CSI: Miami" also hit lows last week, writes the Hollywood Reporter.
NBC soap "Passions" will continue making new episodes after all - but you'll have to have DirecTV to see them, says the Futon Critic.

Source

Mark Burnett Invading China, Encouraging Piracy

BuzzSugar — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 10:13:58 -0700

"Survivor" creator Mark Burnett has China and piracy on the brain - and I'm not talking about illegal DVD bootlegs. Reuters is reporting that the next installment of "Survivor" will take place in China, making it the first reality show to film entirely in a Communist country. CBS has not yet said when or where production will get underway.

China will be a far cry from Fiji or the Caribbean. But lest you think Burnett is abandoning island life entirely, the reality-show guru also has a new summer series, called "Pirate Master," starting on Thursday, May 31. According to a CBS press release, the show:

"will send 16 modern-day pirates on a high seas adventure where they will live as buccaneers and travel around the Caribbean island of Dominica in search of hidden treasure that will total $1 million. ... Each week, the pirates will embark on extraordinary expeditions where they will decipher clues along the way in search of missing treasure."

Australian actor and musician Cameron Daddo will host the show, which follows the contestants as they live aboard a 176-foot ship. I, for one, would love to hear more about these "modern-day pirates." Is that just CBS's cute way of describing players pretending to be pirates? Or is Burnett recruiting people who currently earn their livings as pirates? I'm sure it's the former, but the latter would be awesome. Either way, this should be rich.

TV Tonight: "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?"

BuzzSugar — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 07:32:17 -0800

Isn't that the kind of question only Fox would ask? The new Mark Burnett-produced, Jeff Foxworthy-hosted game show premieres tonight after the "American Idol" performance episode. And Fox is hoping "Smarter" can ride the post-"Idol" wave all week: It's on after the Wednesday and Thursday shows, too. These first two episodes are half-hour "preview" episodes, and starting on Thursday, the show will be an hour long.

While I love me a good redneck joke every now and then, I'm not sure I can handle an hour of Foxworthy as the host (also, note to Jeff: the glasses don't make you look smarter). I'd be tempted to give this one a pass altogether, if not for two things:

The peanut gallery of young'uns whose job is to heckle the adult contestants, and
My sneaking suspicion that most of America is, in fact, dumber than a fifth grader

For the record, I only got 8 out of 10 right on this fifth-grade trivia quiz. I'm pretty sure that would have gotten me a C in my elementary school. To watch a promo for the show, read more

Photo courtesy of Fox

Buzz News Roundup, 12/15

BuzzSugar — Fri, 15 Dec 2006 14:37:03 -0800

Former Phish frontman Trey Anastasio is arrested for DWI-Drugs in New York - Albany Times Union
Expanding her media empire, Oprah sells two primetime reality shows to ABC - Variety
Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun dies at age 83 - Los Angles Times
Mark Burnett's new Fox show wants to know: "Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?" - Variety
Famed The Good, the Bad and the Ugly composer Ennio Morricone will receive an honorary Oscar - Variety
Katie Couric's last "Today" tops a TiVo poll of the top 10 most memorable TV moments of the year - New York Daily News
The Rolling Stones' Bigger Bang turns out to be the top-grossing tour of 2006 - Billboard
Warner Brothers and Guillermo del Toro want Tarzan to return to the big screen - Zap2It
Axl Rose swears that Guns N' Roses' Chinese Democracy is finally going to come out on March 6 - Billboard

Casting Call: Fox's "On the Lot"

BuzzSugar — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 01:10:33 -0800

"Survivor" creator Mark Burnett and legendary director Steven Spielberg have joined forces for what is likely to be a very big reality show. Called "On the Lot" and premiering on Fox this May, the show is a sort of "Project Runway" for aspiring filmmakers.

While I was in Vegas for the FOX Billboard Music Awards, I had a chance to talk to the "On the Lot" casting directors, who gave me the inside scoop about the show and how to apply. Fox is taking submissions until Feb. 16 and the prize is a whopping $1 million deal, so read more

As with other reality shows, the contestants on "On the Lot" will face a challenge every week, but in this case, the challenge is always to make a film. The only thing that changes from episode to episode is the genre. The hopeful filmmakers will have an arsenal of resources at their fingertips, including actors, editors, and cameramen. To really go behind the scenes, the show will air two nights a week. The first night will show the directors scrambling to make their two - to five-minute shorts, and the second night will let audiences watch the films and vote for their faves.

Aspiring filmmakers-amateur or otherwise-can submit their applications through the Fox website, along with a short film no longer than five minutes. (However, if you have a longer film on your resume, feel free to send in a trailer.) The winner of the show gets a $1 million deal with Dreamworks and the opportunity to work with Spielberg and have him produce the film.

Link Time!

BuzzSugar — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 13:33:30 -0700

Which of the latest New Moon posters is the hottest? - PopSugar
Michelle Obama heads to Sesame Street - The Wrap
5 reasons to keep watching The Hills - TV.com
Olivia Wilde and Jonathan Tucker have joined the Russell Crowe thriller The Next Three Days - Coming Soon
Thom Yorke's putting together a brand new band during his hiatus from Radiohead - Stereogum
Go behind the scenes of Where The Wild Things Are - Cinematical
Going forward, TLC is dropping Jon's name, calling the reality show Kate Plus Eight - LilSugar
Survivor creator Mark Burnett gets real for a new CBS drama - TV Squad