#1 - My Life on the D-List - we can thank Kathy Griffin for another outstanding season of her show that not only gave us a hilarious look at the Gay Porn Awards but show the real pathos of her life and loss of her father. Kathy got an Emmy so you can "Suck it Jesus" and raised even more Hell with another special on Bravo. We better get more than 7 episodes this season...#2 - So you think you can Dance? has helped bring dance back to the tube, and is the best damn competition between real dancers that you can not miss. Kat Deeley has charmed me with her height and "jiges", Mary Murphy has ruptured both my ear drums and we have seen the likes of Mia Michaels and Wade Robson make us cry with their powerful choreographies. Doesn't hurt that there are tons of beautiful boys either...
#3 - Dancing with the Stars - has managed to do the unthinkable and bring the variety show back to TV. Not only do we get surprising performances from celebrities that you would never expect to be decent dancers, but there is lots of humor, drama and fun. Besides, where else can you see Marie Osmond faint live on TV and practically hear the entire country gasp together?
#4 - The Amazing Race - there is a damn good reason this show keeps winning the Emmy each year for best reality show, because it is just that. We get incredible scenery and a fascinating trip around the world with real people that behave, well, like real people. There is always some one to cheer for, always the team that everyone hates and tons of meltdowns. It's like taking a family vacation and not having to deal with it yourself, and that can often be a situation that it's better to be an armchair observer than to have to go through it yourself.
#5 - Survivor - Still the original and often imitated, but no one succeeds like this show. Exotic locals, tons of Type A personalities and no food, you think that they must be border line psychopaths to want to do this show. I have watched from Day 1 and marvel each time at how we get such an interesting look at society and the interactions between people. I feel like an anthropologist studying social structure and love all the wacky challenges.
#6 - Project Runway - Bravo gets huge kudos for bring the drama of fashion back to television and making it so fabulous! Not only do we get some pretty wacky designers, but some very interesting challenges and the oh so gay Tim Gunn. Heidi Klum has made a new industry out of herself and paved the way for other fashionistas. I can't bear to miss an episode and find out who is in... or out.
#7 - Project Runway Canada - Imitation is the best form of flattery, and what better than having a home made version of a successful show? I had to check it out, to see if it had the same "oomph" as the original and was blown away by Iman as the Host. Her deadpan " In fashion, sometimes you just don't measure up." was delivered with such a tone that it made me cringe at home.... the challenges were different as was the supporting cast (but it was missing Tim Gunn and needed a Nina type character) but it was still gripping fashion reality and a scream to watch.... and yes I screamed a lot when they announced the winner....
#8 - America's Most Smartest Model - What other show would have the balls to have Ben Stein judge the intelligence of some pretty stupid models? Not only was there lots of eye candy and some pretty hilarious challenges, but we got to see more of the harsh reality of being a model and all the drama.... well actually I really only watched it because it was so terribly good and besides, some of those models were damn fine...
#9 - The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency - Janice is such a trip and everything is so hyped over the top that it is SO bad that it is good.... and besides it seems like every episode there is some reason to have the models running around in their underwear or posing nude or...... you get the picture. It's voyeurism at it's best with a big helping of crazy included.
#10 - The Soup - It's not really a reality show... but it makes it's living by talking about them and spotlights all of the best stuff that is on the tube, and is must see TV in my house each week. Joel McHale is absolutely brilliant (and his writers) for the stuff that they dig up each week, it has some of the best snarky comments that you will hear anywhere and has created new icons such as Mankini. I can thank Joel for pointing out shows like America's Most Smartest Model that I would have missed if he hadn't given me a peek inside, and he makes me laugh my ass off each week.
