Author: B-Side

We’re getting to the end. Yes, The Gauntlet 2 is winding down, and on Monday night, the women battled it out one last time for a shot at the final challenge. I entered the episode brimming with optimism: would this be the week we finally say goodbye to Kina? Might Aneesa be forced to shut [...]

Once again, I feel compelled to start my Apprentice recap by asking all the wonderful TV viewers out there “Why aren’t you watching this?” If your TV’s already set on 24, then I understand. But if you’re capable of watching one show live and taping/Tivoing another, you really owe it to yourself to check in [...]

Somebody get CTU some alka-seltzer. This place has the worst case of gas I’ve seen in years. Yes, it was another hour of the Sentox Circus that we commonly know as 24, and if you thought the death count ended with the thud of Edgar’s doughy body, then you were wrong. As long as that [...]

Thought the stupidity of Real World: Austin was behind you? Think again. Lovebirds/drunkards Johanna and Wes have teamed up for the most auspicious business endeavor of the new year: a t-shirt company! Yes, ladies and gentlemen, prepare yourself for “Wes and Johanna’s Inc,” your source for all things dumb and poseurish. The fledgling brand is [...]

Let’s say you’re NBC, and you want to make your own version of Iron Chef. But let’s say you also want to make your own version of Dancing with the Stars too. And just for kicks, you think to yourself, “Is there a way we can add Diddy to this?” Well, Presto Change-o! We’ve got [...]

Two weeks into Real World: Key West, and the season is still looking surprisingly strong. For a moment, I thought everything might just fall apart as this latest episode plunged us into a silly argument about bar-hopping, but oddly enough, even that conflict turned out to be curiously engaging. It wasn’t just drunk people fighting [...]

The big news today is that Wafah Dufour Bin Ladin (a.k.a. the niece of Osama Bin Laden) will be starring in her very own reality show. Produced by ReganMedia, rumor has it this show has been in the works for quite some time now, starting right after Wafah’s scandalous GQ photo spread. So will people [...]

Believe it or not, The Sopranos is actually returning to HBO this weekend. You might have been able to tell by the nonstop appearance of fluff articles, like this stunning exposé on a bus tour of famous Sopranos sights. Anyway, we were lucky enough to grab some photos from the first episode, and therefore, we [...]

Papi has been inundated with work this week; so I’m temporarily taking over on American Idol recap duties. Lots of exciting activity this week. The semi-finalists were finally winnowed down to the top twelve, which meant we had to say goodbye to four more aspiring lounge singers. It’s always tough sending these kids packing because… [...]

Tonight’s episode of Survivor will surely go down as one of the most anti-climactic ever, and we can thank in no small part the good people of the CBS Marketing Department for that. I don’t want to get into the nitty-gritty, but in the promos for this week’s show, CBS promised “A tribal council like [...]

So many headline options for The Gauntlet 2 this week. “It’s the Pits,” “Pit Stains,” “Brad’s Pit.” I could go on. But I decided the most apt use of a “pit” pun was “Stuck in the Pits,” which is a rather appropriate way to describe the latest episode. Actually, it’s a bit harsh. The episode [...]

The other day, I was trolling about MySpace looking for reality stars, when I came across the profile of one Jase Wirey, former villain of the Big Brother 5 household. His site had little by way of worthwhile information, but his blog featured a quote so stirring and thought-provoking, it just had to be shared. [...]

Brazil has treated us well for the second week in a row on The Amazing Race. Tuesday’s episode was fairly simply in terms of route, but that’s okay. It still packed all the fun and excitement we’ve come to expect, and on top of it all, one of my least favorite teams got the boot. [...]

There are many traditions that have become part of the American experience: barbecues on the Fourth, football on Thanksgiving, and wassailing to merry mirth at Christmastime. Monday night, we got to enjoy another one of these hallowed pastimes: the great American witch hunt on The Apprentice. Yes, the claws came out as Team Synergy — [...]

I was lucky enough to get a backstage pass to tonight’s American Idol, which featured a fine spread of various crackers, cookies, and pecan-bleu cheese spreads. Unfortunately, those of you looking for scandal and spectacle will be disappointed. It was a rather relaxed scene, devoid of any backstage rampages by scorned Idols (whattup, Sway). In [...]

I apologize for this glaringly late Gauntlet 2 recap. Last week was just a whirlwind of insanity for me, what with The Apprentice and Real World and Amazing Race all premiering. But now it’s Monday, a full seven days later, and the clock is winding down to the next installment of The Real World/Road Rules [...]

Same day, and in some markets, same time. Tyra Banks from The Tyra Banks Show on March 1st, 2006. Kennedy from Reality Remix on March 1st 2006.

They’re baaaack. The Real World returned to proper drunken form this week, this time storming — quite literally — the sandy shores of Key West. After last season’s mind-numbing debacle, placing the seven strangers in a bona fide Spring Break party isle seemed like a most ill-advised idea. But here’s the surprise: this premiere was [...]

There’s a great new commercial on television these days. It features the always lovable Jerome Bettis talking about asthma. Now, I know that doesn’t sound very enticing, but trust me, it’s amazing. It’s the sort of non-ironic commercial spot I didn’t think companies made anymore. I’ll take you through it step by step, and I’ll [...]

The Academy Awards are just around the corner, and if you’re like me, you’re a little bored with the standard office Oscar pool ballots. That’s why we’ve created the TVgasm.com Oscar Ballot. It asks the real questions: who will be the biggest upset? Who will be the worst presenter? And how many Brokeback Mountain jokes [...]

Great news everyone! The Amazing Race 9 premiered on Tuesday with nary a family, a patriotic ode, nor a hypocritically religious crazy woman suffering from a bad perm. It’s all we could have asked for, really. Yes, our favorite adventure reality show returned in fine form — although, I must admit that the first twenty [...]

For all of you wondering what was up with that super awkward pause between Daniel Franco, Heidi Klum, and Tim Gunn on the Project Runway reunion, you’re in luck. It just so happens that the TVgasm Myspace account is friends with Daniel Franco (one of 3,000. We’re that special), and as luck would have it, [...]

My new favorite obsession? Deal or No Deal. This game show requires absolutely no skill or talent, and yet, it’s like the most exciting thing ever — especially when Donald Trump stops by, which is exactly what happened last night. It’s nice to have a game show sensation back on the air, and I’ll be [...]

Surprise! New season of The Apprentice! I guess this wasn’t much of a surprise for people who watched the Olympics, which I did, but still, there was a remarkable lack of buzz heading into this season premiere. I’m sure the new time slot on Mondays didn’t help matters much either. I hope that the ratings [...]

If you were anywhere near a TV Sunday night, you knew there was only one competition you had to see — and no, I’m not talking about Iron Chef America’s Battle ANDOUILLE SAUSAGE!!! (Sorry, that Chairman really rubbed off on me.) Of course, I’m referring to the lavish season finale of Dancing with the Stars. [...]

Things are winding down on The Gauntlet 2, and sadly, so is the drama. Don’t get me wrong — it’s still always amusing to watch these teams snipe at each other for various crimes against humanity such as slow tire maneuvering or unjust Gaunlet selections. But whatever happened to the days of nonsensical screaming fits? [...]

So I sat down this evening to watch last night’s Tivo’d episode of Dancing with the Stars — the penultimate episode, mind you — and what do I find? Nothing. Nada. Between Survivor and American Idol clogging up the eight o’clock hour, Tivo was left with no chance but to cruelly deny Dancing from the [...]

The end is near. Tonight is the penultimate Dancing with the Stars episode, and what better way to get psyched (and I use that term loosely) than to relive all of last week’s tears, joy, and Bublé. Yes, it was another stellar (READ: overly inflated) edition of cha chas and quick steps, but this time [...]

Click to play. So the other night I came across an informercial for the Little Giant Ladder System. I was immediately drawn in. After all, the spot did feature the one and only Richard Karn, star of Home Improvement, Family Feud, and Air Bud: Seventh Inning Fetch. As I listened to the various actors repeat [...]

I hope everyone’s been enjoying Presidents Day Weekend 2006. I know I am. Granted, I didn’t exactly have a three-day weekend from my day job (yes, I do have a day job. Although, technically, it’s a night shift, but… you get it), but somewhere between Thursday and this moment I did catch the latest episode [...]

The ever intense rivalry between Kina and Cara boiled over this week on The Gauntlet 2, and only one of them was left standing. If that spoiled anything for you — ie. whether or not the Rookies won the week’s challenge — well, I apologize, but then again, I haven’t ruined anything that MTV hadn’t [...]

There was so much exciting activity on Dancing with the Stars this week! Okay, maybe not that much. It’s just that there were two perfect scores, and in the spirit of optimism and pride that the Olympics inspire, I thought I’d try my hand at excessive enthusiasm for once. Needless to say, the five remaining [...]

Man, what a great episode of 24. This show does a lot of things well, but nothing better than sticking Jack Bauer with a pressing deadline and an insurmountable crisis (which, of course, is always surmountable). And nothing says “insurmountable” like a canister of nerve gas going off in a crowded mall’s ventilation system. Yes, [...]

I’m a little disappointed with this second week of Survivor: Panama — Exile Island. Don’t get me wrong — I still enjoyed it quite a bit, and this season has started off promisingly. But after Cirie schemed her way out of the corner last week, I was kind of expecting similar antics this time around, [...]

Time to issue yet another TVgasm apology. The Dancing with the Stars recap is very late this week because, well, I honestly didn’t watch the show until late last night. Truth is that sometimes you just need a break from all the fancy footwork. It’s one thing to pad the show out to 90 minutes [...]

I gotta say, I’m a little shocked by the most recent episode of The Gauntlet 2. There was no random yelling, no petty squabbles, and no gossipy conspiracies. What the hell? This is supposed to be The Real World/Road Rules Challenge, not the battle of normalcy. Alas, we had a good run, didn’t we? And [...]

I am very, very excited. I just happened to notice that The Cannonball Run 2001 is back. Sort of. The Fox Reality Channel is airing reruns of the short-lived but much beloved series all this week. In case you haven’t heard of the show, it’s certainly worth checking out. Think of it as a predecessor [...]

A few weeks ago, I brazenly suggested that There and Back was one of the worst reality shows of all time. I still stand by that statement, and yet I have been compelled to watch every episode since then. Granted, I haven’t always had the time to recap all of Ashley’s exploits — the high [...]

Survivor returned last night for the twelfth go-around; this time honoring the tradition of silly season names by calling itself Survivor: Panama — Exile Island. I have to admit that at first, I was fairly skeptical of the whole “Exile Island” thing. For those of you who hadn’t heard, the whole twist this season — [...]