Comments on: As Seen on TV

By: J. E. "Doc" Stuart

J. E. "Doc" Stuart — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 16:38:45 +0000

Back in the late 60s/early 70s, the Firesign Theater did a quiz show called “Name That Disease!” in which a group of contestants were infected with a fatal illness and given a short time period to figure out what they had based on symptoms.

I don’t recall what the prize was, but seem to remember that the first contestant to make a correct diagnosis was given the cure, while the others were not.

By: David C. Casey

David C. Casey — Fri, 04 Aug 2006 20:10:13 +0000

For our snapshot, soundbyte culture, here comes the rapid fire list of TV shows that America has the right to see:

1) “American Idyll”: Whichever contestant, through poetry, painting, or song, can inspire the most city-folk to leave the big town for an easy, happy life in the countryside wins.

2) “Cheer Factor”: It’s Fear Factor, but with only cheerleaders. Let’s face it; they scream better and probably vomit more easily when eating absurdly disgusting food.

3) To continue the trend of vaguely threatening reality show titles, we’ve got “So You Think You Deserve to Live?”: Are you good at self-justifying? You’d better be.

4) And finally, “The Reality Flow”: A little bit for everybody. Swap a spouse for a nanny (super, preferably) then, together, go on an race, amazingly, across a deserted island upon which you must survive, ideally by dancing and/or having a talent. Throughout all of that, you must cry spontaneously and for seemingly no reason. At the end, you win a million dollars, a new car, a corporate sponsor, and a five minute spot on the CBS Early Show, plus the winner will not have to pay taxes on that million dollars, since “The Reality Flow” will send him/her, all expenses paid, to jail for the next season of the show, entitled “The Reality Flow II: America’s Got Prisons!”

By: David

David — Fri, 04 Aug 2006 15:33:22 +0000

It’s going to be hard to pick one! They’re all so good. Better than most of the shows on TV now, eh? Tune in next week, when I mention the winner in my As Seen on Tv post…

This “contest” ends 6pm EDT today (Friday)!

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Thu, 03 Aug 2006 19:58:04 +0000

Physics graduate school would make a fantastic reality series. You start with 20 incoming graduate students and enjoy watching them for a semester as they try to stay awake in class after spending all night on their homework, teach unruly undergraduates in their lab sections, fight for research positions, build interesting contraptions with lasers and spare parts from microwaves, and scratch their heads as they try to understand quantum mechanics. Then at the end of each week a board of professors decide which one flunks out of the PhD program (if you wanted a celebrity host, you could always try to sign up Stephen Hawking).

Of course, you’d want to have your typical types of students: the smarty-pants know-it-all who likes to brag, the clueless nerd who’s never had a girlfriend, the hot girl who really is actually smart, the guy who’s into anime, online gaming, and fantasy novels, the Asian genius, and quiet one who’s really plotting to take over the world. As far as “reality” goes, sounds a lot like my first year of graduate school to me…

By: ira schaeffer

ira schaeffer — Thu, 03 Aug 2006 13:06:40 +0000

Two extreme right and left-brainers–with established lifestyles (job, home, friends, etc.) switch places for a week.

By: Anthony

Anthony — Thu, 03 Aug 2006 03:48:59 +0000

I can’t believe I forgot the mention the big payoff! The three survivors get the apartment completely renovated (There is a strong likelihood of damage. Bizarre smells are virtually a given.), and, provided they can still stand each other, they get the apartment rent free and utilities paid for a full year.

I have to add that this was inspired by a couple of freakshow roommates I had. Ultimately, one of them and I conducted a campaign of psychological warfare to get rid of the other guy.

By: Mary

Mary — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 13:42:43 +0000

Hey, Anthony, I think I participated in an unfilmed version of that show a few years ago in New York. I lost.

By: Anthony

Anthony — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 12:20:15 +0000

Get a three bedroom apartment in a high property value area like Manhattan, Boston, or San Francisco, and place 6 contestants in it. Objective: In 30 days, at least 3 of the contestants must move out VOLUNTARILY. Nobody can just be voted out. Rules: 2 people must share each bedroom, the contestants must continue their daily lives (i.e. go to work, see girlfriend/boyfriend, etc.), the contestants can spend a maximum of 8.5 hours a day outside the apartment (to allow them to continue to work), and they can’t physically assault on another. Other than that, they can do anything they want to each other to get 3 of them to move out. Since no one can be voted out, they have to decide they just can’t take it any more. I forsee sleep deprivation, scary personal hygiene, and other creative passtimes. Now that’s good TV!

By: David

David — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 21:35:55 +0000

Good one! I can picture the merchandising already…

By: Marcy

Marcy — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 20:41:57 +0000

Film school:
Cast includes hopeful writers and directors who are paired up at the beginning of each episode and given a set of parameters for their film including a budget and a couple of actors. Judges = writers, directors, and producers. The best film wins and the makers of the worst go home.
The actors can be like the models in Project Runway where they are tied to the winning and losing films.
Tell me the casting call for that wouldn’t be astronomical.