Punk’d Comes to an End
Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Reality, Cable, Cable/Satellite,
This is it, folks. The final season of Punk’d, the Ashton Kutcher celebrity prank show. The series has had a successful run on MTV over the last eight seasons. Gotta say, there is something gratifying about seeing the rich and famous having it stuck to them. This sure as heck beats the pants off of those old “Practical Jokes” shows that Ed McMahon and Dick Clark used to do. The last season begins April 10th, but you can catch the entire eight episodes in a back-to-back marathon on April 7th. Be on the lookout for the latest celebs to be Punk’d : Jewel, Magic Johnson, Hilary Swank, and Nelly Furtado are among the famous faces. And, to top it all off, Kutcher will have a final special called Punk’d Awards on June 5th.
Read More 
| Yahoo! News
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Real World 20 Returns to its Roots
Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Music, Reality, Cable,
Nope, that’s not a typo. The next installment of The Real World will be number 20 and the casting is underway. In an attempt to lure older viewers back in who have tired of the drunken hookups that Real World has become… the producers are looking for a way to get “back to basics.” Damon Furberg, The Real World‘s supervising cast director said, “We’re trying to get back a little bit to the roots of the show, getting some people on who come into the house with goals, career goals and certain things they want to achieve like way back at the beginning of the show.” Huh, fancy that. People with goals, who like, want to do stuff. In fact, the casting call notices emphasize the show’s desire to get some career-driven applicants: “aspiring actors, models, dancers, filmmakers, musicians, athletes, artists, journalists, stylists, and fashion designers are particularly encouraged to apply, as well as anyone else with interesting career goals and a passion to succeed.” Take the booze down a few notches and I may just tune in.
Read More | Reality TV World
The End of an Era for TRL
Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Music, Cable, Cable/Satellite,
Total Request Live, true to its title, has always been a live show. That’s about to change, at least partially. In an effort to save money, MTV has started taping TRL two days a week… but fear not, live shows will still air on Mondays and Wednesdays. No changes will be made to the title and no other changes will be made, including editing. The show still maintains much of the original “spirit” just done a bit differently. It’s now a live-to-tape show (a la David Letterman, Jon Stewart, etc), but it’s lacking the interactive element with online video voting. “We’re still committed to the show and it’s the cornerstone of the afternoon schedule,” said spokeswoman Marnie Black. “TRL is not the same show as it was when Carson Daly hosted it. The show has evolved and will continue to evolve.”
Read More | Yahoo News
Shanna Moakler, Travis Barker Heading for Reconciliation
Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Music, Prime Time, Reality, Cable, Cable/Satellite, Gossip,
Former reality sweethearts Shanna Moakler and Travis Barker documented their love on their MTV series Meet the Barkers. Then the beauty queen and the rocker called it quits. Now it looks like they’re heading for a make-up. Moakler told People magazine, “I’m madly in love with my husband.” This comes on the heels of a 32nd birthday bash that Barker had for Moakler in Miami over the weekend. A party guest said, “They were really affectionate with each other all night long. They really looked loving and happy.” They were also seen together holding hands and kissing on the beach. Whether or not the couple will stick it out for the long haul remains to be seen. Barker filed for divorce last August.
Read More | People
Why MTV Reality Shows Make Us Feel Good
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Reality, Cable, Editorial, Gossip,
Like Britney and Anna Nicole self-destructing in tandem, MTV has put out two new “reality” shows about kids who have made and are making some really horrible decisions: “Juvies” and “Engaged and Underage.”
So, full disclosure, I am, in fact, engaged, though not underage, and I have an extensive juvenile record that has, thankfully, been expunged. Just kidding, I was a big ol’ goody two shoes, but I’ve recently realized that I am the target audience for both shows, and, really, just about all of MTV’s reality programming.
Why, you ask (as your coworkers stare at you, because why the hell are you talking to a computer screen)? Because the purpose of MTV’s reality shows is not to give you a glimpse into the lives of others (as it is in … well, all right, that’s the stated goal of most reality shows, even though it rarely happens that way). Nope, MTV’s reality shows are for one reason and one reason alone: to make you feel better about your life.
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Road Rules 2007 Promises Viewer Interaction
Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Prime Time, Reality, Cable, Cable/Satellite, Internet,
The latest installment of MTV’s Road Rules not only marks the return of the show since being on hiatus in 2004, it also introduces an interactive element. Dubbed Viewers Revenge, this edition of Road Rules lets viewers have some control over the cast. The show will not be pre-recorded as in past seasons, but rather use a “near real-time” format, similar to Big Brother. The other difference from past seasons is that the cast will compete in challenges based in California, rather than traveling on a road trip, due to the new format.
The challenge begins with six previous Road Rules’ contestants: Abram (Road Rules South Seas), Adam (Road Rules 10: The Quest), Shane (Road Rules Campus Crawl), Kina (Road Rules Xtreme), Susie (Road Rules Australia), and Veronica (Road Rules Semester at Sea). After each week’s mission, the cast will nominate a male and female castmate for elimination. Viewers will make the decision about who will compete in a face-off that is shown on the roadrules.mtv.com website. Viewers will also vote a challenger for the face-off from an online roster called “The Pit Crew.” Each Pit Crew member will have videos, blogs, and other other background information. If the Pit Crew member wins the challenge, they return to the RV and the loser then joins the Pit Crew lineup, where they can potentially get back in the game. If the initial Road Ruler wins, they keep their spot in the RV. Confused yet?
Look for a Road Rules: Viewers Revenge special on January 23rd at 10 p.m. The new season starts on January 30th at 9 p.m.
Read More | Reality TV World
Next ‘Real World’ in Sydney, Australia
Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Reality, Cable, Cable/Satellite,
Hold on to your hats folks, the 19th (yes, 19!) season of MTV’s The Real World will take place in Sydney, Australia. Production is set to begin next month, with the show airing on MTV next summer. So, does location impact casting decisions? From what I can tell, the producers are looking for conflict and drunkenness—all of the makings of great reality television. Real World executive producer, Jon Murray, said of the new locale, “If there was ever a people on this planet that have something in common with Real World [cast members] it’s Australians. Both [groups] love to party.” Oh, goody. Forgive me for sounding like a prude, but the drunken state of the cast is what has turned me off from this show. Although, I suppose I’ve outgrown the demographic that this behavior attracts. And what of the ‘real world’ home they will live in? Just like in the real world, they will be living in a 20,000-square-foot, waterfront house somewhere in the vicinity of the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbor Bridge. According to Murray, bars “are right around the corner.”
Read More | NY Post
The O.C. to Take Final Bow
Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Prime Time, Cable, FOX, The O.C., Cancellations, Ratings,
There was a lot of speculation about what would become of The O.C. once Marissa Cooper (Mischa Barton) was killed off. Looks like the show, which was given an abbreviated order for season four, will be wrapping up in late February. Fox announced Wednesday that The O.C. was canned, and the season finale will be the series finale. The last episode (ever!) of The O.C. will air February 22nd.
O.C. creator and executive producer Josh Schwartz said of the series, “This feels like the best time to bring the show to its close. Thanks to the hard work of our cast, crew and writers, we have enjoyed our best season yet, and what better time to go out than creatively on top.” Since the show’s high ratings in the first season, subsequent seasons have not fared as well. Some speculate that the “real-life O.C.” portrayed on MTV’s Laguna Beach led to the series’ demise. This last season drew much smaller numbers, just 4.1 million, and faced off against heavyweights CSI and Grey’s Anatomy.
Read More | E! Online
VH1 Plans Six New Reality Series
Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Music, Reality, Cable, Cable/Satellite,
There can never be enough celebreality, at least not to music station VH1. The network will bring six new reality series, collectively known as VH1’s Wild Life. The focus on this group of series is music—hey, great idea for a music station! Brian Graden, MTV Networks Music Group President said of the new shows, “The breadth of this slate of music-based series illustrates, once again, that VH-1 is the only place for adults to go to see the kinds of music and storytelling that speaks only to them.”
The new shows include: Rags to Riches, Bridging the Gap, Ego Trip’s White Rapper Show, Man Band, and the Irv Gotti Project. No word yet on when the shows will air. Sigh. All of this reality show programming has me longing for the “good ole days” of MTV and VH1—you know, when they actually aired music videos.
Read More | Reality TV World
Nineteenth Season of The Real World—Casting Call
Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Reality, Cable, Cable/Satellite,
Man, don’t I feel old! MTV is now auditioning for the nineteenth edition of The Real World. If you were a faithful follower of this early reality show concept, chances are you’ve grown tired of the whole thing… or perhaps just grown up. I find that the older I get, the more disconnected I get from these youngins’ idea of what the “real world” is all about. Seems MTV likes to just throw booze into the mix, record it all, and call it a day. Nothin’ says fun like a bunch of drunk 20-ish kids. OK, not like I’m that old, but I’m sure some of you find that it gets harder and harder to relate with what this bunch of real-worlders are going through.
While The Real World: Denver has yet to air, that won’t keep MTV from keeping the reality machine rolling. Producers are holding open auditions Saturday in New York, in addition to auditioning for the upcoming The Real World/Road Rules Challenge: Fresh Meat (sticking with the “fresh” concept, I see). According to the producers, they are looking for people who have “charisma and big personalities.” For those lucky enough to make the cut, they are further screened and interviewed—if chosen, they receive an appearance fee and get reimbursed for most expenses. And they get to live in some swank apartment or house. And this is the real world? Ah, bitter, I know…
Read More | Reality TV World
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