I have reality TV news and reviews for you but can't think of a great subject line today, sorry!
Dear newsletter friends,
Good morning from Florida, where it was warm and humid yesterday and will be reach 40 degrees today. I realize 40 degrees constitutes a heat wave for some of you, so I’ll just apologize and move on to the reality TV.
We’re days away from the start of the long-awaited all-winners season of Survivor, and its 40th season—and the introduction of Survivor currency, aka fire tokens.
I recapped the Survivor retrospective that CBS aired this week in advance of the premiere.
Besides that special, 19 reality TV shows premiered this first week of February, including a show I loved and will recommend to you right now:
Two recommendations
Lego Masters. My review points out that I’ve only seem one episode, but it was a strong start. And while I like Will Arnett’s jokes and looks to camera, I hope the distance that creates collapses over time.
Miss Americana, the Taylor Swift documentary that’s now on Netflix, is terrific. I’m working on a piece about it and The Goop Lab, and what they have in common.
The Circle, a Circle-like show, and other news
I’m missing The Circle, so I gathered together several behind-the-scenes stories (and videos) about The Circle and its players, from a Reddit AMA to interviews with the people whose pictures were used by the catfish.
Speaking of The Circle: Next week, Netflix is premiering Love Is Blind, which starts with a very Circle-like premise—though it transitions to be more like other reality franchises. Look for my review on Monday.
And speaking of dating shows, Netflix just officially renewed Dating Around. It’s about time: the first season premiered a year ago!
I’m a fan of Hard Knocks and other doc series that take us behind the scenes of athletes’ lives—tangent: I still need to watch Cheer—so I’m curious about this new series.
Finally, shortly after I send this to you, I’ll be finishing my recap of last night’s Project Runway, and Sergio’s insanity.
You’ll be able to find that with all my other reality TV recaps, or on the Project Runway season 18 page, and if it’s not there yet, that’s because I’m not finished yet. 😆
Good luck in your Oscar pools this weekend, or in actual pools if you’re going swimming. And have a terrific weekend!
best,
Andy
🌄 This is Reality in Focus issue 180, first sent 7 February 2020, and as a kid, it played with Bristle Blocks, not Lego.
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📷 Photo of snow drifts on Hoher Dachstein in Austria by Dominik Kollau