Category: Reality TV (Page 58 of 118)

Ellen DeGeneres signs on as “American Idol” judge

September 10, 2009 /

ellen-degeneres

You don’t have to be a huge reality TV fan to know this is big news. Even Nikki Finke pays due respect and notes that once controversial, now beloved, comedian and talk show host Ellen DeGeneres has “broken every gay barrier now that Madison Avenue loves her.” The press release says nothing about it, but the gig on the hugely successful reality show is being touted by Finke and seemingly everyone else as a five-year deal. According to MTV News, not all of the show’s most rabid devotees are on board — even though DeGeneres is a widely known as a fan of the show and says she has watched every episode.

In any case, here’s a couple of quotes from the release, starting with one from the comic herself:

“I’m thrilled to be the new judge on AMERICAN IDOL,” said DeGeneres. ”I’ve watched since the beginning, and I’ve always been a huge fan. So getting this job is a dream come true, and think of all the money I’ll save from not having to text in my vote.”

“I could not be more excited to have Ellen join the AMERICAN IDOL family,” said creator and executive producer Simon Fuller. “Ellen has been a fan of the show for many years, and her love of music and understanding of the American public will bring a unique human touch to our judging panel. I can’t wait for this next season to begin.”

And now, a moment of celebration for Ellen’s fans (and I’m sure her agents aren’t unhappy, either).

Actresses, External Entertainment, External TV, News, Reality TV, TV, TV Reality

Hell’s Kitchen: have some fingertips with those crepes

September 9, 2009 /

Last night’s “Hell’s Kitchen” episode on FOX was gruesome, but also telling in how things might shake out in the coming weeks. The theme was French food, which is a cuisine that inspires many chefs to become chefs in the first place. The initial challenge? To make crepes, something that can’t be as easy as it looks, and that was proven when most of these chefs had trouble with them. Anyway, they had to create four dishes each–breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert–and with 8 remaining contestants, they would each be responsible for one.

Gordon Ramsay and Jean Phillippe would be the judges, and Van squared off against Ariel first, with Van’s bacon, egg and cheese crepe having a nice filling but failing on the crepe. Ariel’s smoked salmon crepe won–red team up 1-0. Then Andy’s ham & cheese crepe beat out Tennille’s spicy shrimp and black bean crepe, which was too spicy. 1-1. Kevin and Suzanne both presented nice dinner crepes, so they both received points. 2-2. But when Ramsay called Dave’s dessert crepe “diahrrea on a plate,” it was easy for Sabrina’s poached pear/chocolate/cinnamon crepe to earn the ladies the victory.

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External TV, Hell's Kitchen, Reality TV, TV

Despite struggles, Versus moves ahead with original programming

September 8, 2009 /

Versus

Versus is a Comcast-owned sports channel that sprouted from the Outdoor Life Network in 2006. In recent months, the network has been in a contract dispute with DirecTV, one of the country’s primary cable providers. While DirecTV will likely completely rid themselves of Versus, that isn’t stopping the network from unveiling some original programming

Cabler has greenlit “Sports Jobs with Junior Seau,” with the NFL all-pro linebacker taking on less glamorous tasks in the sports world.

Series, similar to Discovery’s “Dirty Jobs” with host Mike Rowe but not as grimy, will have Seau act as a cornerman in a UFC fight, be a batboy at a Dodgers game and serve as a member of a pit crew in an Indy Car race, among other activities.

Versus, which hasn’t made a decision on whether to renew “Fanarchy” after the show finished its first season last week, will begin broadcasting the NHL on Oct. 1. Net was pulled off DirecTV on Sept. 1 and the two have been in a contentious disagreement over rights fees and whether the satcaster can put Versus on a pay-only digital tier.

Really, Versus? This is the best you can do? There is no doubt Junior Seau has some star power, but it’s primarily focused in San Diego, where he spent 12 years of his football career. Also, let’s not forget that Versus doesn’t broadcast any pro or college football games. They have a contract with the NHL and have a strong selection of regular season and postseason coverage. This is where the network shines. Yet, most football fans (i.e. those interested in Junior Seau) have never heard of the Versus network. And why should they?

While it’s not a bad idea for Versus to reach into the reality spectrum, they need to choose their programming wisely. They’re already on thin ice as it is — pun intended.

News, Reality TV, TV, TV Reality

Top Chef Las Vegas: women dropping like flies

September 3, 2009 /

We’re three episodes into Bravo’s “Top Chef: Las Vegas,” and already it’s looking like this is going to be a race between Jennifer and like half a dozen guys. So far, everyone that’s been eliminated has been female, and a few of the next chefs to be cut are likely to be women as well, judging by recent history.

Last night the episode (which was a too-long 75 minutes) began with a quick fire challenge, as the contestants were greeted by host Padma Lakshmi and chef Mark Peel (who was recently on “Top Chef Masters”). The theme of the challenge was potatoes, and they were asked to create an “out of this world” potato dish in 45 minutes time.

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External TV, Reality TV, Top Chef Masters, TV

Hell’s Kitchen: Ramsay doesn’t like wishy washy

September 2, 2009 /

Last week on FOX’s “Hell’s Kitchen,” Gordon Ramsay eliminated Robert, his 500 pound pet project who did not get a fair shake due to health reasons the previous season. This week he let someone go who he didn’t see enough leadership qualities in. But more on that later (unless you are lazy and want to scroll down!). Anyway, the guys were making comments at the start of the episode about “Biggins” being gone.

Then Ramsay subjected the teams to his palate test, in which they are blindfolded and wear headphones that block out any conversation. One person from each team would square off against each other–Ariel vs. Van, then Suzanne vs. Dave, Sabrina vs. Kevin and finally Amanda vs. Andy. Andy was spouting off about what a great palate he has, and so was Suzanne, but these chefs always suck at this challenge, especially when they start talking trash. The best, and most shocking really, was when Kevin thought clams were spinach….say what??? Andy also called avocado “boiled coconut.” Ha! Anyway, the ladies won, and their reward was to have lunch at Opaque, a restaurant completely in the dark. Suzanne was trying to suck up to Ramsay, and it was becoming clearer that her teammates had zero respect for her.

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External TV, Hell's Kitchen, Reality TV, TV

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