Reality Ravings

Since it is the end of the year I thought it was time to give my totally biased reality TV awards.

Best Australian TV Show

Winner: Project Runway Australia - It was the best Australian re-creation of a US show I have seen. The contestants were both talented and entertaining. The host, judges and the mentor were just as good as their US counterparts.

Unfortunately people who don't have Pay TV were unable to see it, therefore the ratings of this show were not what they should have been.

Equal Runner Up: So You Think You Can Dance Australia and Australian Idol

SYTYCD Au just missed out on taking my winner prize because of a few teething problems at the start of the series.

It took a few weeks for this show to hit its straps, with a very nervous host Natalie Bassingthwaite, some dodgy choreography, and the judges not gelling, in particular Bonnie Lythgoe. These glitches should be ironed out in Season 2 and I expect it to be an absolute cracker of a show.

Well Australian Idol is almost compulsory viewing, and this year there was some great talent particularly the winner Wes Carr. The mentors we had like Chris Isaak, and Cyndi Lauper were much better then the geriatric mentors they had on the American show (think Neil Diamond, and Andrew Lloyd Webber).

The only criticism were the judges I think they may need to mix it up a bit in 2009. Dare I say it Kyle Sandilands was easily the most entertaining. With Dicko and Marcia both sleep inducing.

Honourable mention - Farmer Wants A Wife, Australia's Next Top Model, and The Chopping Block.

Worst Australian Reality TV Series

Winner: My Kid Is A Star - This channel 9 production was abysmal. In fact it was so bad it was almost in the it is so bad it is good category. The production values were cheap and shonky. The talent of the judges and kids were non-existent. It ended being shown in the humiliating time slot of 12.00pm on Saturdays. Previous post here on why it was so bad.

Runner Up: Big Brother - Even with the new hosts of Kyle Sandilands, and Jackie O did not help this show. The show had gotten so far away from the original premise of watching strangers live in house together that it was now unwatchable. There were to many FHM wannabees, and really stupid people. Also too much producer interference with games, and twists and turns for me took the entertainment value out of it.

Thankfully it won't be on our screens next year.

Honourable mentions: Dancing With The Stars, and It Takes Two.

Best Overseas Reality TV Program

Winners: The Amazing Race - Season 13, Survivor Fans V Favourites, So You Think You Can Dance, and Project Runway Season 4.

I am not being very discriminating. However The Amazing Race is one of my favourite shows, and going through the Ukraine and Russia was entertaining. Also watching the Superbad team get through each week even though they were hopeless was amazing.

Survivor Fans V Favourites was Survivor back to its best. There were blindsides, changing alliances, multiple sagas over the immunity idol, and even a romance. I don't know why Channel 9 buried this in a 10.30 timeslot.

So You Think You Can Dance continues to entertain with great dances, even better choreography, and judges who know how to entertain on a reality TV show.

Project Runway Season 4 - This was the first season I had really watched the show, and it was fabulously entertaining particularly with the winner Christian Siriano, and Chris March.

Runner Up: Any Bravo TV program particularly, Top Chef, Top Design, The Rachel Zoe Project and The Real Housewives of New York City.

Honourable mentions: American Idol, Ladette to Lady, and America's Next Top Model three zillion cycles.

Worst Overseas Reality TV Program

The Celebrity Apprentice - the celebrity's are not celebrities and the format is tired.

Best Australian Reality TV Host

Kristy Hinze - Project Runway Australia. From the first episode she looked confident and comfortable on camera.

Worst Australian Reality TV Host

Jodhi Meares - Australia's Next Top Model. A clear winner as she did not turn up to her own show's live finale. Also could not ad lib at all. The judges out shone her.

Best Overseas Reality TV Host

Ryan Seacrest - American Idol. I was going to say Jeff Probst, Phil Keoghan or Tom Colluchio from Top Chef as they are the ones I really like. However Ryan this year with his witty adlibs really deserves the title as he has the much more difficult job. In fact I really liked him this year and he gave me some real laugh out loud moments.

Honourable Mention: Cat Deeley and Padma Lakshmi

Worst Overseas Reality TV Host

Winner: Elizabeth Berkley Step It Up And Dance. This show is only just screening in Australia, but this botoxed blonde was unable to invoke either warmth or wit.

Runner Up: Donald Trump who has really become a parody of himself.

Best Reality TV Villian

Winners - Kenley Collins - Project Runway 5, who managed to get everyones back up with her total self confidence and abrasive manner; and Jade Cole the egomanical model from America's Next Top Model Cycle 6.

Runner Up - Demelza Reveley eventual winner of Australia's Next Top Model. Demelza was caught out bullying another contestant Alamela. The producers managed to beat it up to ensure high ratings for this Foxtel 8 show.

Best "Oh My God What Is Happening Here Moment"

Winner: Paula Abdul judging a song that had yet to be sung. Theories that Paula Abdul was given scripts to read on Amercian Idol buzzed around the internet for months. If you need a recap on what happened go here.

Runner Up: Watching the live Australia's Next Top Model finale and realising Jodhi Meares was not there.

Best quote from a Reality TV show

Hands down winner to Andrew from Top Chef Chicago "I have got a culinary boner." Bravo have even made t-shirts with it on it.

Runner Up also goes to Andrew when taking about Spike said "I'm not gay but I would let him bang me."



What do you think were the Reality TV highlights in 2008?

Jarrett Wiesalman wrote an article here in the New York Post on what he thinks is the Top Ten reality TV seasons ever. It is totally US based and he mentions shows like Sorority Life - Season 1 that I have never heard of.

He thinks the best America's Next Top Model Cycle 6 is the best due the wonderful egomanical Jade. That I would have to agree with.

To Australise the list I would add the following:

Australian Idol Season 5 - This season had Bobby Flynn, Dean Geyer, Lisa Mitchell, Jessica Mauboy and Damien Leith.

Big Brother Season 1 - this first season was the best as an audience we didn't know what to expect, and the entertainment was the social experiment of a group of people who did not know each other. So no producer interference except for copious amounts of alcohol and who could forget Sara-Marie's bum dance.

Project Runway Australia Season 1 - This is one series that gives the US version a run for its money. Great judges, great personalities who had talent as well, bring on Season 2.

Farmer Wants a Wife Season 2 - Lots of hook ups, plus a nutter called James.

And last the reality TV show that started it all Sylvania Waters.

Which show's season's are your favourites.

Jack Marx, a blogger for news.com.au, who clearly has to much time on his hands has come with a list of ideas for new reality TV shows.

Some are very amusing I particularly like Imogen My Embarrassment! - pinup girl Imogen Bailey entraps unsuspecting gentlemen with one humiliating prank after another, Almost June Amorosi – singer Vanessa Amorosi has until the end of May to orchestrate an affair between herself and the Deputy Prime Minister; and Boy In The Plastic Bublé – much-troubled 80s pop star George O’Dowd spends some quiet time inside an inflatable effigy of popular jazz singer, Michael Bublé.

Full list here.

Foxtel have released their upcoming shows for next year there are some of the usual suspects like Australia's Next Top Model, and Project Runway Australia. But there are also some new ones.

Three new Australian productions are The Phone, Shear Genius, and The Contender.

The Phone show's premise is in each episode two cell phones will be hidden in one city at random places. When the phones start ringing, members of the public are sure to find the phones and answer the calls, and from that moment on become participants in the game! With major cash prizes up for grabs these two strangers have the chance of winning if they decide to collaborate, and successfully accomplish the given missions. Hosted by Justin Melvey.

Do you really think random people will pick them up or they will know where they are? Like you will answer a phone and then decide to continue with the game when you were on your way to an important meeting. Anyway sounds interesting.

Shear Genius will be based on the fabulous US version where hairdresser compete to take out the title of shear genius. A hairdresser is eliminated each week.

The Contender is a reality TV show based on boxing. The US version was very popular.

Australia's Next Top Model will commence in early 2009, with new host Sarah Murdoch. The second series of Project Runway Australia will be shown mid-year, and Football Superstar will get a second season. Brian McFadden will host the show again.

The good thing about Foxtel is that the shows keep being shown over the non-ratings period.

American Idol will be fasttracked from the US starting in early January. A new dance show called Step It Up And Dance premieres December 7, Sundays at 7.30pm on Arena
Contestants learn what it takes to make it big in the cut-throat dance industry. Celebrated actress and dancer Elizabeth Berkley hosts and Emmy Award nominee and Tony Award-winning director and choreographer Jerry Mitchell will mentor the 12 dancers, as they master every conceivable dance style, from ballet and ballroom to Broadway and burlesque. First prize is $US100,000.

Another new one is Instant Beauty Pageant which premieres December 9, Tuesdays at 9.30pm on Arena.

This show challenges ordinary women to shop till they drop, strut their stuff and compete for their very own title and tiara! What starts as an ordinary day at the mall turns into high-tension TV when five very special shoppers are ambushed and invited to participate in a real live beauty pageant. They have three hours to get ready beauty pageant.

Ok this one could be ordinary, but of course I will watch it.

In January Top Chef: New York will commence. It starts tonight in the US. Tim Gunn's Guide to Style is back as is Top Design Season 2. India Hicks will be the new host of this series of Top Design with Todd Oldham becoming a mentor.

Of course Tyra will be back with America's Next Top Model Cycle 12 on Fox 8.

Another new show called Vanity Lair premieres January 6, Tuesdays at 8.30pm on Arena
Over the course of a summer, ten beautiful people will move into the impressive Vanity Lair mansion. There they will live together, enjoying all the trappings of a luxurious lifestyle. Each week, new people arrive in an attempt to make it into the house. The new arrival, who convinces the residents that they are the most attractive, gets to move in. The repercussion is that in turn, the new arrival kicks out the resident they feel is least attractive. At the end of the series, the most attractive person will win a £10,000 prize.

Sounds bizarre. All that for the equivalent of $30,000 Aus dollars? I imagine in this show your self esteem could get quite a battering.

Finally not reality TV related but allow me one indulgence, Gossip Girl the second series starts on December 9 on Fox 8. This make 90210 look like amateur hour.

So you've filled out the applications, gone through the interviews and psych tests and you are now a contestant on your favourite reality TV show. What can you do to ensure you stay on as long as possible.

Slate has a great article titled "How not to be the first person kicked off a reality TV show." (Beware there is a very small Project Runway spoiler in it).

Basically it comes down to charisma, personality or frictions between contestants. If you are dull and try to hide in a corner you will not survive. Also it it reiterates the control the producers have on certain programs. This might explain how Nekisa is still in Shear Genius Season 2 when she should have been eliminated weeks ago. She is great TV with her self delusion she is a great hair dresser and the fighting between her and Charlie.

If you still need more help after that you can go to Reality TV school in New York. Troy Patterson here describes his day at reality TV school.

An interesting article in The Guide, which states that the judges are the real stars of reality TV shows not the contestants. There is validity in this opinion.

The article has the judges from the major Australian reality TV shows discussing what they think the winning formula for a show is. Considering some judges currently have their heads on the chopping block think Dicko and Marcia if the ratings do not improve for Australian Idol this year getting the formula right is crucial.

Paul Mercurio from Dancing With The Stars is one judge who will be reflective when he reads this article, as he has been dumped from the show. Not that it will be any loss he and Mark basically blended into each other. However lets hope they don't replace him as three judges is enough the show drags on far too long.

Article from The Guide here.

At the Logies tonight So You Think You Can Dance Top 10 opened the show with a Jason Gilkison routine. It was good, and Kate really looked and dance fabulously well. Jack still looked like he was struggling with the lifts!

First award for the night was for Best Reality TV Show and the nominees were......
Australian Idol
Big Brother
Dancing With The Stars
It Takes Two
The Biggest Loser

And the winner was Dancing With The Stars. This was very bad news as this will only encourage Channel 7 to continue showing this very dull show.

TV executives have been in Cannes on a buying trip at the annual MIPTV program sales market in Cannes, France. Why are these events never in unglamourous places like Liverpool or Blackpool?

The Guide in the SMH said that both Channel seven and ten were both interested in Britain's Make Me A Supermodel. Apparently the format is similar to Project Runway and his hosted by Rachel Hunter. The article doesn't say whether they want to buy the program or the format to make a local version.

The other reality show I'll Do Anything is being examined by Channel 9 and Foxtel. This is a musical theatre talent show that follows the search of two actors to play Oliver and Nancy in Oliver.

The issue for this show is finding someone local to back the theatre production. Kookaburra productions, or maybe Richard Pratt if a small part could be found for him.

While the TV channel work out those deals one show that is going to be made locally is The Contender. This series will search for a boxing champion and climax in a super middleweight clash between the winner and Anthony Mundine. This show will be on Foxtel.

Bets will be taken now to see how many former footballers will turn up on the show.

Channel Seven is also trying to improve (I use the word ironically) its reality tv content by casting for a new series of Temptation Island.

This show tests the fidelity of couples by sending them sexy singles to tempt them. Apparently whether the show will go ahead will depend on the quality of the couples and the singles cast to test their relationships. Interested go to www.acastofthousands.com.au and apply by April 27.

here is an interesting article from Smartmoney.com called 10 things reality tv won't tell you.



This is probably similar to how they do things in Australia.