Flashback Friday-Flipping Vegas (2011-2014)

Even in the best of times, the selling and buying of homes has the potential to be a crap shoot. Especially when the purpose of buying a home is to fix it up and hopefully sell it for profit.

Flipping Vegas aired on A&E from 2011-2014. The show followed the careers of real estate investors Scott and Amie Yancey. They earn their bread by buying dilapidated homes, flipping them, and then selling them to new homeowners. As anyone who watches this sub-genre knows, the process is not as simple as television makes it out to be.

What is most interesting for me is not the process of the home renovation, but the conflicts between Amie and Scott. In most shows like this where the main attraction is a married couple, most couples have a cohesive vision for the final product. Amie and Scott don’t always agree, which I think makes the show unique.

Do I recommend it? I am leaning toward yes.

Flashback Friday-Sorority Life (2002-2004) & Fraternity Life (2003-2005)

For some in college, the experience is incomplete without at least the attempt of pledging a sorority or a fraternity. But does that experience live up the images seen on the big and small screens?

Back in the early 2000’s MTV included Sorority Life (2002-2004) and Fraternity Life (2003-2005) on their schedule. Both series followed pledges and members of a handful of sororities and fraternities from across the country.

When both programs originally aired, I was the target audience. It was easy for me to get hooked on both series. But two decades later, both programs are showing their age and the questions that come with how real a “reality show” is.

Do I recommend it? Maybe.

Throwback Thursday: Mario Lopez: Saved by the Baby (2010-2011)

Impending parenthood often brings a mix of emotions. Especially when this is the first pregnancy.

From 2010-2011, Mario Lopez: Saved by the Baby aired on VH1. It followed actor and TV host Mario Lopez (Saved by the Bell) and his then-girlfriend (now wife), Courtney Mazza as they prepared for the birth of their first child.

As most celebrity centered reality shows go, this was far from the worst program within the sub-genre. But it was not all that special either.

Do I recommend it? Maybe.

Throwback Thursday-Man v. Food (2008-Present)

When it comes to food and eating, we all know that it is time to stop when our stomachs are full. But what happens we are challenged to eat well after our stomachs have told us that they are full?

Man v. Food (2008-Present) originally aired on the Travel Channel before moving to the Cooking Channel three years ago. Hosted first by Adam Richman and then by Casey Webb, the show profiles different restaurants with extreme and unique dishes on the menu. The challenge is to completely consume the dish, sometimes within a limited amount of time.

This show is a joy to watch. Not just for the huge meals that fill you up just by looking at them, but for the challenge the host takes up to finish the meal.

I recommend it.

Throwback Thursday: Cake Boss (2009-2017)

For those who love to be in the kitchen, baking is more than final product that comes out of the oven. It is the love and pride that comes with creating something for someone else to enjoy.

Cake Boss aired on TLC from 2009-2017. The show followed Buddy Valastro, the owner of Carlo’s Bake Shop, located in Hoboken, New Jersey. Audiences were introduced to Buddy, his staff and his family as they created edible masterpieces for their customers.

I really like this show. It is entertaining without the mind numbing feeling that comes with some reality shows. As a viewer, I enjoy the challenge of watching these cakes go from conception to reality.

I recommend it.

Flashback Friday-Ace of Cakes (2006-2011)

When one normally thinks of a cake, the image is that of a square or a rectangle covered in frosting with a topping or two.

On Ace of Cakes, Duff Goldman and his team create much more than the basic cake. Their task is to create custom and extremely detailed cakes within a very short amount of time. Once the cakes are completed (sometimes using unorthodox methods), they often travel hundreds, if not thousands of miles to their final destination.

I think this show is fabulous. I love the idea of the challenge of creating cakes that go well beyond what most of us think of a cake. I also love to camaraderie between the team and the creativity it takes to put together their masterpeices.

I recommend it.

Throwback Thursday: Here Comes Honey Boo Boo (2012-2014)

If I am to be truly honest with my readers, I have to admit that I have a love/hate relationship with reality television. As I see it, there is a spectrum with this genre. At the very top are programs that I will watch and not feel like I am brain dead. At the bottom are programs that I refuse to watch, because I feel like I am killing brain cells and precious television time.

Here Comes Honey Boo Boo aired on TLC from 2012-2014. An off-shoot of Toddlers & Tiaras, the show followed the life and adventures of former child beauty contestant Alana “Honey Boo Boo” Thompson and her family.

Through its short run, the reviews for this show were far from positive. I only watched short clips, but I cannot help but agree with the critics. Falling somewhere between trashy and exploitative, I know enough to know that I loath this program. If I have a choice between watching this show and not watching TV at all, I would rather not watch TV.

I do not recommend it.

Flashback Friday-The Great Food Truck Race (2010-Present)

Innovation comes in many different forms. When it comes to food, food trucks represent innovation in it’s purest form.

The Great Food Truck Race has aired in Food Network since 2010. Hosted by Tyler Florence, the show follows several food truck teams as they drive across the country and try to out cook each other. As in any competition reality program, the winning team receives a cash prize and the glory of winning their season.

I can understand the appeal of The Great Food Truck Race. Any television program, regardless of genre or content does not last ten years without having a loyal and eager fan base. While this is not my favorite show on the Food Network, I can understand its appeal.

Do I recommend it? Maybe.

Throwback Thursday- Hogan Knows Best (2005-2007)

Do parents always know what is best? That question has been posed in many ways over the years.

Hogan Knows Best aired on VH1 from 2005-2007. This reality show followed the personal and professional life of wrestling superstar Hulk Hogan and his family.

As a reality show, it was the standard celebrity-based program. While other programs of this nature were somewhat compelling, this program was just plain dumb. I have to admit that I did watch it, but looking back, I wish I hadn’t.

Do I recommend it? Not really.

Flashback Friday-Run’s House (2005-2009)

The purpose of celebrity-based reality shows is that they are supposed to show that despite the fame and money, they are thoroughly human and just like the viewer. But the question is, is what the viewer is presented with real or faked for the camera?

Run’s House aired on MTV from 2005-2009. The show followed original Run-D.M.C. member Rev Run (aka Joseph Simmons), his wife Justine and their children as they went about their lives.

As celebrity based reality shows go, this one felt well, real. Though, like all reality shows, one has to question how “real” it is, this one felt just a tiny bit authentic.

Do I recommend it? Maybe.