Answer: Toddlers & Tiaras
At the top (or bottom depending on your scale) of the reality show genre are shows that offer exploitative images of children. "Toddlers & Tiaras" was once the longest running of this show type. "Toddlers and Tiaras" focuses on the children (some as young as three years old) beauty pageant circuit. The network formerly called The Learning Channel, now just TLC, premiered "Toddlers and Tiaras" in 2009. The show is highly controversial because of the often extreme sexualization and pressure placed on the young pageant hopefuls.
Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson was a six year old pageant contestant that appeared on the initial seasons of "Toddler & Tiaras" in 2009. In 2012, TLC created a new show to focus on Thompson and her family's often colorful daily life, outside of the pageant circuit. Like many reality shows, "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo" is popular across a broad spectrum of television viewers and savagely derided by critics.
From Quiz: Toddlers, Tiaras, and Television
Answer: Extreme Couponing
First airing in 2010, "Extreme Couponing" was exactly what it sounds like-- two people headed into a grocery store after doing their research and actually competed to accumulate the most items at the highest cost, and then used hundreds of cut-out coupons to save as much money and spend as little as humanly possible. While a lot of this involved buying nonsensical mass amounts of non-essential products, it's apparently a real thing. The show couldn't have come at a better time considering the massive recession in the 2010s; it appealed to TLC's slowly deteriorating viewership and, unsurprisingly, it fit the common denominator: exploitation. One can only imagine the surprise in the network offices when another front-running TLC show, "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo!", also featured extreme couponing in an episode. Wait until they can link it to "Hoarding: Buried Alive" too...
From Quiz: A Good Idea at the Time
Answer: Buddy Valastro
Buddy (Bartolo Valastro, Jr.) began working at the bakery with his father when he was seventeen. He and his family run the bakery and star on the show. He is married to Lisa, and they have several children which occasionally appear on the show. The show has a few spin-offs, including "Next Great Baker", a show where Buddy looks to find an intern to work with him, and "Kitchen Boss", a cooking show where Buddy shares his family's Italian recipes.
From Quiz: Knives and Frocks
Answer: Survivor
"Survivor" originated as an annual Swedish reality TV show known as "Expedition Robinson" in 1994 and it was picked up in the U.S. in 2000. Since then, it has had over twenty North American seasons spanning the globe from the Pacific Islands to the savannahs of Africa and the forests of China. Many of the contestants of early seasons of the show became reality TV mainstays appearing in other franchises and receiving relative notoriety in entertainment circles. Richard Hatch, the winner of the first season of "Survivor", went to jail for tax evasion after winning and later appeared on a season of "The Celebrity Apprentice" (amongst other shows).
From Quiz: Name the Reality TV Show!
Answer: Judge Alex
Judge Alex E. Ferrer is what you might call a judges' judge. He's one of, if not the only, television judge who's been from policeman to judge and lots of stops in between. Judge Alex is a member of the bar in the State of Florida as well as the District of Columbia. Judge Alex authored a bench book for other judges and court rooms. He is a go to judge for court procedure, closing arguments, terminology, and legalities. Sort of a "Robert's Rules of Order" for the court room. He is a native of Havana Cuba and has been featured in People Magazine's "Sexiest Men Alive" issue.
Bailiff Mason C. Burroughs spent more than 18 years in different divisions and disciplines of the LAPD including as a member of its CRASH team. Burroughs' knowledge and experience make him very sought after for his expertise. He has been technical adviser on such movies as "187" and "Crack House". Bailiff Mason Burroughs is also well regarded as a celebrity bodyguard. A few of his high profile clients include Paris Hilton, Mel-B, and Usher among others.
By the way, I love Mason's chortle.
From Quiz: Judge and Bailiff
Answer: Doyle
Doyle and Judge Mathis have a lighthearted look at most cases. Doyle also stands with the litigants after the case is heard, to keep the peace while they have the last word.
From Quiz: Judge?---Not!
Answer: Sara's Secrets
When the series "Sara's Secrets" came to an end, she began another series, "Sara's Weeknight Meals".
Sara's guest chefs often tower over her in height, to hilarious effect. But she and her guest always team up to make creative, delicious dishes.
From Quiz: Sincerely, Food: Cooking Shows on Public TV
Answer: Julia Child
Julia Child, the 6'2" grand dame of French cooking, was a remarkable chef and entertainer. She is the subject of the movie "Julie and Julia". The kitchen from her home that was the television set in her later series has been moved, piece by piece, copper pans and whisks, and set up in the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C.
From Quiz: All I Know About Cooking I Learned From TV
Answer: The Biggest Loser
Pegged as "the first reality series where everybody loses", this hit TV show tracked the progress of overweight contestants as they underwent a strenuous workout regimen and a supervised diet and nutrition plan in an attempt to shed their excess pounds. The contestant who managed to lose the highest percentage of his or her body weight at the end of the season earned a substantial cash prize, as well as the coveted title of "The Biggest Loser". You would think that a title like that would cause all the winners to be plagued with self-esteem issues even if they managed to keep the weight off, but the contestants all appear to have accepted the show's humorous name in the tongue-in-cheek spirit in which it was coined. The show has spawned a successful series of weight-loss books and fitness DVDs, as well as local versions in Britain, Australia, Brazil, the Netherlands and Israel.
From Quiz: A Skewed Perception of Reality
Answer: Kara DioGuardi
Hard to believe it's been so long. Oddly, up until the eighth season, the only major cast change to the show had been season 2's dropping of co-host Brian Dunkleman, who left Ryan Seacrest alone on stage (to become one of the most popular pop culture faces of the decade. The three famous judges continued their tyranny through America in 2009, but this time they brought newcomer Kara DioGuardi with them (you didn't know her either...I know). Known as a fairly reputable songwriter and record production name, Kara wrote many songs over the years for "American Idol" winners and runners-up including Kelly Clarkson. Kara also judged on the failed reality show "The One: Making a Music Star" for ABC. Who competes with "American Idol" nowadays anyways?!
From Quiz: OK, How Did 'Reality' Change?
Answer: Carol Duvall
The show is simply called "The Carol Duvall Show". Her enthusiasm is contagious. The show is no longer in production but you can still watch the reruns. Carol has retired.
Carol featured nearly imaginable form of crafting - needlework, knitting, crocheting, stamping, painting, metal work, polymer clay and scrap booking to name just a few. The features on "fine art crafters" covered a similarly wide range of crafts,
From Quiz: TV Craft Shows
Answer: COPS
Among the departments the show profiled in the early seasons were Seattle, Washington and Miami, Florida. It would later include cities all over the country.
From Quiz: Law Enforcement Reality Shows
Answer: Judge Joe Brown
The syndicated 30 minute series, "Judge Joe Brown" premiered on September 14, 1997. On the series, Judge Brown, with his fatherly demeanor, emphasizes the mans responsibility to provide for his spouse and children to many of the litigants in his court.
Joe Brown was born on July 5, 1947 in Washington DC. He was raised and educated in Los Angeles, California, and attended the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) where he earned both a bachelor degree in political science and a law degree. Brown relocated to Tennessee in 1974, where he served as a judge on the state criminal court of Shelby County.
The website for "Judge Joe Brown" describes him as the, "Defender of womanhood, promoter of manhood".
From Quiz: Order in the Court - The TV Court
Answer: 7
"Survivor" premiered on May 31, 2000 and has gone to such locales as Australia, Thailand, the Amazon, Guatemala and Marquesas. In the first seven seasons, there were sixteen Americans who competed for the one million dollar prize. In the eighth season of the show eighteen former contestants came back to compete once again for the title of "Sole Survivor". Over the seasons, the number of the jury varied depending on how many actual survivors started the season, or depending on how the producers laid out the season.
From Quiz: Reality Television, By The Numbers
Answer: The Animal
After lasting for thirty-three days in the first season of "Survivor", and being the last member of the Pawgong tribe to play the game, Colleen became the fourth jury member. Although she voted for Kelly Wiglesworth in the end, Richard Hatch ultimately won the title of 'sole survivor' and the million dollar prize.
Back in reality, Colleen remained popular for a few years appearing in Blistex commercials on TV. She also starred with Rob Schneider in the mediocre 2001 film, "The Animal". She also helped produce the short-lived "Michael Essany Show" on E! Television, and she appeared in early episodes of "That 70's Show".
From Quiz: Back to Reality, From Reality
Answer: Kelly Wiglesworth
In the season finale of the first installment of "Survivor", viewers may remember when Kelly had to back stab her fellow ally, Sue Hawk, and in the final tribal council, Sue gave her speech comparing Richard to a snake and Kelly to a mouse. Also, Kelly won many of the immunity challenges towards the end of the game. Without her safety, she may not have reached the final tribal council.
From Quiz: Born to Runner-up
Answer: Matt and Ana
In the first season of "The Amazing Race", Matt and Ana became the first team, ever, to be eliminated. Kim and Leslie were second, Pat and Brenda were third and Dave and Margaretta were fourth. Lawyers, Rob and Brennan, became the winners.
From Quiz: Somebody Has To Be First
Answer: Menudo
Menudo was kidnapped by the renegades on the episode where the cast got their handsome reward.
From Quiz: 'Real World' And 'Road Rules'
Answer: Mablean Ephriam
She's the first black female judge on the show.
From Quiz: Court TV Shows
Answer: Bulging Brides
Personal trainer Tommy Europe has a couple of reality TV shows based on weight loss. The first is "The Last 10 Pounds Bootcamp" in which contestants have four weeks to lose a relatively small amount of weight. The other is targeted at brides-to-be called "Bulging Brides." The premise of each show is a bride who can't fit into her wedding dress and works with Europe to lose weight before her wedding. Each bride works with Europe and a nutrition specialist who design a program to help the bride with the weight loss. Each episode is pretty formulaic, following each bride through ups and downs and motivational challenges. Partway through each program the brides are weighed and try on their dress and get a little bit of extra motivation needed to meet their goals and fit perfectly into their dress on their wedding day.
From Quiz: A Steady Diet of Weight Loss Shows
Answer: Hidden immunity idol
The hidden immunity idol was introduced in "Survivor: Guatemala". It allows the finder to play it at tribal council. For the first season it was in play, the hidden immunity idol had to be used before voting. For the next two seasons (and a few other times with a special idol), it could be played after the votes were read. Most commonly, it must be played after voting but before the votes are read. If the user received the most votes at that tribal council, he or she is safe and the castaway with the next most amount is eliminated.
From Quiz: Make That Move
Answer: Who Wants To Marry A Multi-Millionaire?
Imagine you are trying to sell the concept of a reality show to a broadcast network. Here is the premise, fifty women are interviewed by a man visible only in silhouette. The man is allegedly a multi-millionaire and the women are vying to be his bride. The winner gets a wedding ring valued at 100,000 but must marry the "millionaire" right there on set. Think this is a bad dream, nope; it is a real Fox network reality show that aired on February 15, 2000. Darva Conger, a 34 year old nurse, was selected by Rick Rockwell as his instant bride.
Immediately after the on-set wedding, problems set in for the happy couple. Rockwell's millionaire status was called into question, and a prior domestic abuse charge was discovered. Ms. Conger claimed the marriage had not been consummated, and had the arrangement annulled less than two months later. However, all was not lost for Ms. Conger. She did sell the engagement ring and other prizes from the show and appeared in the August 2000 edition of Playboy magazine. "Who Wants To Marry a Multi-Millionaire" proved too exploitative even for the Fox Network and was cancelled after its lone airing.
From Quiz: Toddlers, Tiaras, and Television
Answer: Choccywoccydoodah
"Choccywoccydoodah" started airing on television in 2011 and featured chocolate sculptures in completely unique designs. Such was the popularity of the television series, and Brighton store, that a new place was opened in the heart of London.
From Quiz: Samples of TV Cooking
Answer: Tyra Banks
The show first aired in 2003. Tyra Banks hosts the show and she, along with judges like J. Alexander, Twiggy, and Nigel Barker, judge the contestants on how well they perform in each challenge. Cycles of the show have been filmed in both New York and Los Angeles, and each cycle takes the last few contestants to a different location, like Paris, Barcelona, and London, for the final portion of the contest.
Tyra Banks was born in California and began modeling at age 15. She was one of Victoria's Secret's original Angels, and she won the Super Model of the Year award from VH1 in 1997.
From Quiz: Knives and Frocks
Answer: The Amazing Race
"The Amazing Race" premiered in late 2001 and followed eleven teams of two, each with a predetermined relationship, racing around the globe for a million dollar prize. Along the way, all teams but three would remain; the last team to check in at each Pit Stop of the race would be eliminated with only a few reprieves. The show has since aired for over a decade releasing over twenty seasons in the United States alone. There have also been versions filmed for Australia, Asia, China, Norway, Brazil, and other countries because of its universal appeal.
From Quiz: Name the Reality TV Show!
Answer: William Bowers
While "Texas Justice" centered around small claims, Larry Joe Doherty's practice focused on legal malpractice. Doherty strongly believed in holding attorney's feet to the fire for misrepresenting their clients. His law firm was in fact a pioneer in the field of legal malpractice.
In 2001 Larry Joe Doherty became the presiding judge on a new television court show called "Texas Justice." Judge Larry Joe may have been a fish out of water in the small claims format accounting for some rulings, but his objective was to teach a lesson. A sort of the, "And everyone goes home happy" lesson. The show was canceled after four and a half seasons in 2005
As a member of the Harris Country Police Department William Bowers was approached by a director while working an extra job and asked if he wanted to be on a new television show. He auditioned and got the job. Bailiff William Bowers became so popular on "Texas Justice" he was assigned police security.
From Quiz: Judge and Bailiff
Answer: Joe
It's usually the men who want a man's view. They'll ask if Joe agrees, or say "Joe, you know what I mean." The judge has to say "Leave Joe out of this, I want your testimony, not his."
From Quiz: Judge?---Not!
Answer: The Apprentice
"The Apprentice" premiered in the U.S. in January 2004 and quickly became one of the biggest hits of the television season. The show has been described by its producers as "the ultimate job interview", and featured business hopefuls competing against each other in an elimination-style contest in the hopes of snagging a one-year contract to work in one of real estate magnate Donald Trump's many companies. The candidates were assigned different challenges to perform every week, like developing and running a miniature golf course, managing the Planet Hollywood restaurant in Times Square for a day, or trying to make the most money by selling lemonade on the streets of New York. The candidates who were most responsible for their team's failure each week had to face Trump and his colleagues in the boardroom, where they tried to account for their actions, and avoid hearing Trump's dreaded catchphrase, "You're fired!" The first two seasons of the show were nominated for the Emmy for Outstanding Reality-Competition Program, but lost each time to "The Amazing Race".
From Quiz: A Skewed Perception of Reality
Answer: Survivor: Palau
Wasn't "Survivor: Palau" the mindtwist of the "Survivor" franchise? After years of successful seasons of the show (including one "All-Star" season in its eighth run), "Palau" began with twenty players, immediately brought down to eighteen players after a single night, and introduced the Exile Island staple to the show, during which a player would be marooned between challenges on a remote island (ironically, this usually happened to be during a storm or cold night). The first and only player to be sent here during its debut season was Janu, who was eliminated from the show in the same episode.
Exile Island typically contains at least one 'Hidden' Immunity Idol which may have a bearing on whatever happens at Tribal Council. It can't be used when it comes down to the Final Four though, and often goes unnoticed until someone uses it.
From Quiz: OK, How Did 'Reality' Change?
Answer: Alison Whitlock
"UnCommon Threads" shows a wide range of projects - all done with needles in one form or another. There have been episodes on needlepoint, weaving, turning old sweaters in to tote bags and altering clothing. Some episodes feature designers and crafters from around the country, many with an urban or modern twist.
There is more about Shay Pendray and Martha Stewart in other questions, so I won't say much about them. Perky Katie Couric is a news reader.
From Quiz: TV Craft Shows
Answer: World's Wildest Police Videos
Some of the footage came from news clips, while other segments were filmed by police helicopter crews. The host was John Bunnell, a former police sergeant from Portland, Oregon, whose department was featured many times on "Cops."
From Quiz: Law Enforcement Reality Shows
Answer: Mills Lane
Mills Lane was the presiding judge for the syndicated courtroom series, "Judge Mill Lane", which aired from 1998 until 2001.
Lane was a former professional boxing referee, and was known for his catch phrase,Let's get it on", an expression he used to litigants at the beginning of their trials.
Judge Lane never presided over "The People's Court".
From Quiz: Order in the Court - The TV Court
Answer: 24
In the third and fourth seasons of "The Amazing Race," there were twelve teams of two racing around the world. In the eighth season, there were ten teams of four family members. Every other season featured eleven two member teams. "The Amazing Race" premiered on September 5, 2001.
From Quiz: Reality Television, By The Numbers
Answer: CNN
"The Mole" was regarded by MENSA as 'The Smartest Show on Television' because of its mind puzzles and the plot behind it. People would be sent to foreign countries in order to perform certain tasks and earn money for the group pot, which could potentially rise to $1,000,000.
Back to reality! Although the show was popular in its first season, ABC put the show on hiatus after three episodes in season 2 because of low ratings (caused by the 9/11 attacks), and ultimately, it led to the show's demise. The rest of the season was shown the following year. Despite this, the show has been popular in many other countries including Australia, Sweden, and Belgium.
After the two seasons were aired, ABC created two celebrity editions of the show hosted by Ahmad Rashad. Although these fared okay in ratings, the network dropped the show.
After the second season of "The Mole", Anderson Cooper was hired by CNN to host the show "Anderson Cooper 360°". The show is aired live and the 360° refers to the fact that all angles of the story are explored and laid out for the viewers. Over the years, Anderson has been to many disasters including Hurricane Katrina.
From Quiz: Back to Reality, From Reality
Answer: Frank and Margarita
Only two of the three teams in the very first season of "The Amazing Race" made it to the final city, New York City. In the end, Rob and Brennan luckily caught their subway train to Flushing Meadows before Frank and Margarita could, and it won them the million dollars.
From Quiz: Born to Runner-up
Answer: Deidre and Hillary
Mother and daughter, Deidre and Hillary, were the first team eliminated. Hope and Norm, Peggy and Claire and Shola and Doyin, were the next three teams to go. Lifelong friends, Chris and Alex, won the race.
From Quiz: Somebody Has To Be First
Answer: Stephen
From Quiz: 'Real World' And 'Road Rules'
Answer: Joseph Wapner
He was also the first 'People's Court' judge.
From Quiz: Court TV Shows
Answer: Teenagers
"I Used to be Fat" originally aired on MTV for two seasons, from 2010 to 2013. The contestants on this show are overweight teenagers who are dealing with poor health and emotional and social problems because of their weight. Each episode follows one teenager who works with a personal trainer over several months to develop healthier habits. Contestants on this show include teens who are dealing with loss, disease, family issues and families with unhealthy eating habits.
From Quiz: A Steady Diet of Weight Loss Shows
Answer: Farmer Wants a Wife
Fremantle Media, the company that also brought you the "Idol" and "Got Talent" franchises, produces the reality dating show "Farmer Wants a Wife". In this cerebral offering, a rural farmer puts would be brides from the city through tests and obstacles before selecting a future spouse. The excitement in the show is in the "fish out of water" hilarity that made the Eva Gabor and Eddie Albert comedy "Green Acres" a smash hit the 1960s. Far from being a bust, "Farmer Wants a Wife" ran for eight series in the UK and spawned local versions in over twenty countries.
From Quiz: Toddlers, Tiaras, and Television
