BuzzSugar

Buzz In: Which Reality Stars Deserve a Spinoff?

BuzzSugar — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 07:30:00 -0800

This isn't exactly breaking news, but Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt started the rumor mill up again when they mentioned that they're shopping around their own spinoff from The Hills. The show would focus more on their everyday lives and acknowledge their "fame", which apparently has risen to such levels that they've gone and written a book about it.

I'm kind of over The Hills in general, and I think there are plenty of former (or current) reality stars out there who are more deserving of his/her own show. How about Taylor from The Rachel Zoe Project or Santino from Project Runway? Who do you think deserves his or her own reality show?

Link Time!

BuzzSugar — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:00:00 -0700

ABC adds Benjamin Bratt to its Modern Family - TV Squad

Like Roxie's bedroom on Eastwick? Here's how to get the look - CasaSugar

Jordin Sparks covers Katy Perry's Hot 'N' Cold - HitFix

Tommy Lee Jones joins Matthew McConaughey for Lincoln Lawyer - MTV Movies Blog

The new Bachelor is announced! [drumroll] He's last season's reject, Jake - PopWatch

SNL dish: Tracy Morgan has fighting words for his former costars - Defamer

Amy Poehler talks about Parks and Recreation and her knife-fight with New Kids on the Block - TV.com

Exclusive photo of Gavin Rossdale on Criminal Minds - Watch With Kristin

Rashida Jones's graphic novel is being made into a film! - Cinema Blend

Shannen Doherty's new Hallmark movie = awesome -The Futon Critic

Buzz In: What Reality TV Decisions Filled You With Rage?

BuzzSugar — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 06:30:38 -0700

This was not a good week for me and reality TV. First, the fabulous Natalie Reid got sent home early in the Vegas rounds of So You Think You Can Dance without so much as a chance to dance for her life. Hoping to cleanse my palate from that surprise elimination, I flipped over to Make Me a Supermodel, only to see Branden - admittedly hot, but my least favorite of the remaining three - go home with the modeling contract and the $100,000.

While I know it's silly to get upset over TV shows, I still experience what I like to call "reality rage." Typically, this affliction crops up when a contestant who bugs me wins, or when a favorite gets eliminated too soon (for example, I know people who still complain about Alison Kelly getting kicked off Project Runway a couple of years back). But it can also happen when something happens that makes me question why I devoted all those hours to watching the show in the first place, like Jason dumping Melissa for Molly on The Bachelor - or his Bachelor predecessor, Brad, choosing nobody.

I can't be alone in this, so I'm wondering: What reality TV victories, eliminations, or other decisions have made you mad?

Do You Watch Reality TV Results Shows?

BuzzSugar — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 06:30:00 -0700

On Tuesday, Dancing With the Stars sent home its latest celebrity after a special hour long results show. Tomorrow, American Idol will do the same.Those two shows have results episodes just for revealing who's heading home - usually with a lot of recapping, special performances, and filler along the way.

I understand why results shows exist - it's tough to have audience voting determine who goes home otherwise, though a few shows have tried that. But ratings for results shows typically aren't as good as they are for performance shows. I'm wondering, especially with spoilers so available these days, do you even watch results shows? Or do you just head online to find out who's been eliminated?

Photo courtesy of Fox

Buzz In: Who's Your Favorite Reality TV Judge?

BuzzSugar — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 08:30:14 -0700

First, reality TV hosts got their own Emmy category. Now, it looks like judges aren't far behind. The head of the group in charge of the Emmys recently told reporters that reality TV judges soon will be eligible for an Emmy of their own.

After I stopped marveling at the injustice that Tim Gunn still isn't eligible for an Emmy (seriously, what will it take to get that man a statuette?), I started thinking about reality judges who deserve to be recognized for what they do. This may be a controversial choice, but honestly, I'd put Simon Cowell out there; he's hated as much as he's loved, but I don't think American Idol would be what it is without his caustic comments.

What about you? Who's your favorite reality TV judge - and do you think he or she deserves an Emmy?

Photo courtesy of Fox

Weekend Reading: How Not to Get Sent Home First

BuzzSugar — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 14:00:42 -0700

I got a kick this week out of a piece Slate did on the doomed reality show contestants who have been voted or kicked off in the first episode, complete with tips on how to avoid their fate. At first I struggled to remember a single first contestant, but then this piece reminded me of Jerry and Nimma from Bravo's Project Runway and Top Chef.

If you are planning on competing on one of these reality shows, these are some pretty good tips for sticking around for more than one episode. If not, you'll probably find them as fascinating as I do and will watch to see if they hold true for shows like The Amazing Race, which premieres tonight.

Here are some of the tips and excerpts from the article:

Lesson 9: Everyone loves a comeback story: "A bad first episode doesn't mean a contestant can't make a comeback. But if you want a shot at post-reality fame, you first have to make it past Week 1."
Lesson 8: Know your demographic: "VH1 understands the ratings power of the loudmouth; who among the channel's viewers wouldn't want to watch a plus-sized Omarosa gone ghetto?"
Lesson 6: Know your eliminator: "On a reality show, it's almost always good to be memorable. But if your fate is in a single person's hands, you'd better be indelible for the right reasons."

To see some more, just read more!

Lesson 5: Don't clam up: "With so little time to break through the clutter, no one has the luxury of opening-night jitters."
Lesson 3: Don't be chicken: "Sometimes, a reality contestant signs up for adventure but winds up looking sorry she didn't stay home."
Lesson 2: Nice guys finish last. Same with nice ladies: "This was an island of snakes and rats, and Sonja's guileless personality made her seem impossibly weak."

Do you agree with these? Do you remember any reality contestants who went home first?

Source

Are There Any Celebs You'd Like to See in Their Own Reality Show?

BuzzSugar — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 10:52:36 -0700

Well, it might not actually be that complicated: Rumor has it Denise Richards's reality show on E!, Denise Richards: It's Complicated, may be getting the axe. This isn't too surprising, seeing as the show is pretty lame, and most of you said you didn't want to watch it in the first place.

This is at least partially due to the subject matter (do that many people care about Denise Richards?) but it makes me wonder if there are any celebrities that people would like to watch in their "real" habitats every week. What if Brad and Angelina had their own show, or the adorable Ryan and Rachel?

Are There Any Reality TV "Stars" Who Should Have Their Own Shows?

BuzzSugar — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 16:30:40 -0700

We've got some fun reality TV news today: my favorite member of Queer Eye For the Straight Guy's Fab Five, Ted Allen, will get his very own TV show on the Food Network, called Food Detectives. I love that guy, and could probably watch him all day.

I can't say the same about Brody Jenner who will be starring in his own reality show, Bromance, in which a bunch of guys will vie for Brody's friendship, with the elimination ceremonies taking place in . . . a hot tub. Sure. OK.

This got me thinking: Are there some reality TV personalities who should get their own show and others who should not? People might enjoy watching Project Runway champ Christian Siriano host a show, and I think Bridget from The Girls Next Door seems well-suited to TV hosting. Also, I'm not above admitting that I wouldn't mind rubbernecking the ridiculousness that is this year's Bachelor Matt and his "little monkey" Shayne if they were to have a show of their own.

Shameful? Perhaps. But there it is.

What do you think? Is there any reality TV "star" you'd watch if they had a show of their own?

Ted Allen photo courtesy of Bravo, source

Imagine: What Lessons Would You Learn in Reality TV School?

BuzzSugar — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 14:31:05 -0700

So you wanna be a professional reality show contestant. It seems like a pretty easy gig - just be an exaggerated version of yourself while singing/racing around the world/working for Donald Trump. There's just one catch: First, you have to get cast, and you just can't seem to make the cut. What's a wannabe reality star to do?

Well, maybe you go to Reality TV School. It's not a joke. For just under $300, you can enroll in the New York-based school's five-week workshop, where students are schooled in dealing with reality TV conflict and staging an audition tape. Or, for just $139, you can check out a one-day version of the curriculum, including a Q&A with a Groomer Has It contestant who "graduated" from the workshop.

Besides finding this generally preposterous, I wonder: What specific lessons would one learn in Reality TV School? Making Offensive Comments to Stir Up Controversy 101? Intro to Being Secretly Evil? Advanced Seminar: Sassing The Judges?

What other common tropes of reality TV could you see this school trotting out? Sound off below!

Source

Is Reality TV Better When It's About Unusual Lives?

BuzzSugar — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 08:30:00 -0700

Until some news around TLC's programming came out this week, I never gave a lot of thought to a reality TV subgenre that TLC likes to call "unusual lives." The set includes shows like LA Ink - that's star Kat Von D at left - and American Chopper, and anything else that showcases people working in non-mainstream professions. (TLC has new "unusual lives" shows on the way about a bikini maker and a class at a makeup academy.)

It's kind of a neat little genre of reality TV, more like mini-documentaries than about throwing a bunch of people in a house together and seeing who explodes. On the other hand, how relaxing is it to sit down in front of the TV after work only to watch other people work? Do you like watching these shows about unusual lives?

Source