Reality TV Squid Game 🦑 • Survivor's auction 🤑 • Twin dating 👯 • Hell's Kitchen 😤
Dear newsletter friends,
Good morning! It's Thanksgiving here in the U.S. tomorrow, hence this mid-week newsletter.
I remain grateful for all of you here at this virtual table, and the time you spend browsing this newsletter, reading the pieces I've written, and discussing reality TV with me!
I also need to go get things ready, since we're hosting a Friendsgiving at our house tomorrow. So let's just jump right in.
👁️ Survivor, Amazing Race, and Hell's Kitchen
I recapped last week's Survivor, albeit late:
And I wrote a mid-season review:
For The Amazing Race, I made the case that:
Finally, I asked Hell's Kitchen’s executive producer:
🦑 Quite a few reviews!
I reviewed:
Amazon's twin dating show, which surprised me
A British show now streaming free, Four in a Bed, that reminded me of my beloved Instant Hotel
Netflix's reality TV version of Squid Game, which arrives today. I can't wait to hear what you think of this one; I had such a hard time grading it!
I also reviewed four podcasts:
🗓️ This week's premieres
This week's reality TV show premieres include Duff Goldman's new show The Elf on the Shelf: Sweet Showdown; the return of the wonderful 🎄 The Great Christmas Light Fight; plus new seasons of High on the Hog, Selena + Chef, and Lost Cities Revealed with Albert Lin.
Documentaries streaming and on TV focus on singer Little Richard, the football player Barry Sanders, and the rapper Dres; an Aquafit class, America during the ice age, murders, and church scandals; and Ibram X. Kendi's bestseller.
💬 Comments of the week
I thought the auction was good and I loved the jungle run part of it. The only thing I didn’t like was that after the first 6 items were sold, it became simply the next item automatically goes to whoever had the most money. There was no bidding, no suspense. If they didn’t punish the one with the most money with losing a vote, this wouldn’t happen.
—Yvette, on this recap
I’ve watched the Mexican version of the format (it has its own channel on PlutoTV), and I think every change CBS did made it worse – except for Jeannie Mai, and I’d still rather have her on a 5th season of Holey Moley.
—Keith, on this review
🗞️ Reality TV news and views
The co-creator of The Surreal Life and Flavor of Love, Cris Abrego, was elected chair of the Television Academy, which awards Emmys
Bobby Berk decided to leave Queer Eye—or was asked to leave because the other cast members resent him, if you believe Us Weekly’s report.
Dustin Rowles points out that Bobby "spends much of the episode separated from the rest of the group, mostly because he’s doing the hard part." Isn't making bad guacamole really the hard part, though?
Love Island was renewed for two additional seasons, which Peacock says is its "#1 Original reality series." #1 really should be The Traitors!
Brandi Mallory, who was on Extreme Weight Loss in 2014, died at age 40. She was found dead in her car.
Sean Campbell explores how "the resurrection of reality policing is all but complete, to devastating consequences"
I was in the news:
I'm quoted in Why Does Reality TV Keep Shoving Marriage Down Our Throats?
I was on the radio giving reality TV recommendations in this episode: The Golden Bachelor and reality TV’s real-life drama
🤩 I recommend
This dating show, but not for the dating part
This drama-filled British show, which is streaming free
I hope you have a delightful rest of your week, whether that includes celebrations of Thanksgiving and Black Friday or not!
And I'll see you back in your inbox on Dec. 1.
best,
Andy
🌄 This is issue 362 of reality blurred’s weekly newsletter, first sent on 22 November 2023, and it's grateful for you!
📸 Photo of a decorated table by Mat Brown