Tag: reality TV

Survivor 44 will have a tough time escaping the mess it made of this season

The merge is coming. Can it save a season that’s led to more questions than excitement?

Warning: DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVEN’T WATCHED EPISODE 5 OF SURVIVOR 44.

Ready?

Ok.

Welcome to Survivor Vibe Check! Each Thursday this season, Blake Schuster and Bryan Kalbrosky will chat about last night’s episode to see who is thriving and who is straight up not having a good time on the islands of Fiji. Season 44 has had plenty of highs and lows, but Wednesday’s episode 5 left many wondering where the game is headed.

Blake: Ok, Bryan. What the hell did we just watch?

Bryan: That’s like asking me to summarize an avant-garde film produced in a language I do not speak. Nearly everything about this week was strange, and you could tell that we were starting to lose the plot when there were five minutes left in the episode and they hadn’t even started tribal council. I’m so sorry to Matthew, though. It’s amazing he powered through as long as he did.

Blake: I wonder if Matthew gets a second chance. I feel like we’ve talked about it for weeks now, but there was just no way he’d be able to compete in individual challenges the way his arm was. Which leads me to my next point: Did the producers tell him they were about to merge but didn’t want to reveal it? That’s the only reason I can think of for not showing him getting taken out. I’m just absolutely baffled by the edit — which is something we typically don’t really focus on until the final five or six.

Bryan: That honestly makes a ton of sense. “Hey, Matthew. It’s cool that you’re here now because you can sit out challenges for your tribes. But we’re about to start individual challenges and uhhh your shoulder seems like it hurts a lot.” That conversation was probably about as awkward as the one that Jeff had with the Tika tribe after he arrived on the boat. The way that he explained what happened was like he was speaking in riddles.

Blake: This season has felt insulting on quite a few levels. Insulting to such a great, charismatic cast, to the game itself by making this season all about fake idols and to the viewers at home who can so clearly see the producers scrambling to make a 26-day game viable. You nailed it by saying they’ve lost the plot. Can they get it back post-merge?

Bryan: I sure hope they can, Blake. Fortunately, we do have some very interesting castaways still remaining heading into the merge and I think we’ve got some compelling television in front of us. I’m not sure how all three members of the Tika tribe are still left, though, and (I hope I’m wrong but) it will almost feel like Lil making it to Final Tribal on Pearl Islands after so narrowly escaping elimination last night.

Blake: As far as actual gameplay goes, I thought Josh immediately trying to establish a relationship with Yam Yam was the right move and I would’ve loved to see them try to take out Carolyn. The dynamic between the three of them feels very Game of Thrones-ish.

Bryan: If you had to bet it all, who was going home?

Blake: Carolyn. And I don’t think she even had a clue.

Bryan: Wow. You don’t think she would have played her idol? If that happened, it would have been pretty awful for the show to have another woman (and one of the more interesting castaways in a while) voted off there.

Blake: I think it was either Josh or Carolyn (remember last week when we thought Yam Yam was on the bottom? He actually ended up as the swing vote) and I just don’t think Carolyn did enough to repair her relationship with Yam Yam. The conspiratorial part of me thinks the producers didn’t want to see either go home after losing the immunity challenge so they gave Matthew a reason to exit and forced a merge.

Bryan: I don’t think that’s an unfair conspiracy!

Bachelor Ep. 5 recap: Contenders, pretenders and power rankings

Corgis, COVID and UB40.

The Bachelor‘s drama roadshow crossed the pond this week as Zach and the contestants took London by storm. If you were hoping for a lot of Americans saying “cheerio” and using bad British accents, well, you’re in luck.

Despite Greer having a tattoo of a tea cup, Zach chooses Gabi to accompany him on the first one-on-one date in England. Greer took that about as well as you would expect. Zach and Gabi created a fragrance, tried on designer gowns (well, Gabi did) and she got to waltz back into the hotel with arms full of bags on bags of fancy shoes and clothes.

The other women were just thrilled for her. Thrilled. Oh, wait, no, they were fake happy.

The rest of the date was blah blah whatever UB40 SHOWED UP, DEAR READERS! Usually the solo concerts are awkward, and we get a forced, “Oh, I love [insert singer or band literally no one has heard of]” from the contestants. This time, it was the iconic UB40 singing (I Can’t Help) Falling In Love With You. Whatever you do, if you know who UB40 is, don’t Twitter search the band because you’ll feel very, very old.

Things took a turn on the group date as Zach no-showed, saying he was too under the weather to go. The contestants still went on a double-decker bus, where they complained, got rained on and all around had a terrible time.

Turns out, Zach had COVID, although host Jesse Palmer’s delivery was exceedingly dramatic. The cocktail party and rose ceremony were done virtually — the first time in Bachelor history — and Kylee and Mercedes were sent back stateside without a rose.

Let’s get into the contenders, pretenders, those that have work to do and our Top Five.

The Bachelor 2023 recap: Contenders, pretenders and power rankings after ep. 3

Week three means drama, pool parties and some NFL legends.

Welcome to Week 3 of Zach Shallcross’s journey on The Bachelor,

Kaity got one of the two coveted one-on-one dates, and for maybe the first time in Bachelor history, this is a date I’d actually want to go on. Zach took Kaity into the Natural History Museum, and they got to walk among the fossils and exhibits alone and in the dark. She receives not only a rose, but an invitation from Zach to – gasp – spend the night with him in the museum.

For the week’s group date, Zach welcomed NFL legends Shawne Merriman and Antonio Gates for Bachelor Bowl 5. If you were looking for the worst possible football imaginable, you’re in luck. With team names like the Ball-Zachs and Shall-Crushers, your expectations should be low.

A “thrilling” 14-7 victory for the Ball-Zachs meant the ladies from the blue team got to go to the afterparty (a.k.a. the night date). Things got a little dramatic at the afterparty with one woman being sent home early and another deciding to embrace her full villain.

Aly got the second one-on-one date where Zach made her tandem sky dive. As a former aviator, I am staunchly against jumping out of a perfectly good airplane, but it seemed like they had fun.

Instead of a cocktail party, we got a pool party. That means day drinking and messiness, led by Brianna salting the earth as she departs the show. Only one woman is sent home from the rose ceremony, though three total left this week.

Let’s get into the contenders, pretenders, those that have work to do and our Top five.

The Bachelor 2023 recap: Contenders, pretenders and power rankings after ep. 2

Two group dates and a 1-on-1 in week 2 gave Zach Shallcross (and the viewers) a better idea of what we have going on this season.

It’s Week 2 in the Forever Love journey of Zach Shallcross on The Bachelor, and that can only mean one thing: the first set of dates where we still have no idea who anyone is because 20 women is too many women to tell apart!

The first grouping of women — Davia, Mercedes, Genevie, Cat, Brooklyn, Katherine, Kylee, Brianna and Bailey  — go to a club where they meet up with superstar singer Latto of “Big Energy” fame. Former Bachelor villains Victoria, Tahzjuan and Courtney join the fun, because why not. It’s a relative dud of a date as the women compete in a “Bad [expletive]” competition. There didn’t seem to be a clear winner, and Zach said a grand total of about four words.

Tahzjuan brought the most drama of the evening as she interrupted the second part of the first group date to ask Zach if she could join the season, and also overwhelmingly insult the entire group. He ultimately said no, but Tahzjuan’s efficiency rate was incredible with enemies made when compared to time on screen.

Christina Mandrell got the validation of the one-on-one date and used it to meet his family and tell him she’s a mother.

The rest of the ladies went on the second group date, which was literally just Zach making out with each of them in succession. Honestly, that was really it.

Some Brianna-Christina drama was really the only thing happening at the Rose Ceremony, which could be an indicator of future issues.

Let’s get into the contenders, pretenders, those that have work to do and our Top-5.

The Bachelor 2023: Meet the 30 women hoping to marry Zach Shallcross

The new season of The Bachelor is FINALLY HERE.

The newest season of The Bachelor premieres Monday, Jan. 23, as this year’s titular eligible man, Zach Shallcross, attempts to find love. Thirty women have the chance to win Shallcross’s heart, which you might remember was broken when he was sent home from the most recent season of The Bachelorette after making it to the final three.

With his new quest for love almost underway, it’s time to take a look at the women vying for Zach’s affection. You can check out the full bios here and watch new episodes every Monday night on ABC at 8 p.m. ET.

Iman Shumpert becomes first NBA star to win ‘Dancing With the Stars’

Former NBA champion adds the Mirror Ball Trophy to his collection.

After weeks of intense competition, Iman Shumpert and partner Daniella Karagach have emerged victorious as the champions of Season 30 of Dancing With the Stars. This is the first time an NBA player has won the popular dancing competition show, and Shumpert did it with flare.

Shumpert, a former NBA champion with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016, performed two dances in the finale and scored perfect 40s on both. He and Karagach narrowly edged out entertainer JoJo Siwa and her partner Jenna Johnson, who also put up a perfect 80/80 on the evening.

For the couple’s first dance of the night, Shumpert and Karagach performed a Cha Cha/Foxtrot combo, then followed it up with a mind-blowing freestyle performance that featured some incredible footwork form Shumpert. All season, the couple executed impressive tricks and genuinely appeared to enjoy being out on the dance floor.

Make room in the trophy case, Iman. You have the Mirror Ball now.

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Here’s when you can catch new seasons of ‘The Bachelorette’ and ‘Bachelor in Paradise’ this summer

For those of you eager for your latest Bachelor fix, here are the premiere dates for ‘The Bachelorette’ and ‘Bachelor in Paradise.’

For those of you like me who are eager for your latest Bachelor fix, there’s plenty of programming coming this summer and later this year.

ABC announced official premiere dates for the new seasons of The Bachelorette and everyone’s favorite Bachelor in Paradise, which will give fans plenty of drama to enjoy in the coming months.

Back during March 15’s After the Final Rose special it was announced that there would be not one, but two Bachelorette seasons with Katie Thurston and Matt James’ runner-up Michelle Young. Thurston’s season, which has already started filming, will be first while Young’s season is expected to film this summer.

After the new season of Bachelor in Paradise was postponed due to COVID-19, the fan-favorite show will return this summer with a new cast featuring Bachelor and Bachelorette alums.

Here’s a look at when you can expect the new seasons from The Bachelor franchise this year:

First look at Drew Brees in disguise for ‘Undercover Boss’

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees joined the CBS reality show Undercover Boss as owner of Louisiana-based sports bar chain Walk-On’s

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New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees has business interests outside of football, and fans will get a look at one of them as he’s featured in the CBS program “Undercover Boss.” The reality show features business executives donning disguises and working as low-level employees to gain a new perspective on how their decisions impact the company and experience what it’s like to be a small part of the larger operation.

In this case, Brees will be spending a day as a dishwasher at a Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux, the Louisiana-based sports bar chain he purchased a stake in back in 2015. Like Brees, co-founder Brandon Landry will also hide his identity behind a fake beard and wig for the Jan. 8 episode, which will air at 7 p.m. CT.

Here’s your first look at Brees in costume for his shift busing tables. All dressed up, he looks more like a Biblical prophet than a Hall of Fame-bound quarterback (with apologies to Charlie Whitehurst, the “Clipboard Jesus” who attempted both careers):

It’s not the first time Brees has made the jump to reality television. In 2016, he help demonstrate survival techniques during an episode of “Running Wild with Bear Grylls,” at one point killing an alligator:

Brees’ latest turn in a commercial kitchen will probably go smoother than his time in the wilderness, but you can’t know for sure untill it airs. While the specifics of Brees’ food-service experience won’t be revealed until the episode airs, he did issue a brief statement in a CBS press release, saying, “We’re always looking for ways to improve and zero-in on delivering an unmatched customer experience to our fans, and will continue to push the limits as we expand and innovate.”

So be sure to tune in and see whether Brees is as effective scrubbing dishes as he’s been slinging footballs. We’ll be tuning in to find out.

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