Friday, October 26, 2012
Your Turn
I need a reality show marathon this weekend. Tell me what your favorite ones are so I can find something that will keep me glued to the television the entire weekend. I feel like even though I watch tons of television that I am missing shows on some hidden cable channel or that I have ignored some show because of the name.
I love Flipping Out with Jeff Lewis. It's on Bravo.
ReplyDeleteDuck Dynasty all the way.
ReplyDeleteI don't watch many reality shows, but I've found myself oddly sucked into that "I didn't know I was pregnant" show on weekends. It's always a question of whether the baby will come out when they're on the toilet or in the bathtub.
ReplyDeleteMarket research.....
ReplyDeleteEnty, please don't watch anymore reality shows. I'm sick of giving attention to the people who star in them. I'd love to never hear about the Kardashians or Real Housewives ever again.
ReplyDeleteAgreed!
DeleteDuck Dynasty! You will laugh OUT LOUD by their antics, I promise.
ReplyDeleteIf you feel like crying all weekend, though, try Long Island Medium.
I'm obsessed with all the Real Housewive shows. I love reality tv marathons on the weekends because you can leave the room to attend to other things and walk back in and don't miss a whole lot. I marathoned 24 after giving birth and hanging home with my new baby and I felt summoned to the living room, afraidmid miss something.
ReplyDeleteI need to check out this duck dynasty show...I keep hearing about it.
ReplyDeleteStorage Wars! Not the Texas one though. YUUUUP!!
ReplyDeleteI always love Jeff Lewis and the gang too.
Deadliest Catch! Real manly men, I tell ya.
ReplyDeleteDuck Dynasty--they're awesome people and quite refreshing for reality television. To quote Stephen King's Stu Redman (played by the terrific Gary Sinise) in The Stand: "Country don't mean dumb." Also David Tutera's My Fair Wedding. Love him.
ReplyDeleteMythbusters is my all-time favorite, although I'm not sure it counts as reality programming, with Dr. G: Medical Examiner in second place. I saw Adam & Jamie at Harvard a couple of years ago when they came to accept an award from the Humanist society, and they were an absolute hoot, right down to the highlights reel of their biggest and best explosions (as Jamie once put it, "Basically, we blow shit up!"). Dr. G is fun in a different sort of way...well, I shouldn't really say "fun," considering her line of work, but it's definitely fascinating to learn the chain of events leading to someone's dying.
ReplyDeleteIn a similar vein, there's always the various ER/medical programs, which, oddly enough, my mom and I have both found comforting to watch while we were in the hospital--when you see the condition that some of these poor bastards are in when they're wheeled into the ER, and then see them leaving at the end of the episode, it gives one reassurance of one's own likely recovery, since one isn't usually anywhere near as badly off as the show's patients are. (Why, yes, I do have a bit of a black-humored outlook, but when you've been in the hospital multiple times, you tend to develop one...)
Top Chef, early Project Runway and Chopped.
ReplyDeleteHoarders.
ReplyDeleteYou should check out the Hillbilly Milionaires, I don't think that is the right name though. Or maybe Antiques Roadshow:)
ReplyDeleteI don't think the new Bacon Reality Show is available (yet).
ReplyDeletehttp://eater.com/archives/2012/04/09/bacon-is-getting-its-own-reality-show.php
Toddlers and Tiaras (of course)
ReplyDeleteBizarre Foods (is that a "reality show"?)
Other than that, the only reality shows I've watched more than a one off are the Andrew Lloyd Webber reality talent shows out of England. They are shows that search for a new star to headline the revivals of various shows in London's West End; ALW is te chief judge. You have to search for them though.
Over the Rainbow (Wizard of Oz)
I'll Do Anything (Oliver!)
How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria (Sound of Music)
Any Dream Will Do (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat)
One of thse (I think Maria) was where Samantha Barks (Eponine in the upcoming Les Mis) was discovered.
Also, as a bonus, John Barrowman is also a jdgeon all of these.
Oh I know Bridezillas!! One of my faves, and everytime I watch it i always wonder why the groom doesn't run???
ReplyDeleteGeez, my post was poorly written.
ReplyDelete*judge on
Also, I kind of love Oddities (the original, not so much San Francisco); there's some weird shit (and people) on there.
Project Runway, old America's Next Top Model, What Not to Wear, and Chopped.
ReplyDeleteI also have a disgusting fascination with 19 Kids and Counting. I don't know why - watching it is like having a brain anyeurism - but I can't stop. Those Duggars are NUTS.
Long Island Medium!
ReplyDeleteI watch almost everything on ID channel . Investigation Discovery ..all true crime stuff. Alot of people dont even know the channel is out there
ReplyDeleteSilkprint, i love that and the bio channel. I had an obcession with I Survived... Those stories are amazing.
Delete*obsessed
DeleteAdd me to ID channel fanlist!!!! I'll watch whatever they got!!!
Delete@silkprint i love that channel too!! I like who the bleep did I marry!
ReplyDeleteFace Off! It's on Syfy. It's a competition like Project Runway, but the contestants are special effects makeup artists. It's pretty amazing.
ReplyDeletetop chef(especially the desert ones),paranormal witness and a haunting, Face Off, project runway and Tabatha takes over.
ReplyDelete@silkprint - we watch ID all the time! Love it!
ReplyDeleteAlso Storage Wars, American Pickers and (my secret shame) Hardcore Pawn. HP is SO contrived but I can't stop watching it.
Long Island Medium, love her!
ReplyDeleteHouse Hunters on HGTV
Hoarders (but not while eating)
Skip the reality, and watch Psych on Netflix. Best show on tv. Face Off is pretty cool, though.
ReplyDeletePsych is amazing!
DeleteThe Buggest Loser (US, Australia, UK)
ReplyDeleteBig Brother (UK)
Celebrity Big Brother (UK) - Neil Patrick Harris is a fan
Next Top Model (US, Canada, Australia)
Shipwrecked in the UK was the best reality show ever
I love Face Off, too, although I'm disappointed by some of the judging decisions this year.
ReplyDeleteAnd gotta give Barry of Storage Wars some love!
No Reservations on Travel. Bourdain's run there just ended so I'm sure all of the episodes will replay. It's an amazing show and I'm sure you would truly enjoy decent content, other cutltures and food. It will help clear your head after watching the Miami Housewives or something equally awesome, but soul-numbing. I apparently need to make a date with Duck Dynasty. I've heard Sons of Guns is interesting. But I'll stick with Bravo.
ReplyDeleteNo one's mentioned it, so I'll throw in Gold Rush. Bunch of idiots mining for gold in Alaska. First season was just the idiots. Second season featured the idiots, another guy and a high school student (both smarter than the idiots). Third season starts tonight.
ReplyDeleteI second skipping tv and watching Psych! Love that show!
ReplyDeleteOnly reality tv I watch is Duck Dynasty. Good quality tv that is safe to watch in front of the kiddo, not many of those kind of shows left :( I love Si, that dude is crazy!
Bag Girls Club on Oxygen
ReplyDeleteI mean Bad Girls Club (my bag😜)
ReplyDeleteI only watch reality shows when I am sick, and then I tend to catch the worst of them in marathons, so I would not be a good person to recommend one, though I have heard that 'Duck Dynasty' is good and I love that Honey Boo Boo family, even though I've only caught snippets of the show online.
ReplyDeleteLong time lurker, first time poster. If you're up for buying a season of a previously aired show, I cannot recommend the first season of Joe Schmoe highly enough! If you're not familiar with it, it airedabout 10 years ago. It stars only one person who thinks it's a reality show called Lap of Luxury, and the rest are actors pretending to be typical reality show characters. One of my top 10 ATFs, reality or otherwise.
ReplyDeleteLong time lurker, first time poster. If you're up for buying a season of a previously aired show, I cannot recommend the first season of Joe Schmoe highly enough! If you're not familiar with it, it airedabout 10 years ago. It stars only one person who thinks it's a reality show called Lap of Luxury, and the rest are actors pretending to be typical reality show characters. One of my top 10 ATFs, reality or otherwise.
ReplyDeleteIntervention. (Heavy)
ReplyDeleteChopped.
Sweet Genius.
Face Off (amazing!).
Restaurant Impossible.
Ru Paul's Drag Race All Stars.
ReplyDelete(Ok, that one has just started, but Netflix has seasons 2-4 ... you'll need to watch those to figure out who's who)
I LOOVE ID network! But I don't count that as reality programming. It makes me feel better about how much I watch it.
ReplyDeleteI love Vince and Tamar
ReplyDeleteChopped
ReplyDeleteDiners, Drive Ins and Dives
My Cat From Hell
What is Duck Dynasty and what channel does it come on?
ReplyDeleteBridezillas, Oddities, Long Island Medium, Stolen Voices-Buried Secrets, Say Yes to the Dress-Atlanta.
ReplyDeleteUndercover boss doesnt blow either.
ReplyDeleteI love How It's Made but I don't know if that qualifies.
ReplyDeleteSweet Genius host is freaky
Halloween Wars is great though -- love the pumpkin carving
My favorite is Toy Hunter. I got sucked into Extreme Cheapskates -- that's a bizarre one. Don't watch that while eating, either. The RuPaul's Drag Race was awesome... I like how they spend the time on creation, not fighting.
ReplyDeleteThose are about the only ones I watch; the fighting-drama ones make me wanna punch the entire cast in the face!
Oh Renoblondee- I love Jackson from My Cat from Hell- he is the coolest cat whisperer ever. Also, I like to check out the puppy/kitten action on Too Cute!
ReplyDeleteWatch the current season of America's Next Top Model AND drink every time someone says "Social Media". Two episodes oughta do it, three tops.
ReplyDelete@kathy - Mr. B loves Gold Rush - I was turned off the 1st season (that old guy really got on my nerves) but the 2nd season was better. I think the 3rd season starts in a week or so.
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen Long Island Medium but was willing to give it a try until I saw her commercial for whatever William Shatner represents. Seemed like she was mocking the whole medium thing which makes me really question how genuine she is.
And absolutely love Psyche. You could drive a truck through some of the plot holes but the dialogue is very well written!
@lottacolada:
ReplyDeleteDuck Dynasty is on A&E on Wednesday nights. It's about the Robertson family who made their fortune in making and selling duck calls. It features parents Phil and Kay Robertson; sons Willie, Jase, and Jep; and their wives, Korie, Missy, and Jessica. The break-out star would be Uncle Si, a true gem of a character. And the beards! Those beards are the stuff of legends!
Thanks Shelly, I'll check it out!
Delete@Susan- I, too, was disappointed to see Teresa Caputo doing a commercial-kind of ruined the good case of like I had going on for her. Also, I had noticed that she is going to appear in San Diego soon and some of the tickets cost well over 1K! Guess she can expect to move out of Long Island before too long.
ReplyDeleteRestaurant Impossible!
ReplyDeleteAlso in another plug for DD, it's family-friendly and more hijinks than drama. Plus they're from my hometown and are known to be really great people.
ReplyDelete@ silkprint - the ID channel is my favorite! I wouldn't know what to do if I didn't have that channel or Bravo.
ReplyDeleteBilly the Exterminator, this is my go to for when I don't want to get my brain past 1st gear after a week of tech problem solving.
ReplyDeleteIn no particular order:
ReplyDeleteStorage Wars
Pawn Stars
Long Island Medium
Deadliest Catch
Duck Dynasty
I'd watch any Top Chef season, almost every Project Runway (there are a few seasons I've seen multiple times so I would pick something new) I also like the reruns of 48 hrs or Dateline crime shows that run on various networks.
ReplyDeleteI've been doing marathons on weekends but not reality shows--I just did all the seasons of Dexter from the beginning over 3 weekends and I re-watched Homeland to get ready for the new season. I'm getting ready to watch the last season of Mad Men--I like to save that show up and watch it all at one time. We are waiting to see if we get any of the hurricane here so if we lose TV I have 2 new books on my Kindle just in case, lol
I love id discovery but stupid AT&T u verse has it only in their 300 package and above and I refuse to pay for it. Thank god own shows a lot of the 48 hours mystery and crime and investigation channel as well
ReplyDeleteOmg twinsies. All crime all the time!
DeleteSo does this mean Enty is going to report back and tell us what he watched all weekend? I mean what would the point be if he didnt' even bother to watch any of them - shit, he probably doesn't even own a tv...... heheheeeheeheee...
ReplyDeletesorry, I am bored! only another hour left at work - so just putting my two cents in:)
Ancient Aliens on H2
ReplyDeleteDestination Truth on SyFy
Disappeared on Discovery ID
Celebrity Ghost Stories.
ReplyDeleteTabitha is my favorite, followed by Kitchen Nightmares. I love the levels of drama, delusion and entitlement. And occasionally you find someone decent who really needs the help.
ReplyDeleteIt's a holiday for us, so we are doing marathons; Seinfeld and Big Bang Theory. We saw "Argo" last night-I really loved it and was truly impressed by Ben Affleck as a director. As an actor, meh, but the directing was superb.
The only reality show I watch is RHONJ and I'm always embarrassed to admit it. I usually follow up with, "...but it's the only RH I watch!" as though that will make it better. ;-)
ReplyDeleteI am 100% on board with all the Psych recommendations. It is a very witty show loaded with excellent pop culture references that doesn't take itself seriously. One of my favorite running gags is all the references to The Mentalist, which has a similar premise but takes itself too seriously. I often find myself copping Dulé Hill saying "You know that's right."
ReplyDeleteI used to watch tons of reality tv, but since moving in with my fiancée have cut back a lot. My current list:
ReplyDelete- Survivor
- Big Brother
- Amazing Race
Classics to catch in re-runs:
- older Top Chef
- older Project Runway
- Flavor of Love
- Rock of Love
- Gangland (more docu than reality, but awesome)
Repo Games or Parking Wars. People lose their freaking minds when getting towed, booted or paying tickets.
ReplyDeleteI love Parking Wars!
DeleteEnty i think you would like it. Some real crazies out there
I keep meaning to watch Psych, have seen snippets here and there, and now my mind is made up.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the recommendations!
Virgin Diaries---found it this past weekend and feel in love with it.
ReplyDeleteThe Fabulous Beekman Boys
ReplyDeleteThe Ultimate Fighter!
ReplyDelete... Granted, it's not a very good reality tv show.
I've been totally addicted to Canadian and UK reality shows lately. Yay for ip proxies!
ReplyDeleteDid a major marathon of Canadian Intervention and The Hotel Inspector, but you HAVE to watch The Mistress. The host talks about how she used to boff Gordan Ramsay then makes other mistresses break up with their married men and get rid of anything he gave her. One woman left a photo album of them open on a table in the lobby of his apartment building then called him at work and said to come get it before his wife noticed!
Storage Wars -- Barry Weiss is the breakout star, not to be confused with the Barry Weiss in the music biz.
ReplyDeletePawn Stars -- Rick Harrison wouldn't be a bad TV host if he slimmed down.
Man v. Food -- The host is an actor, which explains all his clowning around. I want to see how many of those challenges Enty could handle.
And no one has mentioned "Call of the Wildman", "the Turtleman" LIVE ACTION, getcha some! no one? It's our most shameful pleasure. "there's some pretty backwoods people in Kentucky but no one as backwoods as Turtleman." And Lolly Dog, the one with the most brains!
ReplyDeleteOther than that, Storage Wars, both of them, "Will someone just drop a house on that woman?"
YUUUUUPPP!
American Pickers, yes, yes, yes. Gotta love a woman with a tattooed chest giving men shit. You go Danni D!
Zac Bagan and Ghost Aventures! Especially love Aaron, we call him "Comic Relief".
Ghost Hunters, but no more Grant, boo.
No Reservations, Anthony Bourdain, sexiest chef ever. Just love all that legginess.
Myth Busters, Jaime and Adam, princes among men.
Damn, I watch a lot of reality television.
Any of the real housewives, old ANTM episodes, project runway, the Dallas cowboy cheerleader show is oddly watchable, 4 weddings is fun for a wedding show, top chef, flipping out
ReplyDeleteHells Kitchen
ReplyDeleteAmerica's Next Top Model cycles 1-12
Australia's Next Top Model - SO GOOD!!
X Factor/The Voice
They're pretty much the only ones I watch as there is so much excellent scripted television out there.
Actually, there's a Psych/reality tv crossover - the episode where they make fun of American Idol is SO hysterically funny. Gina Gershon does a brilliant Paula!
ReplyDeleteI'm hooked on House Hunters International. I also get sucked into wedding reality shows, especially My Fair Wedding, Say Yes to the Dress, and Four Weddings. I also love Top Chef and old ANTM. Oh, and Cupcake Wars and the now canceled Ace of Cakes.
ReplyDeleteMy brother-in-law is hooked ok Duck Dynasty and Swamp People.
Re-runs of Snoop Dogg's Father Hood. That was such a great show *sigh*
ReplyDeleteLong Island Medium
ReplyDeleteGhost Hunters
I am an Investigation Discovery - ID freak so even tho they aren't really "reality" shows they are real - my new fave is LT Joe Kenda - Homicide Hunter. A cooler cop you will never meet.
Oddities San Francisco!!!
ReplyDeleteBtw... Storage Wars is fake....
ReplyDeleteAnd as an addendum, anything Gordon Ramsey is involved with.
ReplyDeleteHotel Hell
Kitchen Nightmares (UK & US versions)
Hell's Kitchen
and even with all the product placements, Master Chef.
Enty. Why not read the comments on your blog this weekend, like the old days? You have some of the best reality showdowns on your blog!!!!
ReplyDeleteFirst, @Robin the Mad Photographer , I'm SO glad I'm not the only *geek* here. Thank you. Second, Enty...WHY? ENTY?? WHHHHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY ????
ReplyDeleteCelebrity Ghost Stories on the Biography channel
ReplyDelete*ID Channel, so much that I have seen some of the shows a few times
ReplyDelete*No Reservations
*My Cat from Hell (but there aren't NEARLY enough episodes!)
*Top Chef
*Project Runway
*The various Real Housewives
(and folks, if you don't like the Real Housewives JUST SKIP OVER THE POSTS! There are some of us here who do watch the shows. Don't be so freakin' selfish! I skip over shit all the time that doesn't interest me.)
*Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
*Nadia D's Bitchin' Kitchen
Enty you will *really* like that last one. Nadia is fun and really hot and if she happens to cook a recipe with bacon, well, you might have a, um, "moment".
For my money nothing beats the true crime shows:
ReplyDeleteWicked Attraction
Deadly Women
Very Bad Men
Snapped
etc. etc.
I'll also occasionally watch that MTV series True Life if the topic is interesting.
Most Reality TV is unwatchable for me because it's all these people yelling at each other, fighting, talking shit, bragging, causing drama... I HATE that! Why on earth would I want to watch it?!?!?