JamesG
06-10-2010, 01:39 PM
Five Reality Shows You Won't See This Summer
by Bob Sassone
posted Jun 10th 2010
Summer doesn't officially begin until June 21, but we all know that the hottest season really began the moment you threw burgers and hot dogs on the grill on Memorial Day.
That's also when the summer TV season begins.
We have scripted shows like "Burn Notice" and "Royal Pains" and "Mad Men" and "White Collar" and "Leverage" and some others, but summer is mostly about reality shows -- like "Big Brother", "America's Got Talent", "Hell's Kitchen" and "Losing It with Jillian Michaels".
But some reality shows just don't make it. The networks come up with these seemingly can't-miss ideas, but they're not put on the schedule for one reason or another.
Luckily, I have access to secret files at the networks and can report on the five reality shows you almost saw this summer but won't.
1. "The Prattchelor"
This MTV reality show is the brainchild of Spencer Pratt himself.
Now that Heidi Montag has left him (*cough*), Pratt is desperate to stay in the public eye in some way (without getting an actual job) and he came up with this show, where women between the ages of 18 and 88 compete against each other to see who gets the chance to date/marry/support him.
There's a secret idol hidden around the house and if you find it you get to punch Pratt in the head or pass off the chance to hit him in the head to one of the other contestants.
Because so many women desperate for their 15 minutes of fame will want to be on the show, auditions will be held every single day for a year in various cities across the country.
2. "Big Brother, by George Orwell"
This spin-off of the popular CBS reality show features five college students and five teachers who have to live in a house for 30 days.
They have to read George Orwell's classic novel 1984 and each week the contestants have to sit around the living room and discuss the novel at length.
The person who seems to know the least about what's going on in the book isn't voted out of the house, because the other contestants understand that everyone reads and comprehends at their own pace, and they help the contestant the following week.
There are no hot tubs, no challenges and the "head of household" duties are split between the ten contestants, because everyone in this home is an equal and has respect for the others.
The winner is voted on by all ten contestants and receives a prize of $250,000, which is immediately donated to the charity of their choosing.
Hosted by Charlie Rose.
3. "So You Think You Can Run NBC"
Now that Jeff Zucker is reportedly on his way out after the Comcast deal, NBC is looking for someone to run their network. Who better to run it then a hardcore TV fan?
Auditions are held around the country and contestants have to prove they know a lot about the network by answering questions about various short-lived shows that have aired on NBC over the past five years.
Judges include Conan O'Brien, Aaron Sorkin and "Southland's" Regina King.
4. "Celebrity Rehab Dancing"
The producers of "Celebrity Rehab" and "Dancing with the Stars" team up for this exciting reality show where drug and booze-addicted celebrities try to stay clean long enough to win a dance competition.
The first season's contestants were to include "NewsRadio's" Andy Dick and constantly-falling-down movie star Lindsey Lohan, but they kept vomiting on the dance floor and they had to constantly stop filming so ABC decided to shelve the show until they figure things out a little better.
It could still turn up midseason though.
5. "Fashion Loser"
Amateur designers are given the impossible task of making clothing for people who weight over 400 pounds. As the season progresses and the contestants lose weight, the designers have to come up with smaller and smaller clothing.
Twist: one of the contestants is a mole and has actually been told to eat more and gain weight as the season progresses. Hilarity ensues!
http://www.tvsquad.com/2010/06/10/five-reality-shows-you-wont-see-this-summer/
by Bob Sassone
posted Jun 10th 2010
Summer doesn't officially begin until June 21, but we all know that the hottest season really began the moment you threw burgers and hot dogs on the grill on Memorial Day.
That's also when the summer TV season begins.
We have scripted shows like "Burn Notice" and "Royal Pains" and "Mad Men" and "White Collar" and "Leverage" and some others, but summer is mostly about reality shows -- like "Big Brother", "America's Got Talent", "Hell's Kitchen" and "Losing It with Jillian Michaels".
But some reality shows just don't make it. The networks come up with these seemingly can't-miss ideas, but they're not put on the schedule for one reason or another.
Luckily, I have access to secret files at the networks and can report on the five reality shows you almost saw this summer but won't.
1. "The Prattchelor"
This MTV reality show is the brainchild of Spencer Pratt himself.
Now that Heidi Montag has left him (*cough*), Pratt is desperate to stay in the public eye in some way (without getting an actual job) and he came up with this show, where women between the ages of 18 and 88 compete against each other to see who gets the chance to date/marry/support him.
There's a secret idol hidden around the house and if you find it you get to punch Pratt in the head or pass off the chance to hit him in the head to one of the other contestants.
Because so many women desperate for their 15 minutes of fame will want to be on the show, auditions will be held every single day for a year in various cities across the country.
2. "Big Brother, by George Orwell"
This spin-off of the popular CBS reality show features five college students and five teachers who have to live in a house for 30 days.
They have to read George Orwell's classic novel 1984 and each week the contestants have to sit around the living room and discuss the novel at length.
The person who seems to know the least about what's going on in the book isn't voted out of the house, because the other contestants understand that everyone reads and comprehends at their own pace, and they help the contestant the following week.
There are no hot tubs, no challenges and the "head of household" duties are split between the ten contestants, because everyone in this home is an equal and has respect for the others.
The winner is voted on by all ten contestants and receives a prize of $250,000, which is immediately donated to the charity of their choosing.
Hosted by Charlie Rose.
3. "So You Think You Can Run NBC"
Now that Jeff Zucker is reportedly on his way out after the Comcast deal, NBC is looking for someone to run their network. Who better to run it then a hardcore TV fan?
Auditions are held around the country and contestants have to prove they know a lot about the network by answering questions about various short-lived shows that have aired on NBC over the past five years.
Judges include Conan O'Brien, Aaron Sorkin and "Southland's" Regina King.
4. "Celebrity Rehab Dancing"
The producers of "Celebrity Rehab" and "Dancing with the Stars" team up for this exciting reality show where drug and booze-addicted celebrities try to stay clean long enough to win a dance competition.
The first season's contestants were to include "NewsRadio's" Andy Dick and constantly-falling-down movie star Lindsey Lohan, but they kept vomiting on the dance floor and they had to constantly stop filming so ABC decided to shelve the show until they figure things out a little better.
It could still turn up midseason though.
5. "Fashion Loser"
Amateur designers are given the impossible task of making clothing for people who weight over 400 pounds. As the season progresses and the contestants lose weight, the designers have to come up with smaller and smaller clothing.
Twist: one of the contestants is a mole and has actually been told to eat more and gain weight as the season progresses. Hilarity ensues!
http://www.tvsquad.com/2010/06/10/five-reality-shows-you-wont-see-this-summer/