Top Chef's Restaurant Wars, Survivor's double elimination, and a Betsy Wetsy reality show?!

Dear newsletter friends,

I went back to my reality TV writing roots this week and recapped last week’s Top Chef: Houston with a lot of snark.

Specifically, I wrote about Restaurant Wars, which was pretty successful overall but had some amazing moments, starting with the image I used to illustrate the recap, which will never leave my brain.

Judging by some comments on social media, I think some people who came across my recap weren’t used to my sarcasm/that much sarcasm/such awful jokes. Or perhaps I just should have done a better job and explained that Jackson lost his sense of taste and smell.

I also reviewed a new dance competition that stars Lizzo, which is called Lizzo’s Watch Out For The Big Grrrls.

It’s an enjoyable watch overall—not perfect, but taking reality TV in the right direction in ways I didn’t expect.

Betsy Wetsy and Magic 8 Ball reality TV?

I also had fun this week suggesting 8 reality shows that could be made out of Mattel toys.

I wrote that because Mattel is making movies out of Barbie, Hot Wheels, and even Magic 8 Ball.

My personal favorites—yes, of the things I wrote!—are Betsy Wetsy, Magic 8 Ball, and View-Master.

For actual reality shows, here are:

• This week’s reality TV premieres

• and documentaries that are now airing/streaming

Survivor 42

In my Survivor 42 recap this week, I wrote about surprised with a sort of reverse merge: two groups separately going to Tribal Council.

That led to a blindside, and to two players deciding not to perpetuate a pattern that was emerging.

What Drea and Maryanne were talking about is not a surprise—the data is clear—but it has, alas, brought out the uglier side of the fan base once again.

Reality TV news

Recent stories I added to my April 2022 news round-up:

• American Idol winner Laine Hardy—a phrase I haven't ever heard before!—tweeted that he received a warrant for his arrest and is being investigated by Louisiana State University's police department for "allegations made against" him.

• Judge Judy's former bailiff Petri Hawkins-Byrd, who was not invited to her new show Judy Justice, is going to a new Amazon Freevee show—where he'll be the bailiff. The show, Tribunal, will be a panel series Judge Judy's son Adam Levy and Hot Bench judges Patricia DiMango and Tanya Acker.

• BravoCon is returning this year, three years after the first, which ended up being a real-life Bravo press release, which is better than becoming another Fyre Festival, which it seemed like it was on track to be.

• Former Real Housewives of Atlanta star NeNe Leakes sued Bravo, NBCUniversal, True Entertainment, Truly Original, and Andy Cohen, among others, saying they "foster a corporate and workplace culture in which racially insensitive and inappropriate behavior is tolerated — if not, encouraged."

🤩 I recommend

• This show on Amazon Prime Video

• This show, which has been airing on Bravo after each episode of Top Chef Houston

• This list of "creatives and executives that made their mark on unscripted television over the last year"

That’s this week—and another month! Have a great weekend.

best,
Andy

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🌄 This is Reality in Focus issue 288, first sent 29 April 2022, and it prefers horoscopes over Magic 8 Ball.

💻 This newsletter is hand-crafted in Florida by me, Andy Dehnart, and is supported in part by reality blurred patrons and paid subscribers to this newsletter. I’m grateful for them. If you can—or have a healthy expense account!—consider becoming a patron or upgrading your newsletter subscription.

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