Flashback Friday-Insane Pools (2015-Present)

For some, having your standard square shaped pool on their property is just fine. But for others, they want a little more when it comes to their pool. That is where Lucas Lagoons comes in.

Since 2015, the crew at Lucas Lagoons has been creating fantastic pools for their clients on the Animal Planet show Insane Pools. This reality program follows Lucas Congdon and his staff as they meet with clients and create the pools of their client’s dreams.

This show is an interesting one for me. As a writer and a human being, I’ve always been curious about the creative process for any artist. Creating these pools requires a certain amount of artistry and talent. It’s not just digging a hole in the ground, filling it with cement and then filling it with water. It takes a creative mind to create the kinds of pools that will wow clients and keep them swimming in their pools for years to come.

I recommend it.

Flashback Friday-Kids Baking Championship (2015-Present)

Excellence in a specific area in adulthood requires years of hard work and study. Excellence in this same area as a child is something to cherish.

Kids Baking Championship has aired on Food Network since 2015. Hosted and judged by Duff Goldman and Valerie Bertinelli, this competition reality show puts its young contestants through their paces. Judged on their dishes based on presentation, taste, and quality, at the end of the season, one contestant is named the winner.

I don’t watch this show very often, but when I do, I am impressed. The level of skill, passion, and talent that these kids have is impressive. I also appreciate that because of the age of the contestants, there is a gentler approach to the competition.

Do I recommend it? Yes.

Throwback Thursday: Dr. Jeff: Rocky Mountain Vet (2015-2019?)

Taking your pet to the veterinarian is akin to taking your child to the pediatrician. It it sometimes not easy and may force you to make a difficult decision.

Dr. Jeff: Rocky Mountain Vet has been on the Animal Planet schedule since 2015. The shows follows the professional life of Dr. Jeff Young and his staff as they treat their furry and scaly patients in their Colorado Veterinarian office.

Warning: the video shows graphic imagery of surgery. Watch at your own risk if you are squeamish.

I like this program. Though it has not be confirmed if it has been renewed for another season, it is an interesting look at a professional world that few of us have an window on.

I recommend it.

Flashback Friday-Bug Juice (1998-2001)

When we are young, summer camp is not just two months of relaxation, fun, and friends. We grow up in ways during those months that we do not expect to grow up.

Bug Juice aired on the Disney Channel from 1998-2001. It was a reality show that followed campers and their counselors during their time at summer camp.

Most reality shows are brain drains. They are mindless, dumb and cater to our worst sensibilities as human beings. But Bug Juice was different. Granted, it was aimed at the Disney Channel audience, all of whom were young kids and their parents. Among reality shows, then and now, this program actually lived up to the name of the genre. It actually told the story of the subjects without resorting to lowball dramatic tactics for the sake of ratings.

Do I recommend it? Yes.

Flashback Friday-George to the Rescue (2010-Present)

These days, home renovation shows are the rage.

George to the Rescue (2010-Present), has aired on NBC for nearly a decade. Hosted by contractor George Oliphant, the show follows George and his team as they renovate the homes of deserving families.

What I like about this program is that the renovations are more than vanity projects or the homeowners looking to add value to their house in order to sell it. It’s about giving back to a family who is going through hard times and desperately needs a leg up of some sort. I don’t know if one might classify it as reality television. But if it does fall under that category, it certainly makes up for some of the brainless programs that also fall into the category of “reality television”.

I recommend it.

Throwback Thursday-Treehouse Masters (2013-2018)

When you’re a kid, you may have wished for a treehouse in your backyard.

Builder Pete Nelson makes that wish come true for adults on his Animal Planet program, Treehouse Masters, (2013-2018). The show follows Pete and his team as they build treehouses for adults who want much more than a simple boxed frame treehouse.

I have to admit that although I am not a huge fan of this show, the treehouses are really cool. It takes whatever ideas a child might have about a treehouse and expands it in ways that only a creative mind could think of. Granted, it is still a reality show, but it does not have the mind-numbing effect that other reality shows have on the viewer.

Do I recommend it? Maybe.

Flashback Friday-Tough Enough (2001-2015)

Since it’s debut about twenty years ago, reality shows have become the norm on our television schedules. It is therefore, not surprising that this genre has left no television stone unturned.

Tough Enough (2001-2015) originally aired on MTV before moving to UPN and then the USA Network. The premise is pretty much the same as any competition reality show: thousands of potential contestants send in their tapes. Of those thousands, twenty three are chosen to compete to become professional wrestlers. Over the course of the season, the contestants are eliminated until the winner(s) are chosen as future WWE superstars.

Though I only watched this show while it was on MTV, it was interesting while it was on the air. Granted, it was aimed specifically at the WWE fan base and not the general audience, it was still compelling as a television program. Granted, as time has gone by, it has become just another reality show.

Do I recommend it? Maybe.

Flashback Friday-Undercover Boss (2010-2016)

Unless you walk a mile in another person’s shoes, it is impossible to understand their point of view.

Undercover Boss aired on CBS from 2010-2016. Based on the British series of the same name, the show follows either a company owner or a high-level manager as they go undercover as an entry-level employee. After a week of going undercover, the boss reveals who they really are. At the conclusion of the episode, changes to the company are put in place or individual employees are rewarded for their hard work.

What I like about this show is that it highlights how difficult work is and how important it is to be recognized for doing your job well. Granted, it is a reality show. But there is something to be said when employees are respected and appreciated for the work they do.

Do I recommend it? Maybe.

Flashback Friday-Flavor of Love Girls: Charm School (2007)

In the world of reality television shows, a spin off is common place. The question is, if the spin off, like any sequel is worthy of it’s predecessor?

In 2007, Flavor of Love Girls: Charm School premiered on VH1. A spin off of Flavor of Love, the show was hosted by Mo’Nique. The purpose of the program was to teach etiquette to the female contestants from the two seasons of Flavor of Love. The winner would walk away with $50,000 and the title of Charm School Queen.

I have to admit that I am a former reality show addict. I didn’t watch every show, but this one I did watch. Though it had some appeal at the time, at the end of the day, it was just another reality show.

Do I recommend it? Not really.

Flashback Friday- On the Road with Austin & Santino (2010)

The buddy travel genre has existed for decades in the world of scripted movies and television.

In 2010, the genre traveled to the world of reality television in the Project Runway spin off On the Road with Austin & Santino. Each episode follows former contestants Austin Scarlett and Santino Rice as they travel around the country and create a custom dress for the woman who is the subject of each episode.

This show only lasted one season and rightly so. It was mildly entertaining, but at the end of the day, it was not enough to warrant a second season.

Do I recommend it? Not really.