OK, most reality TV is, by definition, cheesy. But summertime is when they bring out the shows that were too lame for the fall lineup.
There are exceptions, of course…I took guilty pleasure in that National Treasure knock-off of a few years back; and last summer’s “I Survived a Japanese Game Show” was a hoot.
But then there was “Pirate Master” – so bad it got canceled mid-run, and you had to look online to see who won. And “Dance War: Bruno vs Carrie-Ann”…just dismal.
Is there any buzz for this summer? Any favorites you wish would return?
I had every reason to like Pirate Master and even I thought it was terrible. They took one of the most spectacular settings in the world and squandered it on petty bickering.
Pirate Master started out okay, but I lost interest quickly and when they yanked it off the air I never bothered to watch the rest of the episodes online. I still don’t know who won and I don’t care.
Big Brother is my guilty pleasure for the summer. You can usually get some pretty good gamesmanship going in Big Brother. Secret and open alliances, backroom deals, backstabbing, some creative challenges and rewards–it’s a game where the tide can turn quickly. Unfortunately, it is also a show where the producer’s influence is pretty obvious and the outcome is often manipulated to produce the most drama (shocking, I know). Also, sometimes it’s hard to find someone on the show to like because so many of them are self-absorbed, fame-hungry idiots. I almost quit watching a couple of seasons ago when that pile of feces known as Evil Dick won. But last season was okay, plus I loves me some Julie Chen! The Chen-bot rules!
Could you get past the fact that they paired it with “I Survived a Japanese Game Show” (which aired right after it) and made no effort whatsoever to connect the audience with the fact that this was a copy of MXC?
Sounds like Wipeout is right up your alley. The first half hour of each episode is basically a highlight reel of people wiping out on their obstacle course.
I have to put Big Brother and So You Think You Can Dance in a separate category. They’re A-grade quality shows (well, relatively speaking) that just happen to air in the summertime.
I wish they’d redo Treasure Hunters, the knockoff of National Treasure/The Amazing Race. Some of their puzzles and clues were so cool! And, while I hated the founding fathers left treasure story, I loved the fact that they tried to put lots of American History into it, AND had an online game fans could play!
I’m looking forward to the return of I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!. They did it a few years ago with Bruce Jenner and some other people, and I found it amusing. Cross between Surreal Life, Survivor, and Big Brother. It could be seriously fun.
And So You Think You Can Dance is a major delight of every summer – definitely looking forward to that. Not cheesy, though – it’s week after week of really good dancing.
Oooh, you’re totally right about SYTYCD! I remember last year I was totally in awe of all of the top 10 and beyond that, couldn’t believe that Joshua was on his own level. I hope this year is just as good, but I hope they ditch Mary whateverhernameis Loudmouth.
This year will be at least as good, if not better – I’ve been watching since season 1, and they just keep finding people who are more and more talented – but Mary the Mouth is, alas, a fixture. shudder
Ditto. I also really like The Mole, but never got in sync with the last season’s schedule, sadly. I should have - a friend of my girlfriend’s was the mole last year! Everything’s a bit more laid back than The Amazing Race, and with a bit more intrigue.
It was fun, but they kinda shot themselves in the foot on the finale. Only a show sponsored by accountants would tell us who the winners were, and think the real surprise was how much money they got.
The first half hour of each episode is basically a highlight reel of people wiping out on their obstacle course.