As almost every channel surfer knows, the networks are rushing unscripted shows into production to fill the holes left by the writers strike. Some of the premises are far-fetched, some are inane, but what else is new?
Take this quiz to see if you can tell the actual “reality” series from the fake ideas, some of which are just idiotic enough to end up on a small screen near you.
1. CBS has several new reality series in the works. Which one of these did the network recently announce?
a. “Game Show in My Head,” a hidden-camera show that awards points to unsuspecting players who must complete goofy tasks in public as directed through an earpiece, in order to win cash prizes.
b. “Talent Show in my Mind,” a hidden-camera show in which players are unknowingly taped singing in the shower, ultimately competing for cash prizes.
c. “Dating Show in My Loft,” a twist on “Big Brother” in which contestants arrive for blind dates not knowing they are on a hidden camera.
d. “Talk Show on My Couch,” in which the host plays along while average people are unknowingly taped in conversation in a doctor’s waiting room.
2. Animal Planet is aiming to capitalize on the success of its “Meerkat Manor.” The cable channel will debut which new series in February?
a. “Alligator Alley,” about a corridor full of gators in suburban Florida.
b. “Lemur Kingdom,” about feuding troops of lemurs in Madigascar.
c. “Dingo Dynasty,” about multiple generations of dingo in the Australian Outback.
d. “Dung Beetle Diary,” about the rolling and tunneling species on several continents.
3. Thanks to the strong ratings performance of dog shows on several networks, a new unscripted series on CBS will focus on man’s best friend in various competitions. What is the working title?
a. “Make Me a Top Dog”
b. “Pageant Dogs”
c. “Bow! Wow!”
d. “America’s Top Dog”
4. “American Gladiators” is NBC’s best ratings performer since “Heroes,” scoring the highest-rated premiere episode of the season. What spin-off is under consideration to follow on “Gladiators” success?
a. “Gladiators Fear Factor”
b. “Jousting for Dollars”
c. “Celebrity Eliminator”
d. “American Muscle”
5. Which idea is a spinoff of Bravo’s “Real Housewives of Orange County,” which the network plans to introduce next month?
a. “Real Housewives of S.F.”
b. “Real Housewives of NYC.”
c. “Last Housewife Standing”
d. “Real Housewives vs. Real Bachelorettes”
6. Which of the following is currently running on TLC?
a. “A Million Dollars Richer”
b. “30 Pounds Lighter”
c. “10 Years Younger”
d. “20 Times Faster”
7. What was the supposedly hilarious premise for a Fox reality show called “When Good Times Go Bad”?
a. An exploding birthday cake causes third-degree burns at a 9-year-old’s party
b. A family wins a new car, only to drive off the road into a street lamp
c. A family vacationing at the Alamo unwittingly observes a man setting himself afire
d. A Beverly Hills pool cleaner trips himself and his employer, both falling into the water
8. The producers of “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?” have a new idea, coming soon to NBC. What’s the title?
a. “My Dad is Smarter Than Your Dad”
b. “My Dog is Smarter Than Your Honor Student”
c. “My Dad is Better Than Your Dad”
d. “Are You Smarter Than You Look?”
9. “Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew” is an ongoing series on VH-1. Which of the following describes an addict on the show?
a. A porn star
b. A wrestler
c. A former “American Idol” contestant
d. Brigitte Nielsen
e. All of the above
10. MTV has a hit in “My Super Sweet 16,” which depicts the conspicuous overconsumption of the very rich as they lavish millions on their demanding daughters. The network has announced what follow-up?
a. “My Super Soup Kitchen,” a sequel in which 16-year-old divas are fish out of water, working for charity after over-the-top birthday parties
b. “Super Sweet and Knocked Up,” a sequel in which young women from the first show are seen dealing with unwanted pregnancies
c. “Not So Sweet 18,” a sequel in which some of the most spoiled girls find themselves out of luck two years later
d. “Exiled!” a sequel in which the entitled 16-year-olds are shipped to Africa to live with indigenous tribes
11. Which of the following will NOT be featured in an upcoming reality show?
a. Michael Vick’s dogs
b. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
c. UFO hunters
d. Jamie Lynn Spears
12. Animal Planet is changing course, ditching natural history shows in favor of dramatic reality shows featuring animals. Which one is on the boards?
a. “After the Attack,” interviews with survivors of animal attacks
b. “Animal Instinct,” footage of mating animals
c. “Dirty Jobs,” groomers compete before judges
d. “Barking Wars,” a “Dog Whisperer” knockoff
13. A new dating elimination show, featuring eight men competing for one woman, Calpernia, debuts Monday on Logo. The catch: the men don’t know that Calpernia is transgendered. What’s the title?
a. “Paradise Hotel in Transition”
b. “Transamerican Love Story”
c. “Who Wants to Date a Tranny?”
d. “I’ve Got a Secret”
14. Copying a BBC reality hit, NBC this month will introduce a series billed as “a social experiment.” The idea is to put five teenage couples on “a roller- coaster ride of adult responsibility” by giving them babies and children to look after. What — besides moronic on the part of the real parents lending their children for the production — is this show called?
a. “Baby Borrowers”
b. “Babies Having Babies”
c. “Kid Nation”
d. “Supernannies”
Joanne Ostrow’s column runs Tuesday, Friday and Sunday: 303-954-1830 or jostrow@denverpost.com.
Reality show quiz answers
1. a
2. b
3. d
4. c
5. b
6. c
7. c
8. c
9. e
10. d
11. d
12. a
13. b
14. a
