My Favorite Reality Shows

A reality show no longer needs to be a guilty pleasure. After all, there must be hundreds of them on the air by now. Each show is on a spectrum of "reality." The editing often determines the likability of each participant. And often, the situation is structured to create tension and even hostility between contestants. Some "reality" shows, like The Hills, for instance, are obviously scripted.

However, here are some shows that I highly recommend, beginning with my favorite: Dancing with the Stars (ABC) is beginning its fifth season on Monday, September 24, 2007. Past competitors have shown determination and great skill in learning difficult postures and moves. These moves require flexibility, especially on the part of the women, and the younger contestants have an obvious advantage here.

In this show, a professional ballroom dancer is paired with a famous person who may know how to dance, but is no expert in ballroom dancing. Past winners include actress Kelly Monaco from General Hospital, Drew Lachey from boy band 98 Degrees, football great Emmit Smith, and skater Apolo Anton Ono.

Contestants from various entertainment genres and generations compete to draw a variety of audience members. After four seasons under its belt, Dancing with the Stars has featured skilled and colorful professional dancers that become more prominent with each passing season. My favorites are Maksim Chmerkovskiy, Juliane Hough, Karina Smirnoff, and Edyta Sliwinska.

My favorite hunky ballroom dancer, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, last season with partner Laila Ali, is seen below:



Some of the contestants for the upcoming fifth season will be: actress Jane Seymour, actress Jenny Garth, soap star Cameron Mathison, entertainer Wayne Newton, entertainer Marie Osmond, Spice Girl Melanie Brown, and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban. I'm so jazzed about this show; I can hardly wait.

Another favorite of mine has been The Next Food Network Star. The show is currently on hiatus as they search for contestants for season four. The winner of each season is awarded, among other things, their own Food Network show. For Food Network fans, celebrities like Paula Deen, Giada de Laurentis, and Rachel Ray, are frequently called upon to judge.

I guess I live vicariously through these shows, as I love to dance, and I love to cook. The contestants of The Next Food Network Star are put into situations to show their creative, practical and culinary skills. For instance, they may have limited time to shop and cater for a wedding. Or in a separate competition they may be required to use a special ingredient--like an unusual fish--and come up with a delectable meal within a short period of time.

Contestants must show charm and affability in front of the camera. Will this person inspire viewers to cook? Will this person invite viewers to watch the Food Network? I love the Food Network, and I'm amazed at what these contestants accomplish and endure to find their place on television. They each inspire me to work in my kitchen and to continue watching the Food Network.

The winner of The Next Food Network Star Season Three, Amy Finley, is seen below:



My third favorite is called I Want to Be a Soap Star (soapnet). This may sound like a lame show but it's terrific. The winner of the current show (season four) gets a contract part on Days of Our Lives.

Here is another competitive show, as the contestants are given a script early in the morning. They must perform their scene during the afternoon of the same day, and later that evening, one person is asked to leave the show. Not only must these contestants memorize dialogue, but they are asked to learn something unique and difficult during each competition.

In the first show, the contestants were asked to do an intimate scene with a brand new partner. The scene required choreography, if you will, of sex foreplay, and the disrobing of most clothing. The second installment asked each contestant to use a Russian accent, and the third show was staged on the beach in bikinis, and each participant had to engage in a fist fight or physical altercation.

What makes the show interesting is that each pair of actors does identical scenes, and as the judges review them, their scenes are interspersed, so that the viewer can compare each actor's interpretation of the same script. It's lots of fun.

Cameron Mathison hosts I Want to Be a Soap Star; he is also a contestant this season on Dancing with the Stars. Goody for me.



Some other good reality shows are Project Runway (A&E), Fashionista Diaires (soapnet), and America's Next Top Model (CW). Project Runway features aspiring designers, and they create extremely beautiful clothing. In Fashionista Diaries, six interns are exposed to a career path that requires availability and dedication around the clock. America's Next Top Model might sound hokey and shallow, but the show is an education for anyone who enjoys art design and photography.

Some reality shows set the contestants up to be mean-spirited and spiteful. Some of them portray women as manipulative and catty. I do not enjoy this type of show, but others do, as they get high ratings. Reality shows can give us a glimpse into the world of acting, fashion, design, food presentation, dance competition, and all kinds of fascinating worlds. There is a reality show for everyone who likes television.