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PAGE DESIGN BY JULIE BONE
|
The Battalion
Page 3 • Monday, September 20, 2004
Must-see Fall TV
Part One:
Meet the
freshmen of
reality TV
]|j Channe/ 9
"The Benefactor'
Premiered Sept. 13
'Wife Swap-
Premieres Sept. 29
I
'The Complex: Malibu"
Premiered Aug. 30
"Renovate My Family"
Premiered Sept. 1
"The Rebel Billionaire”
Premieres Nov. 9
"The Next Great Champ'
Premieres Nov. 7
_ Channel 6
"The Contender-
Premiered Sept. 9
"The Apprentice 2"
Premiered Sept. 9
Will Lloyd • THE BATTALION
By Robert Saucedo
THE BATTALION
Once a year, colossal forces that shape
and control human lives come together
to prepare for combat in an attempt to
rule the most powerful tool in America:
Television airwaves.
This fall, reality television will
flood the airwaves as major networks
prepare to roll out their new season of
programs. From boxing to billionaires,
the networks have looked far and wide
in search of the next big gimmick in
reality TV.
Networks have cooked up a handful of
new shows, each hoping to entangle view
ers in their web of addiction.
ABC’s “The Benefactor” will follow
Dallas Mavericks owner and all-around
billionaire Mark Cuban as he chooses,
among 16 hopefuls, one lucky contes
tant to bestow SI million dollars upon.
Cuban’s show premiered to decent
ratings, likely because of its system
of eliminating contestants at any time
during the season, with three contestants
already failing Cuban’s test by the end of
the first episode. “Wife Swap” will fea
ture two families that trade their woman
of the house to experience a mile in a
different shoe.
Fox is sure to be crowned the king
of reality television as it unveils its fall
lineup, containing a total of five unscript
ed shows in comparison to its single new
drama. Among Fox’s new shows are
“Spouse Swap,” taking the same formula
as “Wife Swap,” wherein families trade
not only wives, but fathers as well in
their similarly themed program.
Already halfway through its season,
“The Complex: Malibu,” which deals
with eight couples that compete for the
chance to remodel a home, is suffering
dismal ratings. Fox hopes to improve its
luck with “Renovate My Family,” where
a panel of “professionals,” including Dr.
Phil’s son. Jay McGraw, will consider
and redesign every aspect of a family
from cars to pets to personalities.
Also along for the ride is “The Partner,”
a new reality show similar to Donald
Trump’s “The Apprentice.” In “The
Partner,” a group of recent law school
graduates will compete with each other
to gain a position as partner in a major
law firm.
“The Rebel Billionaire: Branson’s
Quest for the Best” will follow Sir
Richard Branson, founder and chairman
of the Virgin group of companies, as he
travels with a group of young contes
tants around the world while searching
for the most adventurous risk-taker
amongst the group.
“The Next Great Champ” finds
Oscar De La Hoya in a quest to find
raw unsigned talent in the boxing ring.
Although it premiered to dismal ratings.
Fox’s show will find itself in direct
competition when NBC unveils its own
boxing reality show, “The Contender,”
produced in part by Sylvester Stallone.
A new season of “The Apprentice”
has premiered, with a third season set to
follow shortly after the second’s conclu
sion. Trump will test the wiles of 18
contestants again, each with their own
business education ranging from the
Ivy League to street smarts. Although
this season’s series did not receive the
big ratings it expected, the contestants
are already off to a great start: A toy
designed by a one team during a chal
lenge was picked up for mass produc
tion by manufacturer Mattel.
Spencer Selvidge, sophomore zoology
major, watches approximately fyur hours
of television every week. However, he
chooses not to spend any time watching
reality TV programming.
“It was real interesting at first, but
today it’s just boring,” Selvidge said,
referring to reality programming. “The
first year it was cool and new, but it
seems that all the new shows are just
spin-ofts of the same thing.
Natalie Minshew, freshman psychol
ogy major, said she has never seen an
hour of reqlity television except for some
episodes of MTV’s “The Real World”
when she was in middle school.
“I’ve never watched reality televi
sion,” Minshew said. “I’m kind of
proud of that now that I’ve survived
the heyday of reality television, but
I used to feel really confused when
my friends would talk about who got
eliminated in what.”
Minshew prefers scripted drama to
reality any day of the week.
“I don’t feel my life has been ne
glected in some way. If I want reality
television drama, I’ll go hang out with
my friends.”
Rick Rigsby, professor in the depart
ment of communication, teaches ai...
Chris Griffin • THE BATTALION
course on the rhetoric of popular culture.
In Rigsby’s opinion, nothing good can
come from reality programming.
“Reality shows have hit home runs,”
Dr. Rigsby said. “They allow the public
to watch vicariously. I think these reality
shows say more about American culture
than people involved in broadcasting.”
Selvidge doesn't think all reality
shows are worth watching.
‘“Big Brother’” is the dumbest thing
on television,” Selvidge said. “I have
friends who pay for a live feed just to
sit there at their computers and watch
See TV on page 7
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THIS WEDNESDAY,
LEARN HOW YOU CAN LEAD
THE MOVEMENT TO END
EDUCATIONAL INEQUITY.
Wednesday, September 22, 6:00 pm
Rudder 402
.»
Students In Low-
Income Areas 7
Times Less Likely
To Graduate From
College Than
High-Income Peers
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OUR GENERATION MUST TAKE ON THIS ISSUE
TEAOHFOR AMERICA
www.teachforamerica.org
For individuals of all academic majors and career interests. Full salary and health benefits.
The People Have Spoken!
The Foreigners a
Hilarious Hit!
“Best show I've seen since
A Chorus Line!"
Charlene, Tuna, Texas
“I swear...even our
sheep were laughing!"
Aunt Pearl, Tuna, Texas
“I laughed so hard, I
dropped my cigarette."
Didi Snavely, Tuna, Texas
Buy Your
Tickets Now!
Call 845-1234.
www.MSCOPAS.org
Student
tickets
A
MSC
OPAS
enlighten \ entertain inspire
ee those hilarious Tuna guys as you
[IMP!/ have never seen them before!
Jaston Williams and Joe Sears, joined by a full
cast, will open the 2004-2005 OPAS season
with Larry Shue’s hit comedy THE FOREIGNER. If
Sears and Williams kept you in stitches as the
outrageous characters of Tuna,you won’t
believe the side-splitting hilarity brought on
when joined by five other comedic actors!
THE FOREIGNER
Starring Jaston Wiliams & Joe Sears
(stars of the Tuna Trilogy) joined by five
other comedic actors!
Friday & Saturday, September 24 & 25
7:30 PM in Rudder Auditorium
* Available in balcony seating only. Limited numberoftickets available for each performance. Discount valid at MSC Box
Office only. TAMU student ID required. Limit two tickets per student per performance. Not valid for tickets already purchased.
Offer expires September 25,2004.