February 26, 2021

Road Rules is back, Design Star is great, and Mikey Eyebrows disappeared!

Dear newsletter friends,

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking ahead this week, and just struggling mightily with that. The university where I teach wants to know how my classes in the fall will be taught: Face to face? Online again? Hybrid?

I’m on the board of directors for the Television Critics Association, and we’re already talking about what our summer press tour might be, even as the winter press tour is wrapping up.

But how can we know this? How do we know what the world will look like in six months? Will we be frolicking in unmasked groups like in the Before Times—or, you know, like too many people are doing here in Florida right now?

This article from The Atlantic gave me so much hope and optimism, unlike most things I read about COVID-19. But it’s still full of caveats.

I’m used to taking this thing one day at a time, but the advance planning has thrown me for a loop. Then again, considering how fast this year is evaporating—February is the shortest month, but still: how is it ending this weekend?—it’ll be fall before we know it.

Paramount+’s new reality and other news

First, Paramount+ is just CBS All Access’ new name. It changes names next week—and brings back The Real World season one cast.

But it will also have much more reality TV:

• Road Rules, which is finally being revived

• Drag Race All Stars, which is moving behind a paywall (yes, again)

• Everything in this list of new shows coming to Paramount+, which includes revivals of shows you’ve seen recently, and also brand-new shows like The Challenge: OG.

In other news:

• Frogger is being turned into a reality competition

• Holey Moley will be back for two more seasons

Also:

• Why did Mikey Eyebrows leave Tough As Nails after a dramatic episode that also sent Tara home?

Behind the scenes

• I interviewed a producer of Name That Tune and learned so much, like about how they filmed with a real studio audience during COVID-19.

• I interviewed Magical Elves, or more specifically, the new-ish CEOs of the iconic reality TV production company, and found out what networks want from reality TV today—and learned more about some of their current shows

Recommended reading

• A Q&A with Allen vs. Farrow’s directors

• A finalist on The Circle’s second UK season, Tim Wilson, on how the new season is being promoted

⭐️ I recommended

• This show, which is better than the original

• Getting used to the idea of shows moving from cable to pay streaming services. It sucks, but it’s only going to get accelerate.

• This article about how the pandemic is ruining our eyesight, and what to do about it

• These three podcasts

I hope you have a great rest of your February, and a good start to March. Stay safe, wear a mask, and put a bowl of water next to your TV and/or computer.

best,
Andy

🌄 This is Reality in Focus issue 232, first sent Feb. 26, 2021, and it would love to be a contestant on Frogger, as long as there are no semis involved.

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