Shear Genius winner, Dee by Trae Patton/Bravo Photo
The crème de la crème of hairstylists on this season of Shear Genius snipped and pinned their way to the top three slots, but after some fancy finger-work on her final challenge, Dee Adames went home as this season's champion. "After all we've been through, it was just such a relief and amazing feeling," said the newly crowned winner. But the final challenge of telling a story through four different hairstyles on models ranging from teens to sixty was no easy task. "We only had 3 hours, so it was all about strategy and timing," explained Adames, "and the edgy rock star's hair was so coarse and thick that it was really hard to get it to come off polished." But between that rocker style and her Mama Red look, the Miami native pulled off the win. "My rock star story meant so much to me — I have a dear friend who is a struggling musician and I know she is going to make it big one day." Reality living wasn't a cake walk for the stylist either. "I'm a single woman who only ...
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Question: I was thinking, with the new season of Project Runway upon us, why have Runway and Top Chef been such big hits, while Bravo's other reality contest shows, Shear Genius and Step It Up & Dance, are such stinkers? Is it the production values, or the choice of hosts and judges? (For me, Elizabeth Berkeley made Step It Up & Dance unwatchable.) When the shows are on the same network and have such similar looks and formats, it's strange that some would be so good and others so bad. (And not in the "so bad it's good" way.)
Answer: In the world of reality, as in all other forms of TV, overfamiliarity eventually breeds contempt. As Bravo keeps cloning shows off the Runway and Top Chef models, invariably there will be some duds in the mix. Happens all the time on any network that keeps churning out the same sort of show as if on an assembly line (see the CW). The real concern here is that overextending the brand could do some real harm by diluting the appeal of the original shows tha ...
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Shear Genius by Trae Patton/Bravo
Three of Bravo's shows this week broke records for the net in a trifecta of ratings records. Project Runway's Season 5 opener on Wednesday strutted its stuff as the highest-rated season premiere ever in the network's history, pulling in almost three million total viewers. The hair-styling masterminds of Shear Genius, meanwhile, broke the two million mark in viewers with its fourth eppy the same night, becoming the fifth-ever Bravo show to make that cut. The manic world that is Flipping Out also reached a series first, reeling in more than one million viewers. Were you contributing to some of these record-breaking numbers? Which Bravo shows are Genius to you? For some of us, ahem, the summer obsession started with Jackie Warner and her squats, months ago. — Anna DimondUse our Online Video Guide to work out your stuff with Bravo shows.
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Jaclyn Smith by Trae Patton/Bravo
Bravos throwdown for hairstylists Shear Genius Wednesdays at 10 pmET is back for Season 2 So we made an appointment to chat with host Jaclyn Smith As always she was an angel Damian HolbrookTV Guide How are this seasons stylists Jaclyn Smith [Its] such a variety of characters and eccentricities Theyre very aware of what they need to do to grab the audience and judges And its a very cohesive compatible groupthey were all sort of rooting for each otherTV Guide I hear Kate Jackson pops up on Shear True Smith Its really fabulous Its a Charlies Angels challenge which was sort of difficult because we were right there It could have been intimidating for the stylistsTV Guide How is Farrah doingSmith Shes doing great holding her own Shes a very strong person TV Guide Will we ever see the three of you together again Smith I wouldnt say never Well probably do [something]
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That funny sound you hear is the bottom of the barrel being scraped. ABC has resurrected The Mole after four years, ordering 10 episodes to air this summer. With Anderson Cooper booked by CNN and Ahmad Rashad not being asked back, there's the question of who will host. Producer Scott Stone tells Variety, "We're looking for someone in the Anderson mode, a little mysterious but full of comedy. It could be a breakout role for someone." Casting for players is underway at MoleCasting.com.... Bravo has OK'd a Kitchen Nightmares-type pilot in which nasty Shear Genius also-ran Tabatha Coffey gives makeovers not to individuals but to entire salons.... On Jan. 14, just a few hours after we'll get to see it, our enlisted men and women overseas will get to watch Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles on the American Forces Network. Let's pray that they'll all be back. — Ben Katner
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Shear Genius host, Jaclyn Smith by Mitch Haaseth/Bravo Photo
Bravo has ordered second seasons of both Shear Genius (Jaclyn Smith will return as heavenly host) and Top Design, to begin casting shortly and debut next year.... ABC has ordered Wipeout, a reality pilot in which 50 contestants navigate "the world's largest obstacle course" en route to a $50,000 prize, says the Reporter. The show is described as "Fear Factor with none of the gross" — but all of the implants!.... USA Network has extended its contract for WWE Monday Night Raw by two years, through 2010.
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Jaclyn Smith, Shear Genius
Let's cut to the chase: Jaclyn Smith is pure heaven. And now that the former Angel has spread her wings into reality TV — as host of Bravo's hairstyling competition Shear Genius (Wednesdays at 10 pm/ET) — we decided to have a little coif-y talk.
TV Guide: First off, you look amazing. You have the body of a 20-year-old.Jaclyn Smith: Boy, you're sweet. I like hearing that on a stressful day.
TV Guide: Now obviously, you know hair....Smith: Well, I definitely have a point of view, and I've learned a lot from [Shear judges] Sally Hershberger, José Eber and
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Here we are between sweeps months, and you know what that means? Yes, a lot more repeats than many viewers would like. But also a spring awakening of new and returning shows on network and cable. As usual, it's a mixed bag of high-concept scripted drama and diverting reality TV, each hoping to find some mid-season traction before the May sweeps kick in with all of those high-profile stunts and season-ending cliff-hangers. Here's a look at the new batch of contenders, with some early first impressions (and one fond "welcome back"). Any keepers here? You'll be the ultimate judge of that.
Drive Mondays, 8 pm/ET, FoxWhy to watch: If you miss the good old days of junky drive-in B movies.Worth watching? Hard to tell after test-driving a partial pilot (and perusing some scripts). As fast-paced as it is preposterous,Drive follows a caravan of unamaz
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