And the best part, it was $4 at Target! I’ve had the first season on my Amazon wishlist for about a year now - it’s always hovering at about $35 or more. The second season wasn’t nearly as good, but for $4, I’ll bite. The packaging is hilarious - it’s an extra thick clamshell, but inside are two discs in those paper/cellophane sleeves just kind of pinned against the case.
For those who aren’t familiar, the first season was a reality spoof show, of sorts. It was a Survivor-like setting on a fake show called “The Lap of Luxury”. Every contestant but one was a hired actor. The real guy - Matt - was kept in the dark the whole time, as the show was manipulated to put him in ridiculous situations, on the brink of elimination only to be “miraculously” saved by timely backstabbing, etc. It involves a send-up of every reality show cliche available, and embraces the cheese.
On it’s face it sounds cruel to put one guy at the center of attention, and make him the butt of the joke. But it turns out, Joe was a fantastic guy. Everyone just fell in love with him, and he really seemed to be the genuine article. He was pre-ordained to win the cash prize ($100,000), and the actors couldn’t have been happier to be a part of it.
Season two takes on two regular people - a man and a woman - on a fake dating show. It’s not done nearly as well, but it’s a lot of fun.
I already own Season One but didn’t watch enough of Season Two to justify buying it. Indeed that was an incredible show. I think they got a little more than they bargained for not totally taking into account how complicated the game gets when one guy doesn’t even know he’s playing. They almost pulled the plug a couple of times.
Which was really the best part. It ended up being a show about everybody and what they were going through and not just Matt.
That makes me sad. I remember we had weekly threads, and everyone loved Matt. Though I could see the Hollywood crowd not “getting” it and making fun of him. That’s really too bad - but I’m glad he’s on his feet and happy.
I was a huge fan of the first season but didn’t get to watch much of season two. I remember the girl figuring it out pretty early on and getting recruited to keep playing the game as an actor.
I loved both series, but am really bummed about Matt. At no point did I think the show made fun of him, and I never myself laughed AT him because he was just the constant victim of Candid Camera. Instead I laughed with him, and I assumed most people did, because of the way he was thrust into all these awkward situations.
Still, he did make a cameo in season 2, or at least was supposed to, but it got cut.