Reality @ soapcentral.com

If you haven't seen The Mole or Wipeout yet, you dont know what you're missing. These are the best two reality tv shows that are on right now, along with The Baby Borrowers that comes on WE. Please support these shows. They deserve to have as many seasons as Survivor and The Bachelor.

 

Wipeout: Tuesdays at 8:00 pm

The Mole: Mondays at 10:00 pm

Baby Borrowers: Thursdays at 10:00 pm

  I had too much time on my hands this weekend and no soaps to watch. I had also seen all of the episodes of every other show I may have thought to watch so I decided to try my hand at the "On Demand" menu. I came across a guided tour of the latest "Real World" house. People who have read my other blogs will know that I'm not a fan of those "reality" shows that their main purpose is only to interact with others. If I wanted to watch people talking, I'd just look out a window. I also find it strange that people would want to watch the lives of others instead of living their own. I don't mean a fictitious television show on occasion or even a pro sports event but have so many American citizens become so lazy that they would rather "watch" life rather than participate in it?

  I did watch the house tour though partly because I like design and enjoy Australia, which is where this one was. Anyway, they named off some of the names of the, I believe American, castmates. The Australian hosts came to the name "Dunbar" and said that it must be his/her surname, lol. The reason I'm mentioning it is another seemingly American tradition as of late. A few of my blogs back mentioned how names such as Amber for the snotty head cheerleader and her cptain of the football team boyfriend Cooper have become all too common in mediums such as television, film, etc. Girls with names after jewelry settings and boys with first names that sound more like their last has become just too overdone. No offense to anyone who has any of these names, I myself like some of them, but I don't see anything wrong with the good old-fashioned Mary & John.

Has anyone else seen this? It's SO bad, but addictive. I had no idea he is perceived as such a jack!&@! It's really funny.

I was channel surfing the other night when I came across “Scott Baio: 45 & single” on VH1. I’m not too big a fan of the so-called reality shows but at least “Celebrity Fit Club”, “Dancing with the Stars”, etc. have a clear objective other than just watching someone go about his/her daily life. “The Osbournes” worked because they were the first yet it is now overdone.

I’ve never disliked the man, Scott Baio, and I’ve enjoyed the television characters he has portrayed but I don’t care what he does in his off time. I don’t wish anyone ill will and I’d like everyone to be happy yet I’d rather live my own life than watch his and the others who have similar shows go about their daily routines.

Many, Scott Baio included, have complained about the very roles that made them popular instead of appreciating the opportunities they’ve gained due to their early work; especially when it’s obvious that they still crave attention. My point is that I’d like to see these people in movies, as television characters, recording music, etc. but these ‘silly, look-at-me, see how special I am’ so-called reality shows do not interest me. He should have just set up a “My Space” page as have the other publicity seeking people.

In NZ they film a programme once a year when they take two young couples with young Children and help them  into their first home. It's a competition format, two identical run down houses are found and placed side by side on empty lots, a big fence is run down the middle and a house is allocated to each couple.  All renovations have to adhere to all council and safety standards and a builder, an architect and an interior designer are assigned to each team.  They have a budget that is adequate to semi generous that they must stick to, and if they save money on one week, it accumulates to the next and if they blow the budget, their build becomes squeezed financially.  Each weekend the couples will renovate the same room in each house and like AI, the public votes during the week, for the room they like the best, the votes add up over the series and when the house is completed inside and landscaped outside, on the final of the series the couple with the most votes wins their home. Great concept for a reality show - however...
   These young couples become so attached to their houses, they spend the whole weekends practically on the sites working through the nights to be completed within the weekend time deadline.  They pour all their energy into creating and furnishing their Children's bedrooms, their dream kitchens, the landscaping of outdoor areas for their future entertaining, they even get to bring their Families and stay a night in their dream homes.  Each of these homes is finished to a high standard. Then on the final night - ONE couple wins their house.  The build up is prolonged and agonising for the couples.  A bank is brought in and each couples earning potential is calculated and they are given a $$ total that they can mortgage themselves to, in the event that they don't win their home.  On the final night, real bidders are welcome to compete in an auction with the losing team for a chance to buy the losing teams newly renovated house from underneath them. 
  So here we have a series that I start out finding enjoyable.  I love renovation programs and it's fun to watch  the couples in action and compare the results of their weekend's work.  Take the magic of television editing and all of a sudden someone is caught on camera saying or doing something unflattering when they're tired or stressed, and the Television Co is making the most mileage they can out of a possibly innocent remark or action.  Of course all this adds up and by the grand final these poor young families are stressed to the max, wondering if they have done enough to walk away with their home.
  The big announcement is made and there's fireworks and mad celebrating from one team who is given the key to their home and invited in with champagne to the live crowd cheering.  The losing team is still standing on the stage shell shocked by their absolute personal loss.  They've lost the competition, but wait now they have to bid, to have any hope of living in the house, they have built up from a shell, with developers and others that are out for a bargain once all the hard work has been done.  Don't forget this is their first home buying experience - the rules of the competition state - this has to be their first home.  Of course the price is pushed up to the max these couples are allowed to bid, they're over stressed by the process, desperate to retain their dream, and so far in each series the losing team has succeeded in buying their home - just.  One day the developer will prevail, or property prices will be pushed beyond a young couple's means. 
 And then the camera's are turned off, and these people all get to live side by side, one couple with the mortgage free home and one with the big mortgage.  I wonder if the Television Co is already planning their next follow up series!