A new year, a great new game show • Gypsy Rose & Natalia Grace • your Survivor thoughts • and more!
Dear newsletter friends,
Happy new year! I hope 2024 has been spectacular for you so far.
I had a refreshing, relaxing holiday break, and actually stepped away from my laptop for an entire wee—something I need to do more this year.
Then, I woke up Tuesday a little congested and feeling exhausted after sleeping nine hours, and on a whim, did a test: COVID again. 😫
I escaped it for four years, and now twice in three months! I suppose I shouldn't be shocked that the second-biggest wave found me, too. Thankfully—and thanks to vaccines—it's super-mild.
It's a good reminder that I may not be able to control what this new year brings—though I do hope it brings us some great reality TV to watch and discuss together. 💜
💍 A review, a recap, and a reflection
I reviewed:
The Floor, Fox's new game show, which I have quibbles with but really liked
I recapped The Golden Bachelor’s live wedding with a headline I am very proud of:
I reflected on the Big Brother spin-off:
😵 True crimes
This week includes two multiple-day event series: ID's The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: Natalia Speaks and The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard on Lifetime, which starts tonight.
My friends at the true-crime newsletter Best Evidence, Sarah D. Bunting and Eve Batey, have shared with us two looks at those cases:
Is the original Curious Case of Natalia Grace worth your time?
How the first Gypsy Rose Blanchard doc, Mommy Dead And Dearest, handled the case
🗓️ This week's reality TV premieres
This week's reality show premieres include New seasons of RuPaul’s Drag Race and Kids Baking Championship; more Celebrity IOU and Celebrity Name That Tune; and yet another America's Got Talent spin-off that sounds just like America's Got Talent.
Also: Survivor Millennials vs. Gen X, one of Survivor’s better seasons, is now on Netflix
Reality TV specials and feature doc premieres include a special celebrating the sitcom M*A*S*H: The Comedy That Changed Television and A Citizen’s Guide to Preserving Democracy
💬 Comments of the week: Survivor edition
There was a robust discussion about Survivor 45’s finale, and I hope you read/join it!
Here's just a small sample of the great conversation:
Maggie wrote:
I agree and disagree with your assertion that the editing failed Dee. I think the field producers likely failed Dee by not covering her moves at all. [...]
Patrick wrote:
I think Dee was a fabulous winner, but I do agree with most of the New Era winners having been boring/undeserving. That's what happens when everyone is constantly playing at a 10 and going for broke with 'flashy' moves. If you're just taking out the biggest threat every single round, you're bound to wind up with duds at the end.
Kerri wrote:
It was the most “meh” season and finale I can remember. First, they need to get rid of having a final 3. It is aggravating as all get out, when the jury starts targeting the two people they feel are the contenders and the third person is ignored in the questioning process, or at least they are pretty quickly. I felt for poor Jake, dissed all the way to the end. The kid tried, and tried and tried – is there something we weren’t told by the editing that caused all the other players to toy with him the entire season?!
It's Time To Vote wrote:
The most memorable thing in this finale was how much of a total DICK Jeff Probst was to Jake.
🗞️ Reality TV news
The final links and stories added to my December news round up:
Paula Abdul sued Nigel Lythgoe for sexual assault
19 Entertainment—which co-produces So You Think You Can Dance—is also being sued by Paula Abdul, so 19 is now investigating its co-defendant and star/EP Nigel Lythgoe. I learned about this in Deadline, which is owned by Penske, which also owns SYTYCD's other producer, Dick Clark Productions. This is Hollywood.
Survivor 44’s Carolyn Wiger said she left an abusive relationship
Also:
Two Survivor winners came out as queer on the same day
Mayim Bialik was fired as host of Jeopardy!
🤩 I recommend
This new game show, which I'm looking forward to watching all season
This season of Survivor, which is now on Netflix
In case you missed it: My favorite reality TV of 2023!
What I'm working on now: an interview with Dr. Pol about his new reality TV show, which premieres Saturday, plus a look at Netflix's latest vegan documentary.
I hope you have a terrific weekend. Again, a very happy new year!
best,
Andy
🌄 This is issue 365 of reality blurred’s weekly newsletter, first sent on 5 January 2024, and it wonders how many people hacking phlegm into the air have COVID and just don't know!