Results tagged “realitytv”

We don't know what it is about Chicago that the Discovery Channel loves so much, but we're not complaining. Both Liar's Club and the Metro have been featured recently on the show Ghost Labs and Dirty Jobs was recently in town as well. Now, part of Chicago is getting the limelight all to itself. The channel will debut a new three-part series tomorrow night called Cook County Jail, which focuses on...well, do we have to spell it out for you? Parts one ("Brains & Brawn") and two ("Gang Ties") air tomorrow night, starting at 8:00 p.m.

It seems former governor Rod Blagojevich's federal trial might get underway come April 2010. At a status hearing this morning, U.S. District Judge James Zagel said he prefers for the trial to start by next April and by July 2010 at the latest. Zagel also floated the idea of an anonymous jury. Blagojevich defense attorney Sam Adam Jr. said, "If that's what the judge orders I'll be ready."

It was just last week when we learned former governor Rod Blagojevich actually met a PR opportunity he could refuse: appearing on the HBO show Cathouse, which focuses on Las Vegas's famed Moonlite Bunny Ranch brothel. At the time, Blago spokesman Glenn Selig said, "They did offer it to him but we're not taking it seriously." Now, Bunny Ranch owner Dennis Hof told WBBM 780 he might set his focus on landing Drew Peterson instead. Said Hof: "You know, I think I might as well just stay in that Chicago area. I think I'm going to go after Drew Peterson. He doesn't have an old lady now; at least they can't find her. He might as well be on my show and have some fun with the girls."

href="http://torontoist.com/2008/02/phototo_snowbal.php">photographing a big, organized snowball fight.

is right on schedule.

While we were chompin' at the bit for the return of Project Runway following a holiday hiatus, the casting for Bravo's next attempt at reality success had us wishing some more episodes of The Office were ready to go.

During last week’s sleet storm we ducked into the South Loop Wine Cellar on the walk home from the Museum Campus. Half-frozen, soaked and more concerned with warming up than with finding a new shopping destination, we were pleasantly surprised by what we found inside. Warm, welcoming and filled with wine bins, exposed bricks and a beautiful Christmas tree, the store was the perfect place for us to stop. With all of the hype surrounding the opening of the South Loop location of Sam’s Wine and Spirits, some may have missed this much smaller, but much cozier, destination.

This week's installment of Project Runway played out like a roller coaster of emotions. The designers were given the challenge of clothing for real people (yay!), retooling "fat clothes" from women who had lost significant amounts of weight, ranging from 45 to 160 pounds. Although the contestants tend to bitch and moan every time they're forced to design for, gasp, a non-stick frame, we always enjoy seeing what they have to offer. After all, while you, 110 pound, 5'11 model, might look good in a bubble skirt or trapeze dress, most of the women buying clothing off the racks will want something flattering and wearable for their frames.

When you think of stylish, modern fashion, don't the terms "neon," "flares," "fringe" and "overalls" pop into your mind? Oh, wait, they don't? Well, on Wednesday's fashion designer throw down, the challengers were faced with modernizing such dreaded fashion trends that we all hoped were relegated to the design graveyard in the sky. As if designing a chic outfit with shoulder pads wasn't hard enough, Nina Garcia also bore the bad news that they would...

Out of all of our celebrity chef crushes, Gordan Ramsay doesn't really crack the top three five ten. He just doesn't do it for us. There's something about the incessant swearing and love of horse meat that isn't attractive to Chicagoist. But he does do it for FOX viewers and restaurants that need a makeover on his Kitchen Nightmares show. We learned via Schadenfreude (and apparently there was an ad in the Reader as well)...

This is Officer Coates. When we first saw him at approximately 4 p.m. this afternoon, he was standing on a Segway (instant annoying!) and appeared to be telling some dudes with big signs announcing a 50% off sale on tuxedos (?) on Michigan Avenue that they couldn't stand there or something. This was right out front of 535 N. Michigan Ave. just south of the Intercontinental Hotel. We thought, "Who cares? Leave them alone!"...

In the “reality TV”-obsessed era of “So You Think You’re the Next Bachelor Genius Idol” cultural saturation, there comes a time when every sensible man and woman must turn off the television and venture out into “reality life.” Luckily, the transition is eased by events like tonight’s regional finals of the U.S. Air Guitar Championships at Metro — ambitious folks with limited talent in a ridiculous “discipline?” Check! Less ambitious, more voyeuristic folks willing to pay to observe the first group perform feats of absurdity within said discipline? Check! One of the most storied rock venues in America to host this circus? Check!

All across the land this weekend there'll be grills firing up; hamburgers, hot dogs and veggie patties will be duly seared, oversmeared with condiments and consumed. But at Facets, another kind of feast is on display. The ingredients? A desert island. Reality TV. And hungry contestants.

In this age of obnoxious reality television, people are comfortable eating bull balls and making asses out of themselves. Yet there is still one show that is what reality TV should be, and that show is "Survivor". This season gives us Mookie, a Chicagoan who keeps pissing where he eats and screws up the game. We also have our favorite survivor ever, Yaoman, a wiry, older Asian fellow who is going to quietly steal all...

As the world holds its breath, teetering precariously on the cusp of the Super Bowl (well, at least in America), the wheels of the -ists keep on turning. Austinist was in a musical frame of mind as they listened to the new Shins album, updated the SXSW band listings and got called "punk rock" for their efforts by MTV. And an ice storm swept through the area. Bostonist said goodbye to John Kerry's plans...

Plans for the Olympic stadium and village have been unveiled. Illinois is one of a bunch of states that have reached an $8 million settlement with Bayer, who they say didn't properly warn people about the risks of taking the drug. Local tech company Itellext is teaming up with AOL to make a free customized version of their search tool Watson available for K-12 students. The CTA is putting a new northbound platform and...

Chicagoist knows good reality TV when we see it, and this past "Survivor" was the best season since Boston Rob and Ambah fell in love and won the All-Stars (they’ll be back for another go in the Amazing Race All-Stars in March). We do think Ozzy should have won the million, even if he did look a lot like Joey Lawrence on the reunion show.

In a perplexing marketing move, some of the cast of The Real World Denver will be at Crobar on Friday for a “Premiere and Holiday Party.” Now, we’re not here to make fun of the higher-ups at MTV for having a premiere party three weeks after the actual premiere. We’re not even here to poke fun at Colie for making out with Alex and thinking they were actually going “steady.” And we’re still not here...

A new season of “The Apprentice” begins on NBC January 7, and the opening lineup of contestants includes two women from the Chicago area. Aimee, who is 32, was raised in Elmhurst and most recently managed sales for a top medical company. She thinks she ought to be the next Apprentice because “I am wicked smart, tenacious and have insightful interpersonal skills, as well as a high level of integrity.” Nicole, 25, was born and raised in Naperville. She worked 2-3 jobs simultaneously while attending college and now owns a real estate acquisition corporation. She says, “I have the education, real estate experience and an undying will to succeed at everything I do.”

Go ahead and look it up if you're not familiar with this old school weapon. We didn't know what the name of this thing was until we saw good old Matt Roloff decide to up and build one on a manic whim on "Little People, Big World."

Admit it — you’ve probably dreamt up an invention or two in your day, some grand idea that would change the world, or at least make it a little more enjoyable. However, the thought of having to design a protype, pitch it to a company, and apply for a patent sounds like far too much work to fit into your already busy schedule.

Torontoist visits the site of a new Frank Gehry structure, stalks "the elusive Bahamas streetcar", and watches Tom Green get surgery. Phillyist rejoices in the Phillies' wild card chances, mourns the injuries sustained by Eagles defensive end Jevon Kearse, and goes pirate on our asses. SFist notes that Guns and Roses were in town, that San Franciscans are taking over reality TV, and that the San Francisco Chronicle's skills of original nomenclature could use some...

Have you dreamed of being Danny Zuko or Sandy Olsson ever since you saw the movie musical as a kid? Here's your chance to make your dreams of becoming a Greaser or a Pink Lady come true.

Toots L’Amour performs locally with the Lavender Cabaret and was the subject of a Chicagoist interview once upon a time. And speaking of once upon a time, L’Amour took to the NBC stage last night dressed, temporarily, as Snow White before beginning a burlesque striptease routine that would make a bulldog hug a hound.

Chicagoist loves opening presents. We love the element of surprise. But when presented with a naked woman wearing a big red bow, well, you pretty much know what you’re going to get when you unwrap it. And, frankly, we think Gold Coast resident Gina Huerta should have known what she was getting into when she signed up to compete on ABC’s “American Inventor” with her Naughty Knot product. Huerta claims that when she first presented...

The lines began on Monday afternoon, the auditions on Tuesday. The casting director for the reality TV show* "The Biggest Loser," where fat contestants compete for a $250k by losing weight, say they were impressed by the turnout of people in Chicago. Really? What do they expect from the country's fattest city? More than 400 people from across the Midwest lined up for a chance to be on the show, which they say would help...

Chicagoist's best friend in New York used to room with Alex Michael from the first season of The Bachelor. Aside from being really arrogant and self-centered, Alex spent every waking moment riding out his 15 minutes of reality TV fame. Calling girls on their birthday, making special appearances, etc. And since we like never hear of Bill Rancic actually working on the Trump Tower, but always hear about him doing promos and charity events, we're guessing that's what his deal is too.

Casting tryouts are coming up for two reality TV shows that feature musical groups looking to replace a member who died. The groups? TLC and INXS. Let's here it for acronyms. And dead band members! R U The Girl features T-Boz and Chilli, the 2 remaining members of TLC, as they try to find a female performer to replace Left Eye who was killed in a car crash in 2002. Oh, wait. Replacing Left Eye?...

Survivor, the washed up 80s band, sued Survivor, the reality TV show and.. guess what? They lost. Didn't see that coming.

except that it�s a �real� reality show with tons of product placements and workplace back-stabbing bitchiness. Ah, sweet delicious drama queens, how we love thee. Tonight, there�s a new episode on Bravo at 8 p.m.