We have 5 shows to review this week! Count them, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5! Two of them being season finales! In addition, I also preview the NEW Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Duel by looking back at the last two Real World/Road Rules Challenges and comparing them to this new one. This mix is hot my friends, so you won’t want to miss this…
– MTV Plans to Air a Second Season of Two-A-Days
This reality series about football and teen drama at the Alabama high school has been a commercial success and has created local controversy for its depiction of the nation’s top-ranked prep team.
Dave Sirulnick, executive producer of the popular series, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that crews would begin shooting this week for the second season, which will likely air early next year.
“It’s been a success across the board,” Sirulnick said. “It’s been one of the big hits of the fall for MTV.”
Hoover school spokesman Pat Morrow said the school had yet to receive confirmation of the network’s plans, but a film crew is in town.
Hoover has reaped tons of publicity from its football program, which is ranked No. 1 nationally in polls and was featured in a Sports Illustrated article earlier this season. CBS’ “Early Show” is due in town next week to film a segment about the Buccaneers.
Yet Hoover school officials also have endured criticism for the language of head coach Rush Propst and his win-at-all-cost attitude. That includes telling players he won’t recommend them for college football scholarships unless their play improves.
Sirulnick said “Two-A-Days” portrays Hoover as a winning football program where hard work and dedication are a way of life.
“It’s a documentary series. The players, coaches and families were extremely cooperative in opening up their lives to us,” he said. “You see the heat of the battle, everything that has gone on.”
– Casting is About to Begin on the Next Real World and the Next Real World/Road Rules Challenge
MTV is already lining up the next editions of their two BIG hit reality TV shows. The Real World: Denver is set to air later this year. Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Duel is set to air next week, but there is already a new Challenge about to be filmed in South Africa.
However, MTV is still going on with these shows. So a casting call announcement has been made for the 15th edition of The Challenge and the 19th edition of The Real World. The new challenge that you can compete in is called Real World/Road Rules Challenge: Fresh Meat 2! Yes, that’s right they are looking for more fresh faces for another challenge. So the finalists for these shows will either end up on The Real World 19: City Not Yet Announced or the Real World/Road Rules Challenge: Fresh Meat 2.
Head over to the official casting call website for all the details. Casting locations have already been announced for California, Iowa, Ohio, Minnesota, Georgia, New York City, and Washington, D.C.! More locations to be announced soon.
Let me say that I am really depressed that by March I will be considered “too old” to be on these shows. That makes me sad. By the way, if any of the readers of this site actually get on one of these two shows, I expect to receive a plug or two.
– My Purchase of the First Season of Laguna Beach on DVD
Okay, so there is not much news to report, but I did buy the first season of this show at Best Buy for $20. Great deal and frankly I would rather watch that than the current season of that show. But more on that later. I have some talking to do before we get there, though.
The 13th season of the The Real World/Road Rules Challenge called “The Duel” will debut on Thursday, October 12 on MTV in the United States. I will cover all the action in this column, but to help help preview The Duel, I decided to look at the past two Challenges and compare them to the new season. So lets get started.
The 11th edition of this show was called Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Gauntlet II. The teams this time were divided up according to how many challenges they have competed in. If they had competed in 2 or more challenges, they were considered a “veteran”. If they had been in less than 2, they were a “rookie”.
The way the players were eliminated from each team this time around was by “The Gauntlet”. Basically, two players would compete head-to-head in various competitions. Usually these would all be extremely physical competitions, so only the strong would survive. The major twist of this version of “The Gauntlet” compared to the first version was the fact that the captains of each team would have to compete in the Gauntlet, if their team lost. Usually the captains would have been immune from getting eliminated. This time they had to “run the gauntlet”, so to speak.
This challenge had two memorable moments for me. The number one thing was that Alton (Real World: Las Vegas) proved that he was a “freak of nature”! He DOMINATED in every gauntlet he was in and he made it to the end. He didn’t compete in the most gauntlets, though, as the “rookies” usually ended up winning the different challenges. On the other hand, the “veterans” usually lost the challenges, so Derrick competed in the most gauntlets! He won all of them except the last one, which was heartbreaking since he came so close to the end. Everyone will remember how hard Derrick fought to stay on the show. The “rookies” ended up winning this game thanks to Alton mostly, though.
The 12th edition of this show was called Real World/Road Rules Challenge: Fresh Meat. Since Road Rules stopped production back in 2004 and The Real World continued to churn out more seasons, there became a point where there were more former “Real Worlders” than “Road Rulers”. So MTV wanted some fresh faces. They found 12 newcomers to compete in this challenge with 12 “alumni” of The Real World and Road Rules.
The major twist this time was that it wasn’t “alumni” vs. “fresh meat” as expected. Instead there would be one member of each group together on two-person teams. The way the teams were eliminated this time was by going into “exile”. It was basically like a “gauntlet” or an “inferno”. However, I thought this version pretty much SUCKED! There was little physical about it. You basically had to pack less when you came to the island. You had to carry the exact weight of the luggage that you brought with you in exile. There were also puzzles that helped you if you solved them. The winning teams of each challenge would nominate one team to go into “exile”, while the other teams would vote for the second team to go in. In addition, there was a “pardon challenge” before exile like The Inferno where a team could save themselves from the elimination competition.
This challenge had a few memorable moments as well. First, the “Austin” cast were made as targets as they were new to the challenges. I’m sure we have seen that in previous challenges, but everyone made sure we KNEW what they were doing. As a result, though, Wes (from Real World: Austin) and his “fresh meat” partner, Casey, went into “exile” 5 times and won EVERY single time. That ties a record set by Sarah in the The Gauntlet I. They really sucked as a team, but they brought less luggage to the island, so there you go. They finished third. Tina (from Road Rules: South PacificRoad Rules: Campus Crawl) and Aviv. They were the only team to win a “pardon challenge” after being nominated for “exile”. It also should be no surprise to find out that Darrell has won every challenge he has been on, which is 4! I’m sure that’s a record as well.
With that said, the 13th edition of the this show called Real World/Road Rules: The Duel is set to debut this coming Thursday, October 12th in the United States. In Canada, it’s going to start airing on Monday, October 16th. I didn’t get a chance to see a preview of the show, but here is what I know. This challenge takes place in Brazil and it’s hosted by TJ Lavin once again, the same host for the previous two challenges. Real World alumni, Road Rules alumni, AND the “fresh meat” from the previous challenge were all invited to be on this season.
The major twist this time around is that there are no teams. It’s every man or woman for themselves. The men will be competing against other men, though, and the women will be competing against the other women. In the end, there will be one final woman left standing and one final man left standing. They both win the grand prize. Here are the confirmed men and women competing:
WOMEN
Beth Stolarczyk – Real World 2: Los Angeles
Aneesa Ferreira – Real World 11: Chicago
Robin Hibbard – Real World 14: San Diego
Tina Barta – Road Rules 12: South Pacific
Kina Dean – Road Rules 13: Xtreme
Jodi Weatherton- Road Rules 13: Xtreme
Paula Meronek – Real World 17: Key West
Svetlana Shusterman – Real World 17: Key West
Casey Cool – RW/RR Challenge: Fresh Meat
Diem Brown – RW/RR Challenge: Fresh Meat
MEN
Chris “CT” Tamburello – Real World 13: Paris
Brad Fiorenza – Real World 14: San Diego
Nehemiah Clark – Real World 16: Austin
Wes Bergmann – Real World 16: Austin
Derrick Kosinski – Road Rules 13: Xtreme
Tyler Duckworth – Real World 17: Key West
John Devenanzio – Real World 17: Key West
Kenny Santucci – RW/RW Challenge: Fresh Meat
Evan – RW/RW Challenge: Fresh Meat
Eric – RW/RW Challenge: Fresh Meat
What I always like about these challenges is how the newest “Real Worlders” do in their first challenges. So I’m glad to see Tyler, John, Paula, and Svetlana there. However, the “Key West” group is not as close as the “Austin” group was. This is mainly due to the fact that no one liked Tyler after the show was over. He really didn’t like his roommates either, especially Paula, Svetlana, and John. So they may be easy targets for elimination on this challenge. I won’t tell you any spoilers, but as you might can guess, there will be a person “kicked off” of the show. They will be sent home for breaking the rules of the show. That’s all I will say as I don’t know much more.
I will make a prediction right now, though. By looking at the list of competitors, I will pick the woman and man I think will win it all! The women are pretty easy to predict. I think Kina has this one wrapped up! Her nearest competition is Aneesa and possibly Robin or Jodi. I don’t think Paula or Svetlana will do that great, but they could surprise me. As for the men, it’s harder to predict. You can never count out Derrick. But Wes has showed to be tough as well. Evan was pretty good on the last challenge. CT and Brad are great physically as well. The “wildcard” may be Wes’s roommate from Austin, Nehemiah. He could be tough, but we haven’t seen him on a challenge, so that will make him a target. The same goes for John and Tyler. I say it comes down to Derrick finally getting the win he deserves!
Look for complete coverage of the first episode of the new challenge next week in the “MTV Mix”!
MONDAY
Nothing again!
TUESDAY
True Life: I’m Addicted to Crystal Meth
True Life is MTV’s award-winning documentary series. I have said that HBO is the “king” of the documentary. If that is true, then MTV is the “prince” and heir to the throne. True Life goes inside today’s issues and is granted access to unseen worlds and subcultures of society. Whether the topic is sex, drugs, sports, religion, or any other topic you can think of, MTV brings you right into the action.
True Life debuted back in 1997 and the newest episode was this one called “I’m Addicted to Crystal Meth”. This episode followed several young people whose lives have been taken over by the drug. We saw how they were addicted to the drug and the challenges they faced to overcome their addiction.
I won’t recap the entire episode as you really have to watch it to get the whole picture, but crystal meth is a dangerous drug that most people ignore. Anyone can make it with things from your local grocery store. That’s why there are so many limits on things you buy in grocery stores now. It’s also highly addictive from what I’ve been told. So I was glad to see this drug issue being addressed.
The thing I like about True Life is that the MTV cameras are basically “fly-on-the-wall” observers. They don’t tell these people what to do, they just do it. MTV is there to film it. I’ve heard that there will be other episodes coming soon, so I’m looking forward to that.
WEDNESDAY
Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County
It’s Valentine’s Day already for the gang in Laguna! Tessa doesn’t have a date. Raquel has a boyfriend, so Tessa whines about that. This leads to Cameron and his friend, Nick, talking about girls and somehow this leads to Jessica calling Cameron. She’s in Europe for some reason, but the BIG news is that Cami called Jessica and Cameron says that totally “random”! They wonder why she would call Jessica. Um, I don’t know, maybe to rat on her best friend, Kyndra, who hooked up with Cameron behind Jessica’s back! Yes, your head should be spinning right now.
There is a Valentine’s Day party at Tyler’s house and Kyndra will be there, of course. Nikki and Cami pal around now and talk about it sucks that they keep getting put in the middle of Kyndra and Tyler fighting. Nikki is Tyler’s sister and she’s friends with Kyndra, so that’s weird sometimes. Cami says that Kyndra and Tyler always fight and she is sick of it. We go straight from that to Kyndra and Tyler fighting at a restaurant. They are fighting because Tyler doesn’t want to open his presents from Kyndra right now and Kyndra doesn’t know why. Oh yeah, and the fact that Kyndra is lying to him about hooking up with Cameron as well. But that’s a minor detail.
Cami and the rest of her friends can’t wait for the party as they will be entertained by Tyler and Kyndra fighting. You see, Cameron is coming to the party as well so drama is bound to happen. Meanwhile, Alex and Raquel go out to dinner for Valentine’s Day. I have to say right now that I really don’t like Raquel. Not that I hate her, but she just rubs me the wrong way. That dinner conversation was just weird and awkward. Raquel says that Alex isn’t “open enough”. He’s just not emotional. But the gist of this whole “conversation” is that Raquel tells Alex that she loves him and he says it back, etc. I say whatever. Just “high school love” in my book.
It’s time to party now! EVERYONE is here! Yay! Tyler and Nikki watch Kyndra like a hawk all night long. They want to see how Kyndra acts around Cameron. Yes, this party is full of weird looks and awkward moments. Tyler and everyone go downstairs to play pool, but Kyndra stays for a second with Cameron upstairs. They discuss Tyler for a minute and then Kyndra goes downstairs. Tyler wants to know where she has been and yada yada, Tyler eventually tells Kyndra that “this is not working”. And it’s time for them to break up again! Oh, scary, they have the exact same voice the day after the party. Seriously, that’s weird. But yes, they broke up again as we expected!
Alex and Raquel have their standard “after-date meeting” with friends. Alex tells his friend that he is not falling in love with Raquel. The world would stop if he fell in love. Hmm, Raquel tells Tessa the opposite. Alex is perfect and the whole thing was romantic and great.
I really miss season one of this show. Season three is okay, but things are just getting too childish and stupid for me. Plus, none of these people are all that likable so that’s another problem. This episode was nothing but weird looks and awkward moments. Oh, and “high-school romance” moments. Those are good for now, but you won’t remember them once they are over. That sums up this season so far as well.
Two-a-Days
Alex and Kristin are having problems again after getting back together before the Homecoming dance. Kristin is going to Pennsylvania for Thanksgiving to visit her sick grandparents. Alex thinks that may be a good thing as they’ve been having problems and it gives him time to think about things. He’s not sure if he wants to be with her after high school.
Hoover is in the State Semifinals this week. They face Oak Mountain. Max could play college football, but his stepfather thinks he’s not great, just really good. Coach Pruitt thinks Max has grown to become one of the best football players in Alabama. Meanwhile, Oak Mountain has been talking smack about Hoover. They say Hoover is not tough enough. So Coach Propst wants them to hurt Oak Mountain. His exact quote is “beat the dang piss out of them!”
Taylor has another party for Thanksgiving. Everything goes good until Keagan comes to the party. You remember the rumors between her and Alex and now that Kristin is out of town, that spells trouble. Alex eventually leaves with Keagan and he had fun with her. He was happy to be spending time with someone besides Kristin. He pays a price, though. Alex’s dad “grounds him” when he gets home because he didn’t come home until 2 a.m.
It’s Thanksgiving time! Coach Pruitt and other players go over to eat with Max and his family. Meanwhile, Coach Propst visits his family back in his small hometown in Alabama. Both of his parents are dead, so he visits their graves. His grandmother is still alive and she says that he has made their last name famous at Hoover.
Game time baby! Hoover vs. Oak Mountain and the winner goes to the state finals. It’s a defensive struggle for a quarter and half. Hoover scores first to make it 7-0. Hoover quickly scores again and again and it’s 21-0 at Halftime for Hoover! Their defense breaks down in the second half as Oak Mountain scores a touchdown. But a big interception by Max helps Hoover seal the victory and they win 28-7! They play in the state finals next week!
We are not over yet, though. Alex has some business to take care of. Goose is texting Kristin after the game and that leads Alex to break up with Kristin over the phone. Not because of Goose, but because Alex thought it was for the best. Kristin said she would have never done that to him over the phone.
Next week is the finale of this season! It’s the state finals! They either win another state championship or they die trying!
THURSDAY
Wild ‘N Out
This week’s guest is Talib Kweli. He’s a rapper. He’s in a group with Mos Def called “Blackstar”. He leads the black team, which consists of Spanky Hayes, Corey Holcomb, Mikey Day, Taran Killam, and Leonard Robinson. The red team is Nick Cannon along with Kat Williams, Affion Crockett, Randall Park, Rob Hoffman, and Nyima Funk.
The first round is called “That Ain’t Right”. Team members will be given a social situation and they will try to say something completely inappropriate. I give this round to the red team and the winner is Kat Williams! Pretty funny overall, though.
The second round is called “Tore Up From the Floor Up”. Team members pick out audience members to model what they are wearing for everyone. The goal is to pick people who they can make fun of, of course. I’m going to have to call this round a tie. Kat Williams, Nick Cannon, Affion Crockett, Mikey Day, and Talib Kweli all win this round! It was too close to call!
The third round is called “Before and After”. DJ D-Wrek will tell the teams something and the teams have to figure out what happened right before this and right after this. I have to give this round to the red team thanks to Affion Crockett as he won that round.
The final round is “WildStyle”. Both teams freestyle rap against each other as you should know by now. Actually, I should say that Talib Kweli pretty much takes on the whole red team and basically creates an entire rap about all of the members of the red team. So you have to give that round to the black team and Talib Kweli as the winner. However, for the show the red team wins! No doubt as Talib carried the black team, but the combination of Nick Cannon, Affion Crockett, and Kat Williams is too much to handle! I give the MVP to Kat Williams! And that is all for this season. A pretty good way to end things!
Pimp My Ride
Xzibit helps Mary this week. She has a 1988 Nissan Pulsar. She says it looks like it came straight from the dumpster. Her paint job is called “ashy red”. She goes to school, but recently her mom got into a car accident. She has to take her mom to the doctor and help her and has no time to pay or even try to fix her car.
Xzibit says these cars “suck even when they are brand new”. Xzibit explains to us that a “pulsar” is a “collapsed star”, so there was no hope for this car to begin with. Mary shows X the way to get into her car, which is by hitting on the door in a certain spot. This leads to Xzibit giving us a Fonz reference from Happy Days. Mary has a cousin named “Fonz”, so she is confused.
Xzibit has a surprise for us and the GAS Crew, though. He thinks Mary deserves the very best, so he gives her a brand new Ford Mustang! Mad Mike is putting monitors everywhere in the car. Everywhere she looks, there will be monitors. 17 to be exact. And a monitor pops out of the trunk. They also split the hood of the car to show off the engine inside. A new body kit as well. They also change the color to neon green and chrome! She also gets a new phone.
The best part of this car is all of the monitors and the crazy “dancing” monitor from the trunk. Xzibit finally gives her a real fingerprinting kit to help with her future career as well. And that’s a pretty sweet way to end this season!
And that ends the 15th volume of the “MTV Mix”! If you have any questions, comments, suggestions, or feedback of any kind..send them my way!!
I’ll see you next week when we mix things up a bit!
