Cheers & Jeers

I'm sure you've all heard of the very popular Cheers and Jeers section of the TV Guide. For those of you who don't know, this section of the TV Guide is written by Bruce Fretts. It reviews all of the bad (jeers) and the good (cheers) of that week's TV shows. There were recently a couple of interesting jeers that I thought I should share.

• Jeers to The Hills- "for a lackluster episode." Frett thought that this week's episode dedicated too much of its time to Whitney and Lauren's "boring" job at Teen Vogue and the argument between Heidi's fiance Spencer and Launren's ex Brody. Frett ends it by saying "What good is a guilty pleasure if you don't feel bad about yourself after consuming it?"
• Jeers to NBC's Phenomenon- "They should have called it fiasco," Frett wrote. He thought the mentalists on teh show performed stunts that were just too underwhelming that the audience didn't even know when to applaud.

I didn't get a chance to watch Phenomenon yet, but I'm surprised that it's been getting bad reviews. It seemed like a very good idea for a new reality show. I guess they just couldn't pull it off. I'll have to watch it and find out for myself.

Without editors, it would all be a mess

I thought I would share something that I've read in various articles and something I realize a lot of you probably don't know. Reality TV shows start off as hours and hours of tape that don't make any sense. It's the editors job to take all this raw material, all this "mishmash" and make it into something, presumably a story line. "They make good guys and bad guys. They manipulate the audience in who's doing what to whom by the simple juxtaposition of images," TV director Mike Garris pointed out in an article on CNN.com. In this case, the editors actually become the producers. They become the storytellers and they have way more of a say in the show then on a regular sitcom. "You have producers putting ideas in the minds of would-be celebrities, then you have them attempt to act, with greater or lesser success -- and then it's left for the editors to sort it all out," Garris said. Basically, the editors' job is to make sense of it all. So, in the end reality becomes less than real and "unscripted" becomes less apparent.

Lohan Family Goes Reality

According to People Magazine, Dina Lohan, Lindsay Lohan's mom, will produce a new reality show on E! starring the Lohan family (not including Lindsay). "There are so many misconceptions about me and my family," said Dina. "I'm setting the record straight." The show, which is untitled as of now, is scheduled to shoot in and around New York City. It will star Dina and her two children- 14-year-old Ali and 11-year-old Cody. The series will focus on Ali's singing and acting career as well as her mom's role as manager. "It's about empowering women to be successful single mothers. About being in the limelight without compromising motherhood," Dina told People. "It's about what I do, how you can be successful, and be a single mom and fulfilling your kids' dreams. Working is my sole source of income." Other performers, besides Ali, will also be featured in the E! series. "It won't just be following my family around like other shows," Dina added. "It'll show me cultivating careers, going to soccer practice. I'm a big supporter of domestic violence charities, so they'll show that. Then they'll show Cody at soccer practice. Ali going to school and in the studio. It'll encompass everything. You'll see me having five business meetings in the city." Dina will serve as the show's executive producer. She said that Lindsay may make an appearance on the show, but it would only be a cameo.

If you ask me, I'd much rather see Lindsay on the show. Much more interesting. Right now, it sounds borrrrringgg, but I'll just have to watch it and find out. Until next time..

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

I feel like I haven't written much about Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and I thought this article I read was really interesting. The show will reach its 100th episode in November. For anyone who doesn't know, the show demolishes and rebuilds homes for people who have faced some kind of hardship. According to the executive producer of the show, Denise Cramsay, decisions for choosing the families for the show are based on two criteria. “I break it down to desperation and deserving. We are looking for families who need a new home and are unable to get that home for themselves, either because of financial reasons, disease or tragedy,” she told the Orlando Sentinel. “There has to be some level of give-back to the community. If I’m going to go to the community, I have to be able to say, ‘The family has done so much for you.'" She added, “More often than not, we find our families through nominations from communities, schools, churches, social workers, government agencies. It can never hurt to call attention to another’s problem and try to get them help."

Tonight's episode will feature a family that has lived without heat, water and electricity on an Indian Reservation. They will have their home rebuilt with modern "green" amenities. The show is aired on ABC at 8.