February 15, 2008
The winter finale of NBC's 1 vs. 100 airs tonight, during which a Texan beauty queen will go up against the mob for the chance to win $1 million.
Cassandra Whitehead, a 22-year-old Houston native who has competed in several Miss Texas Teen USA pageants, is set to face the eager mob tonight. Avid reality television viewers will also remember Whitehead from a certain model competition on NBC's competitor, The CW.
November 30, 2007
Despite rampant optimism over the last couple weeks, the writers' strike looks no closer to ending and NBC's mid-season schedule makes that abundantly clear. NBC has loaded up on reality fare, devoting at least one hour every night to reality shows. Nearly a third of NBC's prime-time schedule will be of the reality variety. New additions coming early in 2008 include American Gladiators, 1 vs. 100, and Celebrity Apprentice. Also, a new season of The Biggest Loser will air and Deal or No Deal will continue with new episodes.
January 2, 2007
Finally.
After a month of holidays, egg nog, and more Snoopy and Ralphie Parker than one knows what to do with, we're finally back to normal. January is upon us, 2007 has begun its tyrannical, 300-plus day reign, and our favorite TV shows will no longer bludgeon us with repeats. Tomorrow, January 3rd, brings the return of a couple of our favorites, as well as two brand new shows.
After that, the flood begins, and over the next month virtually every original program will air new episodes. A full list of the returning dates for most every show on television is after the jump.
December 27, 2006
Game shows have been around since the beginning of TV. Their popularity has never really waned; just look at the success of long-running franchises like Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy, The Price is Right, and (one of my personal favorites) Supermarket Sweep. However, the prime-time network game show is an altogether different beast. The late 1990s saw an unprecedented boom in the prime-time game show, ushered in by the mega-hit Who Wants to be a Millionaire?
That show was successful for a number of reasons. One, it was the largest prize that a game show has ever offered. Two, Regis Philbin, however you feel about him, is a warm presence and wonderful host, the perfect guide through an our of trivia and small talk. The success of Millionaire paved the way for programs like The Weakest Link and Greed, but ABC eventually overexposed Millionaire, leading to its doom, and the prime time game show laid dormant. That is, until late last season.
November 21, 2006
1 vs. 100 is a new game show format taken again from successful abroad television ventures and produced by the same game producers as Deal or No Deal. It is a quiz show along the lines of the traditional, "Who Wants to Be A Millionaire" and "Jeopardy," but with a fascinating twist.