Another month, another round of new reality TV. And since the weather won’t cooperate so that we can be outside, why not veg on the couch with the remote?
Because there’s nothing to watch.
I have never seen such a sad summer lineup. Perhaps it’s because I just never got into the “Big Brother” world, set to air its 11th season at 8 p.m. Thursday, July 9, and will air three nights each week on CBS. Three nights of any reality TV is just too much.
In a similar voyeuristic venture, CBS is set to launch a new reality competition on Aug. 9, “There Goes the Neighborhood.”
I’m still waiting for a preview of the show that we’ve been teased about under the working title, “Block Party,” but I’m pretty sure it’s going to be lame.
In a story earlier this week, Variety online states that the show already has created a spectacle in Atlanta because of the 20-foot walls that have been erected around an entire block of homes.
The walls will close the families off from the outside world — limited electricity, no text messaging or Internet — while they compete against their neighbors in the compound for the $250,000 grand prize.
The show will air at 9 p.m. Sundays. If I get my hands on a preview, I’ll be sure to let you know if it’s worth tuning in. Let’s hope my instincts are wrong.
On a more painful note, I thought it was appropriate this week to remember the contributions that Farrah Fawcett, Michael Jackson and Billy Mays made to reality TV.
Many may not remember Fawcett’s 2005 TV Land series “Chasing Farrah” in which she offered a behind-the-scenes look at her life. “American Idol” gave tribute to Michael Jackson during its most recent season with its King of Pop Night.
And as he did so well, Mays used his pitching skills on Discovery’s “Pitchmen” to test the public and see if his pitches for new inventions and products were ready for public viewing.
All three shows have been rebroadcast in tribute to the legends that left us in recent weeks, and I’m fairly certain that if you keep your eyes open you’ll see more in the coming days and weeks.
Although I wasn’t able to judge this year’s Eastern Maine Idol competition at the Bangor Mall because of prior commitments, I’d like to give a big congratulations to winner Jen Candage.
This is a dream come true for the singer who now is headed for an all expense paid trip to audition for “Idol” in Orlando. Jen’s no stranger to the stage, performing gigs all over Maine (and beyond) with the amazing Gilpin Railroad Incident. If you want to hear Jen, check out GRI’s Fourth of July concert at Three Rivers White Water Rafting in Millinocket at 9 p.m. Saturday.