TV Squad

• Reality TV Newsy Bits
  

  Filed under: Other Reality Shows, Industry, Programming, OpEd, The Amazing Race, Big Brother (US), Dancing With The Stars

  No, it's not going away. The reality television genre is growing even stronger as it becomes the umbrella for shows ranging from the traditional reality "game" shows like Survivor or The Apprentice, to actual game shows, to real life drama such as The First 48 or Intervention to talent contests and beyond.
  
  What I'll be doing here is taking a look at some of the current newsworthy bits from recently-aired shows, checking out upcoming shows, and sharing the latest...
  



• Travel Channel picks up the ultimate travel reality reruns
  

  Filed under: Programming, The Amazing Race, Pickups and Renewals

  It's really a no-brainer. What's a better second home for CBS's perennial Emmy-winning reality show The Amazing Race than the Travel Channel? What doesn't make sense to me is that the Travel Channel picked up seasons 12-14 of The Amazing Race. Season 13 premieres September 28 on CBS, with Travel debuting last year's Season 12 a few weeks earlier on September 3. But why didn't the Travel Channel just pick up the whole catalogue?
  
  One of the things that makes The Amazing Race such a fantastic show is it gives us the opportunity to travel the world...
  



• The Amazing Race: New teams announced
  

  Filed under: OpEd, The Amazing Race, Casting

  The fall season of The Amazing Race is set to premiere on Sunday, September 28, at 8 PM ET/PT. Although it seems to be a bit early, CBS has already announced the teams. Looking at them, it seems my pre-season spoilers were indeed spot on. The aged hippies exist!
  
  Phil Keoghan returns as the host of this Emmy-winning race around the world and I'm looking forward to another season of whirlwind excitement. You can check out the new teams in the gallery below and read on past the jump for more about them.
  



• Which star wants to be the next Survivor?
  

  Filed under: Other Reality Shows, The Amazing Race, Survivor, Celebrities, Project Runway, Dancing With The Stars, Hell's Kitchen

  Everybody who watches reality shows, especially reality competition shows, does it: you wonder how well you would fare if put in the same situation. I really don't have the talent to be on a Project Runway-type show, or the ability to eat gross crap that you need to make it on Survivor, but I think I could hang on The Amazing Race for a while. I don't think I'd win or anything, because I would definitely be...
  



• A history of reality television (part three): Big Brothers, Amazing Races and naked castaways - VIDEOS
  

  Filed under: Other Reality Shows, The Amazing Race, The Apprentice, Survivor, Big Brother (US)

  The summer of 2000 started out to be a typical one for television: repeats, theatrical movies edited for television, repeats, shows that needed to be burned off because they were so bad, and repeats. It was a formula that hadn't really changed for the Big Three networks in several years. And, it was one that viewers had gotten used to as they mourned the last episode of their favorite series and waited with eagerness for the new season to begin in September.

  Then, something happened. CBS decided to air a 'game show'...
  




• Reality stars aren't here to make friends - VIDEO
  

  Filed under: Other Reality Shows, Programming, The Amazing Race, The Apprentice, Video, Survivor, Project Runway, Hell's Kitchen

  

  I've noticed that one of the more overused phrases on reality shows is "I'm not here to make friends." It's that moment in the competition where some controversy/confrontation comes up and the player that everyone seems to dislike the most explains to them that they're "there to win the game" and "not here to make friends." Of course, the fact that many of these people probably can't make friends even in real life probably doesn't even cross their minds.

  Now...
  




• The Amazing Race extreme spoilers abound
  

  Filed under: OpEd, The Amazing Race

  The new season of The Amazing Race won't premiere until September 28 on CBS. But, you see, the filming is done. The cast and crew of the show have signed strict nondisclosure contracts. You can bet they're not leaking any information.
  
  Now, if we were back in time to the 1950s, there would be no leaks -- less air travel, no internet enabling the average Joe to spread the word. But in today's world it's really hard to have racers running through airports without folks taking notice.
  
  Warning -- Extreme show spoilers after the...
  



• The CBS fall premiere schedule
  

  Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Other Comedy Shows, Programming, The Amazing Race, CSI, Survivor, Numb3rs, Criminal Minds, How I Met Your Mother, NCIS, Reality-Free

  Are you anxiously awaiting news of who was in that SUV that exploded? Still fraught with worry over how Gibbs is going to get his team back together? Or maybe you are just excited that Survivor is finally going to be beamed into your living room in glorious HD. Well, you can start making plans for your fall scheduling now. The eye network has released the...
  




• The Upfronts: CBS
  

  Filed under: Industry, Programming, The Amazing Race, CSI, Survivor, Numb3rs, How I Met Your Mother, Cancellations, Pickups and Renewals, Shark, Upfronts, Cane, Moonlight

  CBS announced its plans for the 2008-2009 season today. For the most part, things are staying the same, but there are two new sitcoms and four hour dramas planned. Here are the highlights:
  
  Returning: The Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother, Two and a Half Men, The New Adventures of Old Christine, Rules of Engagement, The...
  



• True confessions: I watch reality TV
  

  Filed under: Other Reality Shows, Industry, OpEd, The Amazing Race, Survivor, Project Runway

  Okay, I admit it. I like reality TV. Or maybe I should say unscripted TV. These days the parsing of the term "reality" has become as much a discussion as the genre itself. And don't kill me for calling it a genre. It is. It's here to stay. As long as producers can come up with ideas that make money and networks give them air time, reality/non-fiction/unscripted television is going to continue to proliferate the tube.
  
  It's not with any great pride that I...