Survivor's new game, reality TV nominees, BB23's finale change, Shark Week's shenanigans, and more
Dear newsletter friends,
No long introduction for this newsletter today, as I’ve been at a (virtual) writer’s workshop all week and am out of words—though I still have revisions to do on my homework for my 1 p.m. workshop. So, I’ll get to that while you read on! Enjoy:
🦈 Shark Week
It’s Shark Week!
and these are the reasons why I’m less enamored now.
Survivor 41 and BB23
Jeff Probst teased Survivor 41 and said it will be ‘a brand new game.’ What does that mean?! Should we panic yet?
There’s a big change with Survivor 41’s premiere date and BB23’s finale date
Award nominations 🏆
The Mole—and its dumb clues
I’ve finished my Mole season 1 rewatch. All my recaps are here, including:
The reunion reveals the mole, the winner, and the dumbest clues ever
The final three face their final test: escape rooms
Next up: Season two!
News and views
These 22 shows launched Chip and Joanna Gaines’ Magnolia Network yesterday
Stacey McKenzie won’t judge Canada’s Drag Race season 2
Jenny Singer on how My Unorthodox Life Is Compelling TV That Could Make Life Harder for Some Jews
⭐️ I recommend
This stellar first season of an early reality TV show, now on Netflix
This podcast, Unread, about a search for both answers and maybe Britney Spears (though please note its content warning)
Because of this, paying attention to actual shark researchers on social media while watching Shark Week
This story about how the death of a documentary series’ subject—HBO Max’s The Way Down, which focuses on “Gwen Shamblin Lara, a weight-loss guru and the founder of the Remnant Fellowship Church”— affected the show’s schedule and content.
My story of how a reality TV show led me to become a vegetarian 20 years ago this week
That’s everything I have. Enjoy your weekend!
best,
Andy
🌄 This is Reality in Focus issue 251, first sent July 16, 2021, and it is much better at escape rooms than the mole’s final three.
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📷 Photo of an otter by Andreas Schantl