Day 10 of the đ§âđ 13 Days of Recommended Holiday Reality TV â¨
10. Top Elf & Elf on the Shelf: Sweet Showdown
The holiday magic
Top Elf âş âtalented kid âelf-testantsâ are paired with Santa's elves in a series of physical challengesâ
Elf on the Shelf: Sweet Showdown âş âSanta and his loyal Scout Elves, along with the help of legendary cake master Duff Goldman, will challenge six teamsâ
why I recommend them âş fun-forward competitions, one for kids and one for adults
where to watch âş
Top Elf: Paramount+ ⢠Fandango ($8/season)
Elf on the Shelf - Sweet Showdown: HBO Max â˘Â Discovery+
Why you should watch
Elf-themed reality TV competitions! Need I say more? đ Okay, I will.
Top Elf is Nickelodeon competition between creative kids who are challenged to fun, holiday-themed tasks, like designing toys or building big gingerbread houses.
Think: a kid-friendly version of Finding Mr. Christmas or Making It.
The challenges are tough, and things can get emotional, but ultimately itâs a supportive environmentâin part because the kids have adult helpers. And the kids really show off their creativity.
Theyâre judged by a celebrity, âSanta Clausâ, and âMs. Jinglesâ, and the winning kid ultimately gets to give gifts to their community. So itâs warm fuzzies all aroundâwith creativity!
Elf on the Shelf: Sweet Showdown
Honestly, Iâm unsettled by what those little Elf on the Shelf bastards are up to: spying. Yes, this charming tradition that came from a self-published book and is now a global brand has a deeply disturbing message at its core.
But so help me Santa, I cannot recall ever being as charmed as I was by a reality TV showâs product placement or fake reaction shots, which are all of little Elf on a Shelf dolls.
Food Networkâs Elf on the Shelf: Sweet Showdown was just Holiday Wars light: two-person teams (instead of three) creating smaller displays out of food in less time, using the Elf on the Shelf as a theme and a character in their final creation.
But the choice made to edit this with lots of elf reaction shots is simple but inspired: there are frequent cutaways to the elves, and theyâre often chosen to match the content.
The elves bright faces and permanent side-eye make for perfect reaction shots. Theyâre kinda cute and kinda shady.
Whoever decorated and posed the elves did a fantastic job, giving them personality, which is what I want in my inanimate spies.
⨠13 Days of Holiday Reality TV â¨
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