The Traitors is back • Dr. Pol • two Netflix reviews • Emmy winners • a host's arrest • much more!
Dear newsletter friends,
The prime-time Emmy awards are Monday, though all but one of the reality TV Emmys were presented last weekend.
As you can guess from my headline, I was not super-thrilled with the results:
Like, how the heck did Alan Cumming not even get nominated for The Traitors?! Sigh.
There's nothing new for me to say about Hollywood and awards.
I'm just disappointed because there's just so much great reality television, and I'd like its creators to get acknowledgement from their peers and for the shows to get more attention.
I'll keep doing as much as I can to bring attention to the good stuff, and that brings me to the highlight of this week/month: The return of The Traitors!
The Traitors!
Here are my Traitors US season 2 recaps:
Coming later today!
Coming later today!
Coming later today!
I actually briefly published my first two recaps, before learning that Peacock made an (apparently last-minute) decision to not release the episodes until 9 p.m. ET tonight. Alas!
So, my recaps will go up Friday night, and you can find them right here then.
After these first three episodes, new episodes will arrive on Peacock Thursday nights, and I'll recap weekly.
Can't wait to discuss this season with you all!
🍔 Two Netflix reviews
I reviewed:
Netflix's new competition The Trust: A Game of Greed, which works because of its cast—and Netflix’s greed 💰😍
What Netflix didn’t tell us about ‘You Are What You Eat: A Twin Experiment’ 👯😡
🚜 2 interviews and an analysis
I interviewed the producer of Prison Brides about how it was cast and edited
How much true crime has Leonardo DiCaprio done? On film, that is! Sarah D. Bunting analyzed his resume.
I interviewed Dr. Pol, who hopes the Incredible Pol Farm will inspire you
🗓️ This week's reality TV premieres
This week's reality TV shows include Nature's Big Little Journeys, about tiny animals making long treks; new sports games shows Big Little Brawlers, Break Point, and Top Class: The Life and Times of the Sierra Canyon Trailblazers; and new seasons of Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta, Worst Cooks in America, Antiques Roadshow, and Hoarders.
Reality TV specials and feature doc premieres include the start of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City reunion and Oprah and Fantasia Barrino talking about The Color Purple.
💬 Comments of the week
This past weekend, we had a lot of comments about Netflix's latest doc, which I reviewed.
Here's just a small sample of the great conversation:
Heather wrote:
I agree with everything you said. It was all over the place, but it worked on me. It made start to take steps to go vegetation, and I barely eat vegetables! I superficially knew all this stuff, but I’ve tried to stay willfully ignorant to not rock my meat eating boat. But this show brought it all together and lured me in with the concept of the twins study.
Keri wrote:
I recently watched the show and am an environmental scientist. I, too, was expecting more science and less lecturing. I work on water quality protection, so I do appreciate the mention of how CAFO meat production harms our water (and more), but I agree with you entirely.
The show is not even remotely unbiased and the conflicts of interests should be transparently disclosed.
The lack of any discussion about blood pressure is VERY odd.
MH wrote:
I think you’re expecting way too much from a Netflix “documentary.” If you want to know the ins and outs of this study, look it up on PubMed and read it for yourself. Also, no research study is without flaws. There’s no way to account for and control absolutely everything when you’re studying humans.
🗞️ Reality TV news
Food Network pulled a show after its host was arrested, pled not guilty
Nigel Lythgoe quit the new season of So You Think You Can Dance as a judge and producer following separate lawsuits from Paula Abdul and two All American Girl contestants, all of whom say he sexually assaulted them. Lythgoe said he quit "with a heavy heart but entirely voluntarily because this great program has always been about dance and dancers, and that's where its focus needs to remain. In the meantime, I am dedicating myself to clearing my name and restoring my reputation."
🤩 I recommend
The Traitors season 2, of course! And season 1 while you wait!
This fun breakdown of an A-list actors' film roles
That's all from me this week. I hope you enjoy whatever you watch, and have a terrific weekend!
best,
Andy
🌄 This is issue 366 of reality blurred’s weekly newsletter, first sent on 12 January 2024, and it's faithful to The Traitors.