I just have to tell you about the insanely chaotic reality show called I Survived a Japanese Game Show. It’s back for its second season on ABC and reality TV lovers should take the time to watch. It’s hilarious!!!

The show takes 10 Americans to Japan to be a part of the game show Majide. But Japanese games shows are nothing like American game shows. There’s no buzzing in with an answer and a calm audience giving them “golf claps.”

Instead, the audience comes armed with drums, tambourines and horns and makes a ton of noise. The contestants are put into ridiculous outfits (a rabbit outfit, multi-colored spandex body suits and Spider outfits all in just the first episode!) Then, they have to perform insane challenges such as Human Torpedoes in order to decide the winning team for the week.

The winning team gets to do something fabulous, like spend a day at Mount Fuji and enjoy a wonderful meal, watching the sunset over the spectacular mountain.

The losing team gets punished with a very disagreeable task. In the first episode, they had to don yellow overalls and go clean the subway. YIKES!

When someone is eliminated from the show, they don’t just walk awkwardly off the stage. A dozen tuxedo-clad, sunglasses-wearing people run onto the stage and hoist them into the air and carry them out of the studio.

What I find the funniest is that the contestants (who all presumably watched the show last summer) say in their diary sessions that they can’t believe what they got themselves into. Weren’t they paying attention…?

I love this show. It’s nothing serious at all, except to the highly competitive people in stupid-looking outfits that are all trying to win the competition. It’s one of those shows where you can sit back, relax and just laugh your way through an hour of television. Do yourself a huge favor and tune into I Survived a Japanese Game Show!

A few days ago, I reviewed the crazy and fun new reality show called I Survived a Japanese Game Show. Then, Hollywood 411 interviewed the show’s host, Tony Sano, who gives us even more information about what sets the show apart.

I Survived a Japanese Game Show airs on Tuesdays on ABC at 9/8c.

First of all, let me just start by saying that I normally don’t cover game shows. (A girl can’t watch and report on everything…) But by accident, I found myself watching an episode of I Survived a Japanese Game Show recently and I was hooked!

Most of us have seen clips of those wacky, loud and chaotic Japanese game shows, but what if a bunch of Americans went to Japan to compete in one? That’s what this show is about. They took 10 competitive Americans to Japan and they have to compete each week in two teams, with the losing team having to send two members to the elimination challenge. The loser, obviously, is eliminated.

But it isn’t just about the game show. It’s also the strategy, the interpersonal relationships between the contestants and since each week only one goes home, it turns out to be a wacky new form of reality show, not just a game show. (Who knew?)

I can’t even begin to describe the zany and funny challenges they put these poor people through, but suffice to say that they all have to be ready for anything…with a loud, cheering, drum-banging crowd in the studio watching.

Don’t let me spoil the fun for you. Just set up the TiVo to catch the next episode and ENJOY!

I Survived a Japanese Game Show airs on Tuesdays on ABC at 9/8c.

There’s a new reality show in town and as they describe themselves, “It’s not TV, it’s birth control.” The show is called Baby Borrowers and it puts real-life teen couples who are considering having babies in a house with a real baby for several days to give them a taste of what they would be in for is they went through with their plans.

First, here’s an interview one of the teens and one of the real-life moms did with TV Guide about the show:

The teens started by moving into a furnished condo and the girls had to wear pregnancy simulating tummies. They were heavy, hurt their back and basically made them feel like they might if they really were pregnant. The couples attended parenting classes to get ready for their new responsibilities and then had to put together a crib and set up the nursery.

Then the real babies arrived with the real parents in a nearby condo watching the teens’ every move to ensure the child’s safety. Very quickly, the teens began to learn what hard work a baby is and why they shouldn’t be in any hurry to have one.

Some of the teens were impressive in the ways that they nurtured the babies and each other and created loving homes. I was thrilled to see that not all the teens were a train wreck as parents. Some of them were amazingly good as temporary parents, others worried me, even though the baby wasn’t my own. They just weren’t mature enough for the responsibility.

I highly recommend this show for teens and their families to learn about this very important issue. In light of recent current events, it seems that a lot more teens could use the wake-up call!!

The show will continue by giving teens toddlers, teenagers and then elderly charges to care for. Be sure to watch Baby Borrowers on NBC, Wednesdays at 9/8c.

I have gotten hooked on an offbeat, lesser-known reality series on the Animal Planet Channel. The series is called Groomer Has It, and it focuses on the search for America’s best dog groomer. The host of the show is none other than former Queer Eye star Jai Rodriguez and the judges are animal and dog grooming experts.

Over the course of the past few episodes, the dog groomers have been tasked with shearing sheep, grooming cats, dealing with nearly insane pet owners, de-tangling totally matted long-haired dogs and many more grooming feats.

This is the animal kingdom’s version of Shear Genius. I recommend the show to anyone who enjoys watching a bunch of creative people being put through insane challenges while living in close quarters (they call it the “Dog House.”)

I caught the season premiere, mostly on a lark. I love all kinds of reality shows and was curious if this one would be a good one. I was quickly “hooked” on the show. The groomers are as one would expect; a collection of interesting personalities with a variety of special grooming favorite tricks. I instantly liked both Will and Artist, since they both seem so very sincere, talented and are both kind to the dogs and to their competitors. Unfortunately, Will has been eliminated, but thank goodness that Artist is still in the running.

Animal lovers should enjoy the show, as well as any reality show fan. If you are looking for a new and undiscovered show to get involved in, this is your show! Be sure to check your local listings for times.

[Photo: Copyright © 2008 Discovery Communications, LLC]

Reality TV, TV, Television, groomer has it, jai rodriguez

I don’t usually cover the home improvement shows, because I feel it’s more or less a different genre of show than the typical reality show and because even though I enjoy watching them, I fear that it would be hard to write about each episode in a way that would be interesting to read. (ex: “Then, they chose green for the wall color.”) Yikes!

But the show that started the home improvement genre for me was Trading Spaces on TLC network. I have tried repeatedly to convince my neighbors to trade spaces with me because I would love to see what incredible things they could do in one of my rooms, but none of them were game. That’s a different story.

A couple of years ago, for whatever reason, the show let go of its host, the fun and perky Paige Davis. Shortly after that, most of the original designers and carpenters left too. Even though they got great new designers and carpenters, it just wasn’t the same show any more. The whole feel of it was gone, for some reason. One thing I did really love is the fact that they brought my favorite designer from Top Design, Goyle to the cast. He’s really cute and funny now that he doesn’t have to compete any more.

Now, finally, the good news. Saturday, the new season of Trading Spaces premiered and they brought Paige Davis back, along with Doug & Hildi. And this season they are doing trades with people that have the potential to change their lives for the better. The first to trade were ex-husband and ex-wife in an attempt to forge a new bond to help support their son.

I love the show again. If you haven’t watched it in a while, do yourself a favor and tune in again. The old feel of the show is back and Hildi and Doug are as over-the-top as ever.

Great job, TLC for bringing back the show we all loved!!

Have you watched the new season? What do you think? Leave a comment to share your thoughts!

Reality TV, reality-tv, Television, Trading Spaces, Paige Davis, TLC

The Shot airs on VH1. Yes, it’s actually true! A good reality show on VH1!!

The season premiere was terrific. I can tell already that this is one of the highest quality reality shows I’ve ever seen on VH1. Perhaps they are stepping up their “class factor” and not just relying on tired old stereotypes for their shows… One can only hope…

The show features 10 aspiring fashion photographers who are competing to win a huge cash prize and a career in fashion photography. They were all very talented, but it was obvious right away that they were all pretty much novices.

The first challenge involved expressing “Passion” using two nude models in such a way as to be tasteful and usable in a fashion magazine. More of the shots were suitable for porn sites instead.
(follow the jump for the rest of the recap)
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Here’s a clip from the upcoming new episode of MTV’s Made. This one is about a tomboy who wants to become a plus-size model. Check it out:

Here are the descriptions of the next four new episodes of Made:

(follow the jump for the rest)
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Some of us enjoy the reality series On the Lot. But apparently, there are many more who aren’t that interested in it. And, by reality TV standards, it is lacking in the contestant drama and competitive interactions we have come to know from most of the rest of the reality TV world. So when I tell you about this next show, please understand that it’s a very different show altogether.

America’s Next Producer is a reality TV series airing on the TV Guide channel and has the crazy characters, the drama, the backbiting and everything else that keeps reality fans interested. The trick is that they pit all those large TV producer egos against each other in teams. It becomes clear very quickly when you watch the show, that TV producers are not the most adept at being “team players.” They are used to being in charge. So when you put a half dozen of them on a team together and each has their own creative style, voila! Drama!

It reminds me of a TV producer equivalent of Project Runway. Creative people being forced to be creative in less than reasonable time frames on less then necessary budgets with far too few people and far too many egos. In other words, it’s a lot of fun to watch. (continued after the jump.)

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Have you ever wondered if you’d be able to solve crimes yourself because you watch so many crime solving shows, like CSI? Well, believe it or not, there’s a new reality show that can help you find out if you are a good murder detective. The show is called MURDER and it airs on Spike TV on Tuesdays at 10 pm ET.

Real civilians go to totally recreated crimes scenes of previously solved crimes and try to examine all the clues and evidence to see if they can solve the crime themselves. I’ve watched it and it’s very interesting, but be prepared for some grisly crime scenes.

And they also just sent me the code for this great widget for the show. It’s not just a show promo, though. You can use it to practice solving crimes yourself! Check it out! It’s pretty fun!

Then, be sure to tune in to watch MURDER on Spike TV, Tuesdays at 10 pm.

Reality TV, TV, Television