Fox has ordered 13 additional episodes of Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?, the No. 1 new program of the 2006-07 TV season in all demos.... Bravo premieres Shear Genius, a competition for high-end hairstylists and featuring such guest judges as Frederic Fekkai and José Eber, on April 11 at 11 pm/ET, following the Top Design season finale.... IFC premieres the compelling doc This Film Is Not Yet Rated March 31 at 11 pm/ET.... Dress My Nest, hosted by Queer Eye's Thom Filicia, debuts March 28 at 11 pm/ET, on Style Network.
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Lifetime has signed Carson Kressley to host How to Look Good Naked, an unscripted series based on a successful British program in which women with body-image issues learn to feel better about themselves without drastic measures such as surgery or exercise.... VH1 and BET are jointly developing Wifey, a hip-hop drama pilot about a widow who takes over her late hubby's record label. The series would air in the same time slot on both channels.... Lea Thompson will star in A Life Interrupted, a drama inspired by the life of activist and rape survivor Debbie Smith. Two guesses as to what cable channel it's for. C'mon, take a stab.
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Question: I think it's really interesting how Psych became such a hit on USA. The same with Saved's success on TNT (although I find the show a dull Rescue Me knockoff). Some channels (both cable and network) have found certain formulas that really work, and then stick with that brand. Psych, for instance, fits seamlessly into the USA brand by being a cross between The Dead Zone and Monk. In fact, I want to further compliment USA on the best ad campaign I have seen in years. I actually stop fast-forwarding on my DVR to watch those hilarious USA ads featuring their wonderful array of characters. My wife and I love them! But my question goes back to the failure earlier this year of Love Monkey (also a wonderful show) on the stodgy, serious CBS network. CBS puts on this wonderful, sweet and quirky show and it fails; so they go back to their dull formula with the ridiculous The Unit, and it's a ratings smash. Do you feel that networks and cable channels (after a scenario like this for CBS) ...
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Question: A&E and Bravo have abandoned the highbrow entertainment they were created to showcase for the more lucrative waters of lowest-common-denominator reality shows, but they are just some of the latest examples of this phenomenon. Niche cable nets start out aimed at a targeted audience, often providing the only example of certain types of programming, but after a few years they start moving inexorably to the mainstream. MTV goes from videos to endless Real World-type shows. VH1 goes from videos to repackaged nostalgia shows. The Nashville Network turns into the National Network then morphs all the way into Spike. The Game Show Network becomes GSN, the Outdoor Life Network (which I hadn't heard of until it made its move) becomes the new ESPN. Even outfits that don't totally change their "mission statement" start adding their own versions of Survivor or American Idol. Is the money in niche programming so lousy that these networks have to make the change, or is it a case of their ...
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Question: I'm not sure if you can answer my question, but you seem to be in the know about everything, so I thought I would give it a try. I am a really big fan of the Bravo network's Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. I've noticed lately that Bravo is no longer showing the show in its regular time slot. I know that the show's ratings have slipped, and that it is not the phenomenon it once was, but its core fan base is still strong. And it's a disservice to the loyal fans who are still actively watching the show. Because honestly, the only reason I began to watch the Bravo network was because of Queer Eye. And I would hazard a guess that it is because of the Queer Eye phenomenon that many people began watching Bravo. I can hear the bells tolling for the finale of the show, and I will be sad, but I would hope Bravo at least does another season to wrap things up and give the true, steadfast fans a real chance to say goodbye to our favorite show. I can name any number of shows that I have ...
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Question: First, congrats on your great column. My weeks always start and end with you. I wanted to get your feeling on the representation of homosexuality on TV shows lately, because I feel that we've reached a turning point. I think that after a short period of (needed?) overexposure, with every show having a gay character and shows like Queer Eye for the Straight Guy and Queer as Folk, we are actually moving toward equality between gay and straight characters. For instance, I know that a lot of gay people have ground their teeth at Andrew being gay and evil on Desperate Housewives, but I actually believe that this is a good thing: We've got past the dichotomy of, on the one hand, the political correctness of the gay guy who's a great guy with no sexuality (Will & Grace) and, on the other hand, the cliché of the gay guy with nothing but his sexuality (Queer as Folk). Finally gay characters get to be something else than "just gay." They are handled the same way as straight characters ...
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Question: I read your column regularly and never expected to write in. However, after the day-to-day of Gilmore Girls/Alias/24/Lost, I felt it necessary to shine a light on some of the most entertaining TV no one is watching. My wife and I, while huge fans of Lost and Alias, searched out new programming over the six-week holiday break and discovered — Discovery. Two of the best and most informative shows are on that network and deserve high praise. I'm talking about Dirty Jobs and Mythbusters. While these are lumped in to the reality genre, I guess, they are family-friendly, riotously funny (especially Dirty Jobs) and make us feel like we've actually been productive and learned something after watching them. What is your take on these and other shows (No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain is another favorite) that don't fit into the serial, sitcom or cheesy Bachelor-type format?
Answer: Funny, but when I went home to the Midwest for a week during the Christmas break, I also found myself
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Queer Eye's Ted Allen, Carson Kressley and Jai Rodriguez
Tonight at 10 pm/ET, Bravo brings back Queer Eye and the Fab Five in a block of episodes that vows to set marriage ceremonies straight once and for all. The new season finds Carson Kressley, Ted Allen, Kyan Douglas, Thom Filicia and Jai Rodriguez proffering their best wedding-planning advice each week as hetero couples prepare to say "I do" before family and friends. "For the very first time, the Fab Five rush in to help straight guys with the most important decision and event of their lives — marriage," notes Andrew Cohen, Bravo's VP of production and programming. "Tying the knot has never been this much fun!"
Of course, the very concept of the new season is laden with irony
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Move over, Fab Five, there's a new crew of fashionistas in town. Beginning tonight at 10/ET, the Flab Four of Comedy Central's Straight Plan for the Gay Man will help a few lucky gay men discover their inner straight dude. TV Guide Online spoke with two of these heterosexual experts, Billy Merritt and Curtis Gwinn, to get their take on fashion, interior design and their competition.
TV Guide Online: Billy, you're credited as the "Appearance Guy" on the show, and Curtis, you're the "Environment Guy." So what makes you experts in your respective fields?Billy: I like to consider myself the Minister of Style, like a defense minister. I'm all about fashion, and since doing this I have become more fashion conscious.Curtis: Except for today, right?Billy: What's wrong with today, man? Look, this tie matches this shirt! If I can get my tie to match my shirt and my belt, I win. Basically, my style is: Does it fit? If I can get my cloth
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