A juicy Challenge USA interview • Survivor, Amazing Race, and DWTS recaps • the new Mole cast and logo! • and so much more!
Dear newsletter subscribers,
Happy autumn! I hope the air is a little cooler wherever you are.
Let me begin with a confession: The story I previewed in last week's newsletter about The Mole has not yet been published.
The short version: It's still coming, but I gave myself an extension. I feel bad about this, but it's how I can ensure that it's the best it can be.
The longer version: I wrote far more than I expected to this week! I recapped three shows, including three hours of TV Wednesday night alone, and wrote a 2,700-word interview with a Challenge player, diving into the behind-the-scenes nonsense. And, as you'll see below, several other pieces.
Also I do not know why I chose premiere week to try to publish a massive story! 🤦♂️
Hopefully it'll be up next week, but this time I won't make any promises. But I can promise there's a lot of great stuff to read below.
Fall reality TV & recaps
First, in fall TV, here are:
And now, to recaps and reviews:
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Survivor 43 begins with enthusiasm and ends with bizarre rationale for the first boot
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Amazing Race 34 starts with two major—and terrific—changes
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Dancing with the Stars: How it changed on Disney+
The Challenge USA
After writing three pieces last week about The Challenge USA (one, two, three), I thought I'd be done!
But I was thrilled to interview Desi Williams, who really got screwed on that first leg of the finale.
What happened to her is pretty shocking, both the parts that confirm earlier reports (players clothing stolen) and new information (like how producers misled her).
Read all about it here:
Reality TV news
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What Alone: Frozen’s winner thinks about making History Channel history
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Here’s the cast and trailer of Netflix’s Mole—and new red logo
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I've added more to my September don't-miss reality TV news list, including:
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Adnan Syed has been released, but Serial hasn't addressed what it wrought
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The new Bachelor
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CBS's cancellation of its celebrity Survivor
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and more!
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🤩 Recommended
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This trailer, which looks very promising!
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This story, about how one Shark Tank star got their job after being rejected
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This show, which remains the best, even 43 seasons and a few regrettable decisions later
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This show, which feels reinvigorated by pandemic-era changes
That's it for this week of summer and fall. I hope you have a terrific weekend!
best,
Andy
🌄 This is reality blurred's Reality in Focus issue 307, first sent Sept. 23, 2022, and it may have been sabotaged by The Mole! Or its own inner saboteur.
💻 This newsletter is hand-crafted in Florida by me, Andy Dehnart, using Buttondown.
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📷 Photo of a maple tree and misty lake by Aaron Burden.