Episode 11 (click to play/pause)

Harold and Nicole talk about Reality Television in general, as a cultural trend, and more specifically about the shows that they've watched and enjoyed, both past and present. Top it all off with a short chat about Rob Thomas, who has not one, but two new shows on the slate for next year -- a spinoff of Beverly Hills 90210 and a revamped version of his 1998 show, Cupid.
Show notes:
- Devwatch: Reality Shows - The Futon Critic's amazing list of reality shows that have been ordered for next year -- both pilots and series. If you only ever click one link in our show notes, please let this be the one, if only so you can dream about a possible future where Celebracadabra, Hey Bitches, L.A. Gang Unit, and Untitled Diddy Assistant Project are all waiting for you on your TiVo.
- America's Next Top Model - Guiltily or guilt-free, people love this show -- but you better believe they all fast-forward through Tyra Mail.
- FourFour - If you love ANTM, you'll probably enjoy Rich's weekly coverage.
- The Real World - Nineteen seasons in and they're still going. Strong? Hard to say.
- Project Runway - Perhaps the reality show with the highest barrier to entry, yet they still manage to cast some real nutjobs. A truly impressive achievement!
- SuperNanny - She comes in, cracks some skulls, and the kids behave. Looking forward to next year's SuperManny spinoff.
- Extreme Makeover: Home Edition - Sure, it's an elaborate fantasy, and the made-over homes are held together with chicken wire and good intentions, but on the plus side, you are almost guaranteed to cry during the reveal...
- Temptation Island - They made three whole seasons of this stinker. It was a simpler time back then.
- The Biggest Loser - Harold is watching this one and has realized that an entire two-hour show can be watched while fast-forwarding in an envigorating 25 minutes. If only he was watching from the treadmill...
- "To Catch A Predator" - an ethically challenged recurring segment on Dateline NBC. This is the kind of reality television that makes everyone involved look really gross -- from the producers to the police to the perps. For some background, there's an Esquire feature and news about a recent lawsuit.
- Not one, but two Rob Thomas articles from The Hollywood Reporter
- Alan Sepinwall on Cupid on YouTube
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