reality blurred – reality TV show reviews, recaps, and news analysis (2024)

Why is The Real CSI: Miami so uninterested in, uh, forensic science?

The Real CSI: Miami's first cases aren't set in Miami, and it gives barely any attention to evidence and forensic science. What a missed opportunity—YEEEEEEEAAAAAHH!

How are Below Deck Med’s Iain and Jono this bad at their jobs?

The problem with Top Chef’s finale is a major problem with all reality TV

30 For 30’s Stanley Cup riot episode doesn’t score

How much true crime is on Donald Sutherland’s c.v.?

The Digest

A mini-blog of news, links, and updates

• ❑Wednesday, Jun. 26, 11:52 am | Andy Dehnart

  Survivor 45 jury member Drew Basile is currently doing much better on Jeopardy!, winning $91,283 over five games.

  He'll be back on tonight, Wednesday; Jeopardy's website has stats for all his games so far.

  During Tuesday's episode, Ken Jennings passed along a message from Jeff Probst—former Rock 'N' Roll Jeopardy! host—to Drew, saying "he has heard about your success on the show and was so excited" and "he was amazing on our show."

• ❑Monday, Jun. 24, 1:07 pm | Andy Dehnart

  The Real World Miami cast member Sarah Becker died last week by suicide at age 52. (If you're depressed, struggling, need help, or just want to talk to someone, please call or text 988 right now.)

  During her season, Sarah memorably adopted a puppy, Leroy, and hoisted Flora up to look through a window at the threesome between Mike, Melissa, and another woman, causing the window to shatter.

  When the show premiered, MTV's bio for Sarah said this:

  A graduate of Indiana University, Sarah is an editor at one of the country's leading comic book companies in La Jolla, Calif. This self-admitted "19-year-old trapped in a 25-year-old body" loves to skateboard, collect empty Blistex tubes and Swatch watches, and spend her free time dressing up as television characters. A tomboy, Sarah says she doesn't deal well with pettiness and wants to stay true to herself while on the show.

• ❑Monday, Jun. 17, 9:32 am | Sarah D. Bunting

  Attributing its ranking of the 30 best true-crime podcasts to "Staff Author" is pretty bogus of Entertainment Weekly -- but Ms. Author came up with a solid list nevertheless: a couple of surprises, a top choice I agree with, and some new listens for the "someday" section of my review list.

• ❑Sunday, Jun. 16, 1:12 pm | Andy Dehnart

  Kenya Moore was suspended indefinitely from The Real Housewives of Atlanta, which is now filming.

  Straight from the A first reported that "network execs recently called a full cast meeting and Moore received some very bad news as she was reportedly told she was INDEFINITELY SUSPENDED from filming after an internal investigation" because she "revealed explicit images of fellow cast member Brit Eady performing a sex act."

  Kenya wrote on social media, "I would never engage in revenge p*rn, I have never distributed private images or footage of anyone, nor solicited images owned by others to use to threaten or blackmail. I have always been vindicated. I can’t talk about STORY even with people planting fake news."

• ❑Friday, Jun. 14, 9:01 am | Sarah D. Bunting

  Ariana Grande went on Penn Badgley's podcast, Podcrushed, and talked about Quiet on Set and her own experience in the Nick-verse. This quote about kids trying to please the grown-ups and get that laugh dopamine really struck me: "Grande said young stars arehyper-focused on reactions to their performances from from adults on set which 'create a strange pattern that occurs where it’s really taking advantage of how much it means to the young performer to get a laugh from Video Village.'"

  See Also

  Reality TV News, Pictures, and Videos - E! OnlineReality TV | ScreenRantReality TV | Collider

• ❑Wednesday, Jun. 12, 9:09 pm | Andy Dehnart

  Chopped’s June 11 episode featured its first all-out, all-queer judging panel in the Food Network show's history: Tiffany Faison, Ginger Minj, and Gabe Bertaccini, plus, of course, out host Ted Allen.

  Tiffany Faison posted on Instagram and said "I am so so grateful to have been a part of this day. Y’all this is special, it has NEVER happened before."

  She also thanked Chopped producers Linda Lea and Amy Stanford "for pushing for so long to make this happen."

  Chopped has been on TV since 2009 and has aired almost 800 episodes.

• ❑Wednesday, Jun. 12, 8:06 am | Sarah D. Bunting

  According to Variety, a tearful Kevin Spacey told Piers Morgan he owes "millions" in legal fees, and is facing foreclosure on his Baltimore house. He also got passive-aggressive about Netflix and/or his House Of Cards co-stars supporting him: "It does seem with Dave Chappelle that Ted Sarandos has learned to be supportive of controversial individuals…I do wish he’d done that with me." Wow, what a shame that Spacey himself (allegedly) couldn't have avoided this nadir by treating others with respect in the first place!

• ❑Tuesday, Jun. 11, 12:30 pm | Sarah D. Bunting

  Pamela Smart, whose story became To Die For as well as an HBO doc and more than one Law & Order episode, has finally admitted responsibility in an attempt to get her sentence reduced.

• ❑Tuesday, Jun. 11, 7:19 am | Andy Dehnart

  My Below Deck Med season 9 episode 2 recap is coming soon, just later today, probably early afternoon.

  It'll be worth the wait, I promise. Make yourself some sandwiches in the meantime.

• ❑Monday, Jun. 10, 7:58 pm | Andy Dehnart

  Top Chef alum and guest judge Gregory Gourdet won the James Beard Award for best chef, northwest and Pacific.

  This is his third James Beard Award in a row, having won previously for his cookbook and then his restaurant, kann.

  Watch his acceptance speech, which Gregory posted on Instagram with a caption that said, in part:

  Diversity and female led teams are not catch words but systems that work.

  My hope is we can continue to work towards making our industry better for the next generation and even better for the one after that.

  As we celebrate in excess and privilege remember that access to food is a basic human right and should never be used as a tool of war against the innocent.

Shows I recommend → The Dish with Kish • I Kissed a Boy

All of this week's premieres → Reality TV shows • reality TV specials and docs