Amazing Race is about to take us back to 2018
Dear newsletter friends,
Happy Friday. I am the kind of exhausted where I can’t even muster up the energy to watch hot, dumb people try to not have sex (see below), so let’s just get to what I wrote about this week, starting with reality TV news.
The big news is that a season of The Amazing Race filmed in 2018—back when I was young and grocery stores were safe places—will finally air.
It’ll take over Wednesdays at 8 after Survivor 40’s finale and virtual reunion—which now has a date and somewhat of a plan.
There’s going to be a celebrity Drag Race! Except VH1 has given it an annoying name and is playing games. Also, is it too much to ask for a show’s logo to match its actual name? C’mon, VH1, at least pretend you give a shit?
Meanwhile, I interviewed the star of ID’s latest hit let’s-talk-about-murders show.
Real World Miami’s Dan Renzi, who’s a nurse, is in New York City, one of the many people working tirelessly to help those with COVID-19. One of his jobs is to transport bodies to the morgue. His Instagram videos were highlighted on Rachel Maddow’s show.
Fountains of Wayne’s Adam Schlesinger, who died last week from COVID-19, actually appeared on The Real World’s first episode, as he was in a duo with with Rebecca "Becky" Blasband. She posted this to Instagram:
Reviews and recaps
This week, Survivor: Winners at War paused for family visits and then fast-forwarded into an insane Tribal Council.
Lego Masters ended its first season this week, and in my recap, explore why its winners and finale were so unsatisfying.
Speaking of imperfect judging, let’s talk about Making the Cut’s first two Tokyo episodes. I also interviewed the winners of those two challenges, one of whom fought back against the judges’ incoherent advice.
Next week, I’ll have a look back at the season and an interview with Making the Cut’s winner.
I reviewed HGTV’s Celebrity IOU, which brings A-list celebrities to cable reality TV. Actual Brad Pitt was doing actual reality TV-style interviews!
I meant to watch and review Too Hot to Handle, Netflix’s absurd version of Love Island on which the cast loses prize money if they have any sexual or physical contact with each other or themselves, but I just couldn’t get in the mood for this kind of garbage TV. Maybe this weekend? Maybe never?
This week’s 19 reality show premieres include a new ESPN series on The Chicago Bulls that premieres Sunday.
In 1997, when The Real World Boston was airing (Montana! Genesis!), the Bulls were being filmed behind the scenes during their entire season, but that footage hasn’t been seen until now. It’s called The Last Dance, and I am looking forward to pretending it is the 1990s again.
If you need six hours and 13 minutes of relaxation…
…then here is six hours and thirteen minutes of sheep grazing.
I discovered this via Clara Parkes’ wonderful daily newsletter The Daily Respite. Every morning she sends a very nice thing via e-mail, and while I shouldn’t be checking my e-mail upon waking up, it’s nice to be greeted by this kind of content.
If you need something else soothing to watch, do check out Dishing With Julia on PBS tonight, or free on any of PBS’s apps.
If you’d like a weekly preview of what to watch every week, delivered to your inbox on Sundays, just upgrade your subscription or become a patron. My eternal gratitude to those who have—and thanks to you just for subscribing and reading my stuff.
I hope you have a great rest of your Friday and a wonderful weekend!
best,
Andy
🌄 This is Reality in Focus issue 190, first sent 17 April 2020, and it misses the early days of The Real World, and the early days of 2020.
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📷 Photo of Mirissa Beach in Sri Lanka by Rowan Heuvel