For a family that usually goes pretty PBS in our television viewing, we've been watching a lot of lowbrow commercial tv lately. Here's my take on the best(?) of what we're currently addicted to...
Whodunnit? This ABC reality show is bad. But highly watchable. The butler is the host. The worst contestant from the previous week becomes the murder victim the next. You get your choice between investigating the murder scene, last known whereabouts, or morgue for evidence. You have to barter for info and put together your version of events. The big reveal is a formal dinner where we learn who got the mystery right and which players need to be "scared" they'll be the next victim.
Mistresses Another ABC show but this one is a fairly good drama. I'm a little ashamed I just said that. It's actually fairly well-written for a soap-opera type show about infidelity. For dudes, this show has it all. Alyssa Milano. Lesbian shower scenes. The characters and plots strike that odd balance between funny/witty/serious/emotional. Actually, the one really intense plot involving Yunjin Kim almost feels out of place because it's so close to needing to on another show--it's that good. It would feel more at home on a real drama like The Good Wife or some higher quality non-summer tv.
Big Brother I'm not a veteran watcher of this summer favorite now on Season 15. I know the basics but there are plenty of new twists so that even old viewers will be on edge this time around. 3 people up for elimination. A viewer-chosen MVP who selects one player on the chopping block each week. And, let's be honest, it sucked you in to see geeky pizza delivery boy McCrae be Head of Household in Week 1. The house, as usual, is full of hot chicks...though some of them have deeper personalities and some intelligence. Moms, pediatric speech therapists, etc.. The guys are enough of a mix to stay interesting...the bearded railroad worker, the professor who also happens to be a superfan of the show. Though I question whether I'd let Elissa write my nutrition plan for Ironman training.
If you're watching On Demand, points to CBS for letting you fast forward through the various episodes of Big Brother while ABC makes you watch all the ads for their shows. Boo!
Ok, now I'm going to go back to watching the end of American Ninja Warrior.