Reality TV - A Game Show for a Kidney? Yipes!

I'm a reality television buff. I'm not proud. I'm hooked on Big Brother, Survivor, The Amazing Race, and more. I'm not so into the dating reality show genre, but know folks who enjoy them. I also enjoy many scripted television shows, but reality keeps dragging me back in.

With a show such as Big Brother, I think it's the sociology which catches my interest. I've always been a people-watcher kind of person. I like to sit and watch folks on the streets of Manhattan; I like to watch folks inside the BB House -- and how they interact with each other. Shows such as Survivor or The Amazing Race are basically sociological studies with added twists and pressures which change the human interactions.

But... what if the pressure was an actual life or death situation? Is it right to create what's basically a game show out of a situation where one person will die (not due to the game), one will have his or her life saved from a likely death, and two will lose a chance to win for their lives?

Although it's not against the law, I think it's definitely in bad taste and a moral grey area. It sounds like that futuristic Stephen King novel THE LONG WALK where one person would win, but all the rest would die, doesn't it? Many other novels and movies have toyed with similar ideas, but it hasn't been actually done before. Until now...

The creators of the Dutch Big Brother show will produce a new series on BNN in the Netherlands -- "The Big Donor Show." A terminally ill woman will give a kidney away to one of three contestants who desperately need the transplant to save their lives. Three people are going to die and their personal drama will be entertainment for the masses?

A quote from the local WCBS article about the show:
"Because of the show's shock value, it's expected it will do quite well in the ratings. Still, the Dutch Kidney Association says not everyone is a winner in the game since only one contestant gets the kidney. "Nevertheless there are two losers and what I would like to propose to BNN is ... you've got the publicity you want, now stop the program," said Paul Beerkens, Director of the Netherlands Kidney Association."

Am I really a part of this world? What do you think about this?

TV Newsy Bits - Tuesday, May 29, 2007

So, who's watching On the Lot? This show is surprising me. I wasn't too keen on the concept, but I do believe I'm indeed hooked. Some of the one-minute comedies the wannabe-directors created were a hoot, others just left me saying, "huh?" I think the "Wack Alley Cab" guy and the JT "Nerd" film guys will be gone. I'm watching it to see.

Here are the TV Newsy Bits I found for you today:

• The Houston Chronicle reports that Survivor 13 winner Yul Kwon is likely to receive an Asian Excellence Award.
• We know that Charlie left Lost with honor. But, how is actor Dominic Monaghan taking the cut from the show? The Celebrity Spider reports that he's not too pleased.
• According to this AOL article, tonight's House season finale will shake things up and end with a cliffhanger. Ohhh... a cliffhanger, eh? Who shot JR?
• Speaking of shake-ups, NBC's slumping ratings have caused an executive shake-up at the network. Drama!

'Big Brother 8' (and BB7) News

<--- Obviously not a Zoetawny graphic. Y'see, this is what you get when I do 'em.

Yes!

There's Big Brother 8 news to be had today! According to CANOE -- JAM!, the starting date for the show is Thursday, July 5th.

According to RealityBBQ, Sarah and James from Big Brother 7 are now a couple of the past. All that's said is "she is dating someone new." Um, okay.

In previously released Big Brother 8 news, Arnold Shapiro is stepping away this season and Alison Grodner will be taking the producer reins of the show. They had worked together as executive producers on the show in past seasons.

On the official CBS website, they still have the application link live on the main page, but the deadline was in April. I'm anticipating this season to be at this link once it goes live (if they follow the format from past seasons). Usually the houseguests go into sequester for a period in the latter part of June. Once the show is sure they'll make it (see Brandon Showalter), the cast announcements and website go live. The feeds usually follow the show's premiere although the houseguests are in the house for approximately 4 days before the first show airs.

I'll be doing Live Feed Reports once again this year, most likely on the three times a day format (morning, early evening, late night ET) with the exception of some days which will have additional posts. I'm also thinking of live-blogging the shows as they air here in the NYC area. I previously didn't do show blog entries as most had already been discussed in live feed reports, but live-blogging might fit that in just fine. And, as always, I'll be posting East Coast Updates on eviction nights.

On July 5th, it'll be AWN. (Credit to Monica Bailey)

New(er) Summer Shows on This Week

A damselfly rests on a poison ivy leaf in New Jersey. Yeah, I know it's not television, but I took the photo yesterday and thought it cried SUMMER. You can click on the photo for the full-sized image if you wish. I promise you won't have a reaction to the poison ivy and damselflies (related to dragonflies) are good bugs. They eat mosquitos!

Although TV seems to be slim pickings, there are some new shows on this week.

Monday, May 28: At 8 PM ET/PT, NBC has a new The Real Wedding Crashers (blech, in my opinion). FOX has a new two-hour episode of On the Lot, a show I found more interesting than I thought it would be. ABC has a new Wife Swap followed by a new Ex-Wives Club and a new Supernanny. I'll be watching the last of The Corner on BET for the evening. I might record On the Lot as I might be following the show in the future.

Tuesday, May 29: FOX has new episodes of On the Lot and House. ABC has a new episode of Boston Legal on at 10 PM ET/PT. A&E has a new Dog Bounty Hunter at 9 PM ET/PT. Also at 9 PM ET/PT, Discovery has a new Deadliest Catch followed by a new After the Catch at 10 PM. I think my primetime will be FOX, then Discovery for the remainder of the block.

Wednesday, May 30: FOX has a two-hour So You Think You Can Dance. ABC has a new Next Best Thing in the 8 PM ET/PT hour, followed by a repeat Traveler, then a new Traveler. Like last season, I'm a bit addicted to the So You Think You Can Dance auditions. I'll probably watch that, then Traveler. I haven't caught the latter yet.

Thursday, May 31: At 8 PM ET/PT, it's the season premiere of Pirate Master on CBS. FOX has a new Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader followed by a new So You Think You Can Dance. ABC has the 2007 Scripps National Spelling Bee running from 8 PM to 10 PM ET/PT. Well, let's see... I know I'm smarter than a 5th grader and I had the trauma decades back of being in the national spelling bee. Too many memories! I'll watch Pirate Master, but I'm not sure if the show will grab my interest or not. I'm not so into pirates, matey. Arrr-arrr.

Friday, June 1: Well, this is pretty pitiful. At 9 PM ET/PT, ABC has a new National Bingo Night. (There's a show I just can't watch!) At 10 PM ET/PT, A&E has a new Intervention. I may be checking out the Discovery Channel, Court TV, or Sci-Fi channel offerings for the night... or watching shows I've previously recorded.

TV Newsy Bits - Memorial Day - Monday, May 28, 2007

It's Memorial Day and graphic artist Zoetawny has made me a patriotic graphic fitting the occasion. (Have I mentioned that she rocks lately?)

I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday weekend and taking some time to remember our folks in the military - past and present.

Too many lives have been lost.

My own father served in World War 2 - a salute to him, as well as a pause to remember him. He's been gone for over thirty years, but lives in my memories.

Here are the TV Newsy Bits I found out there today:

• Last night I was channel-surfing at the start of the 11 PM news when Channel 7, WABC (NYC), went dark. It remained blacked-out until well past midnight when I stopped checking on it - just dead air. Even when the WTC towers went down, we had snow, not dead air. The cause? A fire. Yipes.
• Celebrity Spider has the skinny on the new ABC fall series, Cavemen - the one based loosely on the Geico commercial cavemen. I'll say right now that I'll definitely have to peek at that show.
• I actually have Maury on right now. I never watch the show as it's all "who's my baby's daddy" kind of programming. But, today it's Jack Hanna! I love him and his animals!
• AOL Television has an update on The Bachelor: An Officer and a Gentleman and his fiancee.
• Will T.R. Knight return to Grey's Anatomy? It seems up in the air according to this AOL article.