Popular Reality TV

It was a night of actual surprises on The Bachelorette , which ended in a way that disproved a spoiler and also revealed that The Bachelor has, for the first time in its 18-season history, cast a non-white person to lead its cast less than a year after the show’s super-white casting was declared free speech by a judge. The shocking turn of events last week ended up with what seemed like one of the least-likely scenarios: Brooks did not come back. Instead, Des quickly got over him and accepted Chris’ proposal. Yes, this is the home of empowered women who couldn’t possibly propose to a man. That disproved Reality Steve’s spoiler, which he was sticking with last week; acknowledging previous mistakes, he said, “It happens. I’ll bounce back.” Meanwhile, the show announced that Juan Pablo Galavis, who was rejected by Des, will be the 18th Bachelor star. ABC’s press release pointed out that “With his Spanish accent, good looks, salsa moves and undying devotion for his daughter, Juan Pablo,...

Discovery’s Channel’s beloved Shark Week began Sunday, one that had been hyped with a clever promo. The opening special earned Shark Week’s highest ratings ever. But the network also presented a fictional show with fake footage to its viewers as nonfiction, destroying its credibility for many of them. Megalodon: The Monster Shark Lives ’s lie started in its title, since it was about an extinct shark. When it concluded, it briefly showed this disclaimer: “None of the institutions or agencies that appear in the film are affiliated with it in any way, nor have approved its contents.” Though certain events and characters in this film have been dramatized, sightings of ‘Submarine’ continue to this day. Megalodon was a real shark. Legends of giant sharks persist all over the world. There is still debate about what they may be.” That’s an understatement. As a Discover magazine writer wrote in an open letter to the network, “Megalodons were real, incredible, fascinating sharks. There’s a ton ...

Home > Factual > How Not to Get Old: Anna Richardson and Louise Redknapp uncover the realities of some of the most popular anti-aging products August 7th, 2013 by Matt D. In How Not to Get Old, Channel 4 aims to give the ultimate consumer guide to the anti-ageing industry. Each episode is set to investigate how we age, and why and what we can do to keep looking younger for longer. Looking at all of the options – from the natural and inexpensive quick fixes, to the pricier high street options and all the way up to break-the-bank surgery, How Not to Get Old offers a guide through the maze of youth-boosting techniques and procedures. This first episode explores aging tummies and wrinkly eyes as two people with specific worries have surgery in an attempt to turn back the clock. Exploring the non-surgical route, Anna Richardson road-tests one of the latest fat reducing treatments to try and get her 20 year old’s thighs back. Meanwhile, Louise Redknapp learns how to strip away the ...

France’s version of Survivor , Koh-Lanta , will return in 2014 after a contestant died and production on its 16th season was cancelled. The return will be an all-star season.Masterchef finalist Josh Marks is being evaluated by doctors after a violent arrest, during which he said Gordon Ramsay possessed him and turned him into God. His lawyer told TMZ that “We are working closely with medical professionals to determine if Josh’s behavior could be related to mental health symptoms.” The Taste judge Nigella Lawson was granted a divorce less than two months after her husband was photographed grabbing her neck.CNBC announced a new show called Money Talks and it turns out its star Steve Stevens is a convicted con artist.Showtime will air a series following people who are dying. Time of Death is produced by Magical Elves’ Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz, and in the press release, Lipsitz says, “Producing Time of Death has been one of the most intense and thought- provoking experiences of ou...

« Tameka Foster Files For Emergency Custody Following Usher Raymond V’s Near Drowning | Home August 07, 2013 09:36 AM by Stephanie Gustafson In his years as the host of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, Chris Harrison has witnessed quite a bit of drama. After all, it comes with the territory. But even Chris was taken aback by how things unfolded this season — particularly the relationship between Desiree and Brooks.  Critics like to think of shows such as The Bachelorette as completely scripted, scoffing at their ‘reality’ designation. But according to Chris Harrison, the producers were every bit as clueless about the direction things would take as the white-knuckled audience members praying for Desiree’s happy ending. In a blog post for Entertainment Weekly, Chris explains that, following Brooks’ departure, those working behind the scenes had absolutely no idea as to whether there would even be a true finale. Some thought that Desiree might just call it quits. Chris adds that, a...

Home > Soaps > Hollyoaks Spoilers: Anna Passey says framing Nancy for child abduction is Sienna’s worst scheme yet! August 7th, 2013 by Anna Howell. With scheming Sienna Blake’s campaign to steal Nancy Osborne’s life about to take a very drastic turn, even Anna Passey who plays her has to admit that this time she has gone too far! Fans of the award-winning Channel 4 soap will know how Sienna (Anna Passey) has been trying to take Nancy’s (Jessica Fox) place in the Osborne family for weeks now. Having already managed to convince everyone (including Nancy) that the new mum is a painkiller addict and unfit mother, as well as seducing her husband, Sienna’s plan gets much darker as the storyline evolves. As we have previously reported Sienna is set to up the stakes when she tells Nancy that she is pregnant with Darren’s baby and that she should leave the village for good with her son Oscar to avoid Darren from taking her to court over custody. Nancy takes the baby, and her nephew C...

« The Bachelorette’s Desiree Hartsock And Chris Siegfried Talk Wedding Plans | Home | Miley Cyrus’ Tattoo: Her Third From Kat Von D! » August 06, 2013 11:51 AM by Stephanie Gustafson After all of last week’s drama on The Bachelorette, we were wondering if there would be ever be a happy ending for Desiree Hartsock. Fortunately, following the epic breakup with Brooks, all balance was restored, with Desiree confessing her love for Chris. Catherine Giudici is overjoyed that everything worked out — she made sure to let Desiree know via Twitter. On the last season of The Bachelor, Desiree Hartsock wound up being given the pass, with Sean ultimately giving that final rose to the lovely Catherine Giudici. But although Des had technically been Catherine’s competition, the lucky victor showed no ill will towards the new Bachelorette. Instead, she made a point of wishing Des the best every chance she got. And when Desiree found herself faced with heartbreak during last week’s episode, Catheri...

Home > Factual > 24 Hours in A&E: Graham and Pat are among the patients who are brought into King’s in another emotional instalment of the hospital documentary August 7th, 2013 by Matt D. Channel 4 's hospital documentary continues with a moving instalment that looks at the start and end of life as well as the joys and fears of living alone. Graham is brought into King’s after being stabbed in the neck with a pair of scissors by a stranger on his doorstep. 75 year old Graham is also vulnerable as he suffers from schizophrenia. Graham needs a CT scan to reveal the extent of his wound, but even though he may recover physically, the circumstances in which he lives continue to cause him concern. Former nursery nurse Pat arrives at King’s having been found at the bottom of her stairs with no recollection of how she got there. 89 year old Pat isn’t alone in life thanks to neighbour and close friend Angie who accompanies Pat in the ambulance. Pat is a strong, independent char...

« Usher’s Son Usher Raymond V Nearly Dies In Pool Accident | Home | Tameka Foster Files For Emergency Custody Following Usher Raymond V’s Near Drowning » August 07, 2013 07:28 AM by Lisa Princ The Bachelorette finale came to a conclusion this week as Desiree Hartsock got her fairy tale ending with Chris Siegfried, but it didn’t come without some heartbreak. After shocking Desiree and walking out on her, even though she had fallen in love with him, Brooks Forester insists that he made the right decision! Desiree Hartsock was left blindsided and heartbroken when Brooks Forester walked out on her, despite the fact that she admitted she had fallen in love with him. When fans tuned into the second part of the season finale, they were expecting to see Brooks return, realizing that he made a huge mistake, but it did not happen. As it turns out, Brooks had a very good reason for not returning – those feelings he was questioning were not there, even after leaving Desiree! Forester spoke to Pe...

Home > Drama > Emmerdale Spoilers: Amy Wyatt sees her son Kyle at his adoptive parents’ funeral! Will she want him back? (VIDEO) August 7th, 2013 by Lynn Connolly. In next week’s episodes of Emmerdale , Amy Wyatt (Chelsea Halfpenny) is set to be thrown into emotional turmoil after learning that her son Kyle’s adoptive parents have died… And in a probably unwise move, Amy’s set to go to their funeral, where she’ll see her little boy again for the first time since she gave him up for adoption. The drama begins on Monday, August 12 when Val (Charlie Hardwick) and Eric (Chris Chittell) attempt to get Amy to open up about her feelings over the Kyle situation, but she’s evasive. Later, she heads out to meet Victoria (Isabel Hodgins) to whom she explains that she’s going to attempt to see Kyle at the funeral today. Victoria thinks she’s mad, but agrees to go with her, for which Amy is grateful. At the funeral, Victoria gets carried away telling people her pretend story of how she kne...

Home > Drama > Downton Abbey Series 4: Michelle Dockery says Matthew Crawley’s exit had to be brutal and writers knew Dan Stevens was leaving BEFORE the third series! August 7th, 2013 by Anna Howell. In the run up to the new series of Downton Abbey , one of its main stars, Michelle Dockery, has been discussing the exit of her on-screen husband, as well as revealing some gossip from series 4. Dockery’s character, Lady Mary Crawley, was left widowed during last year’s Christmas Day episode of the award-winning ITV period drama, when her on-screen husband, Matthew ( Dan Stevens ) was killed in a car accident moments after meeting their first born son and heir. The tragedy left a bitter taste in the mouths of fans who had only just come to terms with the death of Mary’s sister, Sybil (Jessica Findlay-Brown) a few weeks before, again, just after meeting her first born child. Writers and producers insisted that the decision to kill off Matthew was out of their hands due to the natu...

« Catherine Giudici Congratulates Bachelorette Desiree Hartsock On Finding ‘The One’ | Home | Kim Kardashian’s Rumored New Gig: Children’s Clothing Designer » August 06, 2013 01:36 PM by Stephanie Gustafson In her bid to shed that persistent Hannah Montana image, Miley Cyrus has done everything from cutting her hair to starring in a controversial music video. And of course, she’s now a big fan of getting inked. The American Idol guest was recently seen emerging from Kat Von D’s famous parlor with yet another tattoo. This is certainly not the first time Miley Cyrus has sought Kat Von D’s inking expertise. The celeb visited twice in the past and clearly was satisfied both times. Her first Kat Von D tattoo was completed this past January and featured two crossed elbows on her right elbow. And then, just two months later, Miley returned to have a small da Vinci heart tattooed on her forearm. Miley has also been inked by several other artists, amassing what sources believe are nearly twen...

« Miley Cyrus’ Tattoo: Her Third From Kat Von D! | Home August 06, 2013 02:36 PM by Stephanie Gustafson She’s become the star of both a sex tape and the reality show Keeping Up With The Kardashians. And now she’s a happy mother. But could Kim Kardashian have a future in children’s apparel? According to the latest rumors, the answer is yes! Would you dress your child in an outfit designed by Kim Kardashian? Apparently, a whole lot of parents would, for that’s exactly the reasoning behind rumors suggesting that the reality star is positioning herself for another big entrance into the design industry. Close friend and fellow designer Lloyd Klein says that a new Kardashian line focused on children’s apparel could be a reality in the near future, explaining, “I am sure she is going to come up with a line for babies. It’s very cute to design for babies.” Lloyd adds that Kim’s baby North West would serve as “a great poster child” for the budding children’s designer. She’s already done her p...

The ABC series Shark Tank has been awarded the Television Critics Association’s third award for outstanding achievement in reality television. The Ken Burns documentary Central Park Five won for outstanding achievement in news and information. There were also 10 other winners in various categories. Five of six sharks—Daymond John, Kevin O’Leary, Lori Grenier, Barbara Corcoran, and Robert Herjavec—accepted the award on stage along with executive producers Mark Burnett and Clay Newbill. Burns accepted via a tape, because he was celebrating his 60th birthday. Burnett spoke while accepting the award, noting that three of his broadcast network shows were on the list of five nominees; he also pointed out that three critics had congratulated him on his show The Amazing Race (he does not produce it). Burnett also gave credit to Newbill, Shark Tank ’s showrunner, and credited his teams with doing day-to-day work on the series he gets credit for. Also nominated this year by the TCA, of which...

« Kim Kardashian Cashes In On Baby North, Sells Photos To Magazine | Home | The Bachelorette’s Brooks Forester Admits He Made The Right Decision By Walking Away » August 07, 2013 06:33 AM by Stephanie Gustafson The Voice judge Usher nearly faced a parent’s worst nightmare the other day, when his beloved son Usher Raymond V found himself in a close brush with death at a pool in Atlanta. What happened? We all know that, as fun as they are, pools can be incredibly dangerous for children who are not closely supervised. But sometimes, it takes a tragic reminder highlighted in the media to remind us to keep an eye on our kids. Fortunately, Usher Raymond V’s pool accident did not turn him into a statistic. The five-year-old son of Usher fell to the bottom of an Atlanta pool and found himself stuck in the drain. A housekeeper was unable to pull Usher Raymond V from the drain on her own, but eventually, with the help of two contractors, he was able to get free. By the time little Usher had be...

Fox reality superstar Gordon Ramsay earned the network more than $185 million in the past year from advertising alone, according to estimates. And that does not include product placement or integration. Adweek reports that “Ramsay is an ATM” for Fox, and “helped generate approximately $157.6 million in ad sales revenue for Fox” last year; add “$29.2 million in advance commitments that Fox is likely to have secured for a 13-episode run of MasterChef Junior and Ramsay has delivered north of $185 million in sales for Fox since August 2012.” The story notes that MasterChef outperforms Big Brother among viewers 18 to 49 and is “trailing NBC’s America’s Got Talent by four-tenths of a ratings point.” Ramsay appeared in front of TV critics last Thursday to promote MasterChef Junior , which features young chefs—and a lot of safety safety precautions, including a paramedic at every single station. The preview, below, makes it look like it could be a fun twist on the format, in no small part b...

Home > Drama > EastEnders Spoilers: Are Alice Branning and Tamwar Masood about to become an item?! (VIDEO) August 7th, 2013 by Lynn Connolly. Walford singletons Alice Branning (Jasmyn Banks) and Tamwar Masood (Himesh Patel) look set to embark on a romance in upcoming episodes… And it all begins when Alice takes pity on Tamwar when it appears that stallholders Kat Moon ( Jessie Wallace ) and Bianca Butcher ( Patsy Palmer ) have played a cruel trick on the poor lad. As we’ll see in the episode that airs on Tuesday, August 13, a temporary portaloo has been placed in the market for the stallholders to use, however, it soon becomes a grim place, and to prove how nasty it is, Kat forces Tamwar to go inside. While he’s in there, Winston (Ulric Browne) locks him in. Later, Alice hears that Tamwar’s trapped and with the help of a now repentant Bianca, they open the door and a traumatized Tam stumbles out, making Bianca feel more guilty than ever. On Thursday, Alice finds Tamwar hiding...

As usual, 11 Points, by my friend Sam Greenspan, is spot-on in its observations, this time with a fantastic list of the 11 Most Tired Cliches About the State of Television. The cliches he identifies are obnoxious and need to go away; I’m especially tired of people complaining that certain networks are no longer true to their names. But I strongly object to the seventh point—or at least, the phrasing of its explanation. Sam writes: “Reality TV feels too scripted.” That’s because it IS scripted. For some shows, there’s just a rough outline with producers pulling the strings to create a story. For some shows, there’s an actual script with dialogue. But it’s all scripted, one way or another. I’m always surprised when people don’t know this. It’s like the Santa Claus or Tooth Fairy of television.” I wish that item had said something like “All reality TV is low-brow trashy crap,” because that is an inaccurate cliche. However, saying “it’s all scripted” is simply not true. What is true is th...

« Kim Kardashian’s Rumored New Gig: Children’s Clothing Designer | Home | Usher’s Son Usher Raymond V Nearly Dies In Pool Accident » August 07, 2013 05:57 AM by Lisa Princ Kim Kardashian is known to cash in any way she possibly can, so why on earth would we expect any different after giving birth to her daughter? Oh wait, we didn’t! In true Kardashian fashion, rumor now has it that the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star has sold some of baby North’s photos, and we will get our first glimpse of the newest addition to the Kardashian clan very soon! We can’t say that we didn’t see this coming. Instead of giving the public a free glimpse of baby North, as well as herself, leave it to Kim Kardashian and Kris Jenner to cash in on baby North. According to one pal of the family, Kim has sold some of North’s photos to an unidentified magazine. “They have worked out a deal with a magazine but no one knows what magazine or exactly when. Only Kim, Kanye and Kris know the details. The magazine ...

« Teresa Giudice’s Best Bud Remains Faithful | Home | The Bachelorette’s Desiree Hartsock And Chris Siegfried Talk Wedding Plans » August 06, 2013 08:39 AM by Lisa Princ It has been close to two months since Kim Kardashian gave birth to her daughter, North West, and fans have been waiting to get a glimpse at the baby and new momma, but have not had such luck. While the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star recently spoke out, rumor has it that she is still struggling with losing her baby weight, which could be why we haven’t seen her! It’s no secret that Kim Kardashian gained a ton of weight with her pregnancy. It was obvious just by looking at her, despite the fact that she denied gaining more than the normal pregnant woman. While she may be determined to get back to her original shape, rumor has it that Kardashian is really struggling to get the last of the baby weight off, which is likely why we haven’t seen her. Back in July, an insider told Hollywood Life that Kim Kardashian was...

Home > Drama > Sherlock Series 3: Benedict Cumberbatch teases fans “You’re in for a treat this series” and signs up to play a penguin? August 7th, 2013 by Anna Howell. With the entire nation chomping at the bit waiting for the new series of Sherlock to return, its main star, Benedict Cumberbatch has revealed that we are in for a treat when it finally does. Filming for the third series of the hit BBC detective series is currently under way having taken a brief break between the first two episodes and the finale, and as info starts dripping through we are more excited than ever to see what is in store. So far we have been teased endlessly with Sherlock style riddles presented to us to work out the names of the episodes in the series, and by Cumberbatch who pretended to tell us how his character had faked his own death in a distorted video shown at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con , before finally a trailer was released at the end of the series 2 finale repeat, showing Sherlock’...

Jen Bresnan, who’s been CBS’ executive in charge of its reality programming since 2008, is leaving her job. The news comes on Fox reality executive Mike Darnell’s official last day at that network. The Hollywood Reporter says Bresnan will “step down from her day-to-day role in the department at the summer’s end, but will continue to consult on CBS’ unscripted series.” She’ll move back to New York, where her family lives. Deadline says her replacement will be Chris Castallo, who’s been Bresnan’s number-two. She took over alternative programming at CBS a few months before production on Survivor Tocantins , and she was on location while I was there. Previously, Bresnan had a similar job at The CW, and before that, worked as a producer on shows including The Apprentice: Martha Stewart , The Swan , and the awesome Paradise Hotel . In a statement, Bresnan said, “I am so grateful to Leslie Moonves and Nina Tassler for bringing me into the CBS family and for their remarkable support. It has b...

ABC’s Whodunnit is far from perfect. It is, after all, a series whose name makes no sense because who committed the fake murders does not matter. But the last three minutes of this week’s episode perfectly illustrate why it’s so watchable and fun, and I don’t just mean the call-back to Clue. As you can see, there’s strong production design and editing. While the cast members’ isolation has drawn them into the game’s reality, the show obviously requires some suspension of disbelief from them and us. For example, it’s clear there was a hard cut in filming here that made the murder very different in real life than it seems in the broadcast version, which to me is roughly equivalent to the Survivor cast walking toward the jungle with their torches and then getting in vans and being driven to Tribal Council. However, that doesn’t interrupt the entertainment. And the game play that occurs within the world the producers have created is increasingly smart; this week’s riddle challenge was t...

Home > Drama > Doctor Who: Peter Capaldi is such a fan of show he campaigned to run fan club when he was younger! August 7th, 2013 by Anna Howell. It has been revealed that Peter Capaldi is such a fan of Doctor Who that he campaigned to run the official fan club when he was a teenager! According to Keith Miller, who took over the club in January 1971, Capaldi, who was announced on Sunday as Matt Smith ’s replacement on the hit BBC family sci-fi show, was so keen to be part of the show that he has even been quoted in his 2012 book depicting Miller’s time running the club. In the book, The Official Doctor Who Fan Club: Volume One, Capaldi, who was 14 at the time of his campaign, is mentioned by Miller in the following quotes: “[Capaldi] haunted my time running the fan club, as he was quite indignant he wasn’t considered for the post,” Capaldi was also mentioned in other quotes released from Starburst magazine: “I was given the fan club to take the strain of dealing with the adve...

Despite outrage over its fake Megalodon documentary that kicked off Shark Week, the Discovery Channel is defending its decision to betray its viewers trust in the network by acting as if science doesn’t really matter. Michael Sorensen, Discovery’s senior director of development and the executive producer of Shark Week, said in an unbelievable statement: “With a whole week of Shark Week programming ahead of us, we wanted to explore the possibilities of Megalodon. It’s one of the most debated shark discussions of all time, can Megalodon exist today? It’s Ultimate Shark Week fantasy. The stories have been out there for years and with 95 percent of the ocean unexplored, who really knows?” Um, scientists really know, Michael. THE SHARK IS EXTINCT. It’s a prehistoric shark. This is called science. And your defense makes no sense: Why not just apologize, recut the special to frame it as fiction, and move on? Also, let’s be clear: the special didn’t “explore the possibilities of Megalodon.” T...

« The Bachelorette’s Brooks Forester Admits He Made The Right Decision By Walking Away | Home August 07, 2013 08:00 AM by Stephanie Gustafson Yesterday, The Voice judge Usher nearly lost his son Usher Raymond V in a terrifying pool accident. While we’re glad to say that the five-year-old boy is safe, this near tragedy could result in the singer losing custody of his child. Usher produces hit after hit and has proven a particularly effective judge and mentor on The Voice, but according to ex-wife Tameka Foster, the singer’s talents don’t extend to fatherhood. He certainly was not on the scene when his son Usher Raymond V found himself caught in a pool drain. Instead, the celeb had left little Usher’s aunt in charge. Fortunately, although the relative and an assisting housekeeper were unable to free the boy from the pool drain in which he was caught, two contractors quickly arrived on the scene to lend their assistance. It is likely their efforts that kept this from turning into the u...

Former Bravo star Bethenny Frankel is usually very open with her life, now including about how she views the network that made her truly famous (as a publicity tool) and the show that brought her to the public’s attention (a job interview for a job she truly wanted). Speaking to reporters to promote her upcoming daytime talk show, Bethenny referred to to the time between the test run of her talk show last summer and the full-scale launch this year, and said, “I knew I’d be off the air for a year, and I was thinking, oh, I’m going to just fade into obscurity. So how am I staying on TV? Because I was going to do something with Bravo just to kind of stay relevant.” It’s not clear what she would have done, but it’s interesting to hear her so directly acknowledge what was increasingly clear on her show, which was that it was a promotional vehicle. Perhaps more surprisingly, Bethenny talks about being a finalist on The Apprentice: Martha Stewart , and said, “I really did want that job. That...

Home > Entertainment > You Saw Them Here First: Jessie J, Janet Street-Porter and Chris Tarrant feature in this concluding instalment which shows clips of stars before they hit the big time August 7th, 2013 by Matt D. This week’s trawl through the archives focuses on pop stars as we see a young Jessica Cornish, better known as Jessie J trying to prove she’s one of Britain’s Brilliant prodigies. Other early appearances from pop performers include Emile Sande’s appearance on Trevor Nelson’s Lowdown and Claire from steps performing in a backing group for Mr Motivator. Game shows also feature prominently here with appearances from Simon Cowell on Sale of the Century, Amanda Holden on Blind Date, Olly Murs on Deal or No Deal and Paddy McGuiness on God’s Gift. The video booth makes a return this episode as Janet Street-Porter is presented with clips she’ll never forget from being hoisted in the air by Arnold Schwarzeneger to testing gadgets for picking up dog foul. Meanwhile, Chris ...

« Kim Kardashian Struggling To Lose Baby Weight | Home | Catherine Giudici Congratulates Bachelorette Desiree Hartsock On Finding ‘The One’ » August 06, 2013 11:08 AM by Lisa Princ Last night on The Bachelorette , we watched as Desiree Hartsock got her happy ending when Chris Siegfried popped the question, even after hearing the truth about Brooks. Today, the happy couple are already talking about wedding plans! Desiree Hartsock may have been blindsided by Brooks on the start of The Bachelorette finale, but that did not stop her from finding true love with Chris Siegfried. The happily engaged couple made a visit to Live with Kelly and Michael this morning, where they were already gushing about planning their wedding! So, what do Desiree and Chris have in mind? “We would like to get married in the summer – next summer,” Hartsock revealed, adding they aren’t so sure that they would like a televised wedding. Instead, she explained: “We want to keep it intimate.” OO.ready(function() { O...

MTV has announced three new series, including two cooking competition shows and one show about virgins, and we’re not talking about olive oil—unless, I suppose, they’re into that. Even though cooking competitions are reaching the point of being overdone, one of these seems to present an interesting new twist. Here are the three new shows’ descriptions from MTV, and some thoughts based on nothing more than those: Untitled Virgins Project: “This series follows the lives of young adults trying to maneuver the often tricky world of virginity which includes messy love lives, awkward parental sex talks, sexually active friends, and the pressure to give in to their temptations — all of which can make for a very tumultuous journey. Throughout each episode of this hour-long weekly show, MTV will explore the stories of different v-card-carrying cast members across the country, all dealing with the overwhelming question of keeping their virginity … or losing it. The series will be supported with...

Home > Drama > Coronation Street Spoilers: David Platt’s riddled with guilt as his family rallies round him and comatose Nick Tilsley! (VIDEO) August 7th, 2013 by Lynn Connolly. As we saw last week, David Platt (Jack P Shepherd) caused his brother Nick Tilsley (Ben Price) to be horribly injured in a car crash, and as we’ll see next week, Nick still isn’t out of his coma, and things aren’t looking good… So David, riddled with guilt, will step up – in his family’s eyes – and not only does he spend every spare moment at Nick’s bedside, he’s also a tremendous help to Nick’s wife Leanne (Jane Danson) in running the Bistro. But will he confess what he’s done? Well, we’ll have to wait and see, but on Monday, August 12, we’ll see the Platt family is keeping a vigil at Nick’s bedside David struggles to hold it together. When the consultant then tells the family that Nick may never wake from his coma, and even if he does, he could have permanent brain damage, it looks like David might...

America’s Next Top Model judge and producer Tyra Banks was so excited to talk about the new season of her show that she allowed me to ask her a whole two questions last night. I approached her at the press tour party for CBS, The CW, and Showtime—an event that literally exists only for journalists and critics to interact with talent and producers, though there are food and drinks to lure stars and journalists alike—during a stretch when no one else was around her except her entourage. I asked if I could talk with her about the new season of her show. Tyra made a face that suggested I’d asked if I could model for her, and then barfed on her dress. She said she needed to ask her publicist first. The entourage coaxed that woman over to us, and she looked at me accusatorially and said, “Where are you from?” examining my name tag as if she was a TSA agent looking at ID. Then she declared: “Two questions.” I said, “Just two?” Thankfully, to my great relief, that didn’t count as a question....

Top Shot is in the middle of its fifth season, which is also its first all-star season. It has become the first reality competition to become an entirely skill-based competition, and it’s as strong and entertaining as ever. I talked separately with its bad-ass host, Colby Donaldson, who became a producer during season four, and its executive producer, Craig Piligian, whose company Pilgrim Studios has been responsible for some outstanding competition TV recently. Both discussed the changes to the format and talked about the show’s future, among other things. Changing to a skill-based competition. “That’s what I’m most proud of: the show continues to evolve thanks to the fans,” Colby said. “It really was us responding to the fans, and listening to what people were drawn to.” He noted that even “drama in the house doesn’t play well; it literally has the opposite effect on Top Shot than it does on other shows.” (Colby added that there was better footage “than we ever had in the house”; i...

Home > American TV Shows > Dexter showrunner Scott Buck signs new deal with Showtime, fuels rumours of Dexter spin-off July 31st, 2013 by Nick Barnes. Dexter showrunner, Scott Buck has just signed a new two-year deal with Showtime in which he will work on a “number of new projects”. The news was announced by Showtime’s Entertainment president David Nevins at yesterday’s Television Critics Association press tour panel. He said: “For the last seven seasons, Scott has helped shepherd Dexter, the most valuable and lucrative franchise we have ever had. We really wanted to remain in business with Scott, and we are looking forward to getting to work with him on a number of new projects. I’m incredibly excited to see what he has up his sleeve”. On the note of Dexter being one of the most “valuable and lucrative franchise” deals the network has ever had, it doesn’t look like they’re letting the show end that easily. Over the last year or so there has been a lot of speculation about a...