Virtual Summer Lovin Had me a blast.......
As the COVID-19 TV production shutdown continues, TV program lineups are increasingly works in progress. While broadcast networks look forward to the fall – or perhaps more realistically, the winter – to launch their full 2020-21 schedules, viewers already are feeling the effects of programming shifts, most notably the absence of familiar summer friends.
You won't see a number of last summer's fan favorites in the coming months due to the coronavirus shutdown, either because they couldn't film or because they were moved to bolster fall and winter schedules. Hollywood must reach certain health benchmarks and institute substantial protective measures before production can resume, so it's not clear when sidelined shows will start filming again.
For now, however, viewers will have to adjust to a summer without some staples, in some cases having nothing to do with COVID-19.
So, what's going to be missing or altered this summer due to the pandemic? Let's take a look at some significant shows:
- "The Bachelorette" (ABC): The pandemic indefinitely delayed the May debut of Clare Crawley in the title role, but ABC alternative programming chief Rob Mills still hopes to film Season 16 this summer. He's even talked about the possibility of testing and quarantining Crawley, her suitors and crew for on-set production. When the show's next season airs depends on when it is filmed. In the meantime, ABC is offering "The Bachelor: The Greatest Seasons Ever," with clips from some of the most dramatic moments from the series. Clare Crawley is scheduled to be the Bachelorette for the 16th season of the ABC dating show, but its traditional summer launch has been delayed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 production shutdown.
- Bachelor in Paradise (ABC): With producers focused on the franchise's tentpoles, "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette," this offshoot, an August perennial where previous contestants get a second shot at love in an idyllic tropical setting, is a lesser priority and likely won't air this summer.
- The Amazing Race (CBS): Season 32 of the Emmy-winning popular travel competition was ready for a summer launch, but CBS pushed it to an undetermined date this fall. In late February, CBS halted production of Season 33 after filming three episodes and making stops in England and Scotland, due to coronavirus concerns. (Starting July 8, fans can get a Phil Keoghan fix with CBS' "Tough as Nails," a strength and endurance competition involving firefighters, welders and others with physically demanding jobs and featuring the "Race" host as host and executive producer.)
- Big Brother (CBS): Fans will surely miss this summer staple when its traditional late June premiere rolls around, but the network is still planning for Season 22. It's just not clear when that will happen.
- Love Island (CBS): Summer seems like the perfect time for a dating show featuring beautiful young people at a sun-splashed island villa, but this U.K. adaptation, originally scheduled to return in May, might not arrive during swimsuit season. CBS plans to make it at some point, perhaps filming at a different location from Season 1, which took place in Fiji.
- America's Got Talent (NBC): Summer's top-rated show is airing now, but viewers will see coronavirus-influenced modifications as the season goes on. The talent competition had to shift gears in March, moving from auditions filmed in front of large crowds to those conducted without a studio audience, with Simon Cowell and his fellow judges evaluating remotely. Taped audition episodes are running now and the show plans to complete Season 15, although it remains to be seen how the series will be produced when live shows are scheduled to begin in August.
- American Ninja Warrior (NBC): More than 100 contestants and family members gathered in Los Angeles in March to start the obstacle-course competition, but the shutdown forced them to return home before filming began. Production remains dormant and a summer edition seems unlikely.
- So You Think You Can Dance (Fox): Production was suspended just as filming was beginning for this popular dance competition. "We're scheduled to start shooting live tapings of Season 17 of 'SYTYCD' in August," EP Nigel Lythgoe said, while adding, "We don't know how many people will be allowed in the studio, and how many live shows we can do, if any at all. It's difficult to project what's going to happen in August, but we keep preparing for it now." Other Fox summer offerings, including "MasterChef" and "Mental Samurai," met a similar fate.
- Beat Shazam (Fox): Jamie Foxx's interactive music game show had completed filming its season, but it's been pushed from summer to a later date. The latest edition of "Cosmos," hosted by astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, and "Flirty Dancing," a new dating/dance show hosted by Jenna Dewan, also were recorded and scheduled for summer before being pulled back for later broadcast.
- Jeopardy! (syndication): Alex Trebek's venerable game show wraps up a four-week package of new episodes Friday, but more Season 36 originals, traditionally interspersed with reruns during the dog days, aren't available because of the production stoppage.
- Wheel of Fortune (syndication): The "Jeopardy!" tag-team mate, hosted by Pat Sajak, wasn't able to complete filming its 37th season, but it has some unaired original episodes that will be mixed in with reruns over the summer.
It's curtain time.....for the showoffs. I'll talk after this word.
(heads to bathroom)
(fade to break)
(heads back into desk)
Oh hey....what did I miss? Oh yeah, a 0-0 deadlock.......hold on.......
TBS has announced Celebrity Show-Off, a unique talent competition series hosted by Mayim Bialik (The Big Bang Theory), premiering on Tuesday, June 23 at 10:00pm ET/PT.
Based on the popular Korean show My Little Television, and from the executive producer of The Masked Singer, the 10-episode remote series will turn TV and social media on their heads by transforming the variety format into an innovative experiment. Each week celebrities will be given the opportunity to see who can produce the most compelling content from the comfort of their own homes. Talent confirmed for the showcase include: Diplo, Ja Rule, Action Bronson, Gabi Butler, Dwight Howard, Travis Kelce, Nene Leakes, Jason Mraz, Kevin Smith, Tori Spelling, Bella Thorne, Rumer, Scout, and Tallulah Willis and others from every area of entertainment, sports and beyond.
"Wait until you see what this cast has pulled off," said Corie Henson EVP and head of unscripted programming for TBS, TNT and truTV. "From sharing never-before-seen talents, to performing crazy stunts or even bringing on special guests, the celebs' shows are creatively ambitious with DIY charm - since our cast are all working with the limitations of what they've got available at home."
"After discovering The Masked Singer and bringing it to American audiences, I have been on the lookout for interesting and innovative Korean formats. Celebrity Show-Off is exactly that - a fresh, fun series unlike anything else on television," said executive producer Craig Plestis. "It's a cutting edge take on celebrity competition that will allow viewers to see their favorite stars in completely new ways, and put a smile on their faces in these trying times."
"We've all seen shows where stars are produced to dance, or sing, or compete. This isn't that. These celebrities are raw and unfiltered and no one knows what they'll do next," said executive producer Tom Forman. "That means making the show is the most challenging thing ever, and watching it is pure joy." In every episode of this of-the-moment variety show, five celebrities from the worlds of sports, music, comedy, TV, and film will face-off by creating quirky self-shot content that premieres online. The celebrity's goal is to attract and engage the most online viewers to keep their digital shows "on the air" - and avoid being the channel that "goes dark".
Digital shows will debut on TBS's YouTube channel on June 24, the day after the premiere episode, and will be scored by total views, view duration and engagement. Each week, the stars will come together in an inventive high-tech virtual studio where they will screen and react to each other's content and find out who will remain in the competition. And in an innovative "twist," the lowest-performing celebrity will be replaced with a brand new surprise celebrity newcomer, adding a new layer of thrills as everyone vies for the largest internet following. The longer a celebrity stays in the competition, the more money they raise for their charity, with the last star on air earning an extra donation for their cause.
The star-studded cast of Celebrity Show-Off has a combined total of 5 Grammys, plus 14 nominations; 1 Diamond record, 16 Platinum records, and 17 Gold records; They have appeared in over 150 TV Shows, starred in 130 films; They have received more than 30 awards that range from People's Choice and Teen Choice to American Music Awards, BET and NAACP Awards, Young Hollywood and Young Artists Awards; They have collectively written over 33 books and 1 of them is a New York Times Bestseller; Between them they have 1 Super Bowl Championship, 4 honorary degrees, 1 street named after them, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and 46 pets (including 20 snakes!).
Celebrity Show-Off is based on the Korean format from Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation and executive produced by Craig Plestis for Smart Dog Media. The series is produced by Critical Content with Emmy(R) Award winner Tom Forman executive producing alongside Jenny Daly and Jon Beyer; and Emmy(R) Award nominee Aliyah Silverstein serving as executive producer and showrunner.
But what does this remind you of?
Yep. Secret Talents of the Stars on CBS. After one show......POOF! Gone! AUDI 5000!
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Big Brother's long-awaited second All-Stars edition might finally be in the works and hit TV screens this summer.
CBS is rumored to be in talks with former players for a new all-star season to commemorate the series' 20th anniversary, according to Us Weekly.
Negotiations are said to be underway with several past winners and other fan-favorite houseguests.
While the series has brought back former houseguests many times before, this would be the first fully fledged all-star season since Mike "Boogie" Malin's Season 7 victory in 2006.
If all goes according to plan, Season 22 would bow later this summer due to production delays stemming from the coronavirus pandemic. (Previous seasons have premiered in late June or early July.) Players would also be sequestered longer than usual (a full 14-day quarantine) prior to the season's start date to ensure that all participants are healthy and COVID-free.
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On to Netflix News and dating....is going global.
Which of the following pick up lines is the best: "You look like a prince" or "What a beautiful accent"? Don't worry, you don't really have to choose. It will be more interesting to see how the six participants of the newest Netflix reality show, Dating Around Brazil, react to them. The show premieres on July 10th, only on Netflix.
Since finding one's soulmate is not an easy task, two other reality shows are coming up in 2021 to put Brazilian relationships and flirting to the test. In addition to Dating Around Brazil which premieres next month, Netflix announces the production of Love is Blind Brazil and Too Hot To Handle Brazil, both set to premiere next year. With six episodes produced by Endemol Shine Brasil for Netflix, Dating Around Brazil is a local version of the acclaimed American reality show Dating Around, a Netflix Original. People from different genders and sexual orientations leave dating apps in order to seek a new love in São Paulo, face to face. Each single goes to five blind dates to meet different people and try to establish real connections with them. If one of the crushes seems to be the perfect match, then a second date can happen in some iconic place of the city. In order to make the right decision, there are those who prefer to kiss all the candidates; but there are also those who, after a few encounters, choose to be alone.
For 2021, Netflix prepares the Brazilian versions of two reality shows that have generated a lot of buzz among the single community in the United States. Love is Blind Brazil will uncover whether looks or age do matter, or if love really is blind. In the show, singles who want to be loved for who they are, rather than what they look like, choose who they want to marry without ever having seen the other person. With no distractions from the outside world, such as social media, the singles talk to a stream of potential love interests, each one sitting in an individual pod. Only after the proposal they are allowed to lay eyes on their fiancé for the first time.
In Too Hot To Handle Brazil, men and women come together in a tropical paradise for an unforgettable vacation. But there's a twist. These commitment-phobes who love a casual hook-up will have to give up all hanky panky for the entire retreat if they want to win the grand prize. No kissing, no heavy petting, and no physical contact of any kind. With every slip, the prize money goes down. It remains to be seen if the serial singletons will be able to form deeper emotional connections.
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Every kid knows "the floor is lava." The ground is molten rock and if you step in it you "die" (a.k.a. lose). The game's simplicity is why it's so appealing. All you need is a room full of objects to climb over. Then mix in your own craftiness and imagination and you're ready to go. And the best part? No actual magma or money necessary. But now Netflix is turning that childhood staple into a new game show for adults, with the Floor is Lava.
It's a premise that seems silly, absurd, and totally overdue.
With a title like Floor is Lava there's not much mystery about what contestants will have to do on Netflix's new series. On it "teams compete to navigate rooms flooded with lava by leaping from chairs, hanging from curtains, and swinging from chandeliers. Yes, really." And the first trailer for the show reveals that while players won't burn when they fall, they will get wet.
Hosted by Top Gear's Rutledge Wood, the first look at the show is everything we'd want from an oversized version of the kid's game. Players have to crawl, maneuver, and swing across the watery pit on ridiculous items built to handle adults. It's like Legends of the Hidden Temple for grownups, minus those Temple guards we're still afraid of.
But getting to play an all-time classic kid's game isn't even the best part. We're excited we can finally play "the floor is lava" without getting yelled at by our parents. The game might be simple, but it's not actually free to play. At least not for the grownups who have to replace the items destroyed when we climbed over them.
Netflix can afford it.
Floor is Lava premieres on Netflix on June 19.
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Going......across the pond to this.
Channel 4 has confirmed one of the worst-kept secrets in British TV — that The Circle is going to be renewed for a third season. It has also revealed there will be a celebrity version for charity Stand Up To Cancer, and the show will be tweaked because of the coronavirus crisis.
The Studio Lambert and Motion Content Group format will return to Channel 4 in early 2021, opening with a week-long celebrity edition, before everyday contestants enter the reality show, in which they catfish their way to a cash prize. It follows Netflix renewing The Circle for a second and third season in the U.S.
Production on Season 3 will begin in Salford, Greater Manchester, later this year, but it will all be pre-recorded as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, meaning there will be no studio audience or live shows. Emma Willis and comedian Sophie Willan will reprise their roles as host and voiceover respectively.
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Weeks after canceling Love Island this summer, ITV has also pulled the plug on the 2021 winter edition of the show amid ongoing uncertainty over the coronavirus pandemic.
Instead, ITV plans to supersize the summer version of Love Island next year, with an extended number of episodes being filmed at the show's home in Mallorca.
The decision has been made as ITV Studios was about to begin production work on the winter show, with filming due to take place at a villa in South Africa next year.
An ITV spokesman said: "Love Island UK will return bigger and better than ever with an extended run in summer 2021."
Winter Love Island was only created this year and was presented by Laura Whitmore following the assault charge against host Caroline Flack and her subsequent death mid-way through the season.
The Sun first reported on ITV's decision to pull the 2021 winter Love Island.
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ITV is heading back inside high-intensity gameshow The Cube – the latest classic entertainment format to return to British screens.
The show, which was produced by All3Media-backed Objective Media Group, ran for nine seasons between 2009 and 2015 and was one of the commercial broadcaster's biggest hits.
Contestants were forced to compete in a series of challenges while inside a small Perspex cube. It highlighted how even straightforward tasks, like catching, throwing, estimating, memorizing and balancing were more difficult when confined and under pressure in a small area surrounded by a large live studio audience. The producers used state-of-the-art filming techniques to show the anxiety of the contestants, who were playing for the chance to win a top prize of £250,000.
Deadline reports that the commercial broadcaster is set to significantly increase the potential prize money in the reboot.
One suggestion is that the show will return in a similar fashion to the reboot of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?, which came back for a series of Jeremy Clarkson-hosted specials.
The original show, which aired 79 episodes, was hosted by This Morning presenter Philip Schofield.
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