I'm in love with The Circle! Also: news about Survivor fire tokens, GBBO, and Making It
Dear newsletter friends,
I’m still at TCA—which is generating a lot of news, as you’ll see below—and that means I’m watching less live TV the shows that premiered this week, but I have made time for one show.
So let’s talk about The Circle! I reviewed the show after watching its first few episodes, and I was mostly sold. But it unexpectedly grew on me episode to episode. I wrote about the second two groups of episodes, which obviously include spoilers for what happens during those eps:
I also wrote about its release schedule, which was frustrating me. So tell me: How often should The Circle episodes have been released?
It’s been great starting 2020 with a show that’s been so fun to watch, just as 2019 ended with another fun show: Making It, which has been surprisingly renewed for season 3! Thank you, NBC!
Survivor’s newest twist
CBS officially announced Survivor 40’s cast this week.
Along with that came details about its newest big twist: Survivor fire tokens, which are directly tied to the Edge of Extinction.
In other Survivor news, CBS will air a special featuring Survivor’s ‘greatest moments and players,’ though the players they highlighted in a press release had me a little concerned about the choices.
I hope that’s just a hint of what’s in the special.
Why Heidi and Tim left Project Runway, and other news
Tim Gunn and Heidi Klum, along with producer Sara Rea, were here at TCA to talk about their upcoming Amazon show Making the Cut.
The obvious question is: How How will Making the Cut be different from Project Runway? I have answers. Plus: meet Making the Cut’s designers.
In that story, Heidi and Tim also talk about deciding to leave Project Runway, and it’s a charming story.
I also wrote a long FAQ about the new competition America’s Top Dog: answers to questions about the A&E competition.
In other reality TV news:
Magnolia, the Chip and Joanna Gaines network, will launch Oct. 4, replacing DIY
Temptation Island’s Morgan says she was ‘played’ by Evan, and Kaci offers support
Two stories that I didn’t write:
Ken Jennings had to be convinced to do the Jeopardy! Greatest of All Time tournament, which has been some of the best TV of the year so far. In a Q&A, he said, “I’m 15 years older than from where I once was, a young, cocky Jeopardy! phenom, and I’ve started to slow down a little. I’ve been beaten by Brad on the show multiple times, and I’ve been watching James and seeing how unstoppable he looked. I told the show, “I don’t want to do this tournament, I’m out.” (Vulture)
You may have read that Oprah Winfrey dropped out as a producer of a documentary in which women tell their stories of alleged sexual abuse by Russell Simmons. It turns out that the films’s directors got 20 minutes of notice that she was publicly announcing their project would no longer carry her name or be distributed on Apple TV+. Amy Kaufman reports on what happened behind the scenes, and it’s quite the story. (Los Angeles Times)
Okay, that’s everything I have for you this week—a lot!
And there’s more to come, including a review and interviews about Bravo’s Spy Games (look for that Monday), and some behind-the-scenes of next week’s The Profit (look for that Tuesday).
Have a wonderful rest of your Friday and a terrific weekend!
best,
Andy
🌄 This is Reality in Focus issue 177, first sent 17 January 2020, and—message—it’s still thinking like it’s in The Circle. Send.
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📷 Photo of snowy trees at Lake Tahoe by Joshua Coleman