Reality TV - Page 42

Manufacturer: Eagle Rock Ent

The hit reality series full of mystery, adventure and fun. 10 players work as a team to complete a series of difficult physical and psychological tests. However, one of the players is a "mole" whose goal it is to foil the efforts of the other thirteen players without revealing his or her identity. In the final dramatic episode, The Mole is revealed and the one remaining player wins the jackpot, up to $1,000,000.

Manufacturer: MTV Brand: Paramount Model: 2238216

BAM AND HIS PARENTS ARE BACK WITH TWO MORE SEASONS OF PRANKS, STUNTS AND RIDICULOUS DISPLAYS OF FAMILY LOVE.

Manufacturer: MTV Brand: SIMPSON,JESSICA

America's favorite superstar couple, Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey, are back for not one but two seasons of NEWLYWEDS: NICK & JESSICA! That means twice the romance, twice the Jessica moments, and twice the craziness of being married in the spotlight. Things are more exciting than ever in Seasons Two and Three, with exotic locales, superstar performances, even a new housemate. But will the honeymoon last with lovers' quarrels, swirling rumors, and the paparazzi at the gate? MTV's reality series about the joys and challenges of juggling a relationship with rising celebrity kicks into a higher gear in seasons 2 and 3 now that Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey have a year of marriage under their belts. With both of them--separately and together--in heavy demand in Atlantic City, at photo shoots, surf meets, parades, football games, movie auditions, television and radio shows, and more, the couple have a hard time finding energy to be together. In the 20 episodes included in the Newlyweds: Nick & Jessica: The Complete Second and Third Seasons boxed set, there are several instances in which the pair go to some lengths to find private time: attending the Kentucky Derby, traveling to be with family over Christmas holidays, and taking a skiing trip that doesn't work out so well for poor Nick. Meanwhile, Nick and Jessica have to contend with aggressive paparazzi and fans, exhausting hours under hot lights, Jessica's pushy father-manager, and interpersonal conflicts when Jessica's best friend (and personal assistant) moves in with the couple. Compensating for all those trying times, however, is the duo's obvious devotion to one another, made clear through several elaborate, celebratory gestures each makes toward the other. Even if one doesn't find either Nick or Jessica to be particularly stimulating company, or find the process of turning somewhat talented people into larger-than-life celebrities to be interesting, the fly-on-the-wall documentary approach of Newlyweds quickly becomes irresistible to the voyeur in everyon...

Manufacturer: Big Vision Brand: IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT

Sci-Fi Channel’s Ghost Hunters introduces Jason and Grant, plumbers by day – ghost hunters by night! Ghost Hunters, a one-hour weekly docu-soap follows a group of real-life ghostbusters as they investigate haunted houses throughout the country. Plumbers by trade, Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson, head-up a group of intrepid souls that are far from the usual collection of be-spectacled Ph.D.s. They’re ordinary, everyday people with an interest in getting to the bottom of your otherworldly disturbances. Every week Jason, Grant, and their team investigate a new case, from poltergeists who throw a child's toys around an attic to a lighthouse whose late keeper still welcomes visitors. This team of moonlighting ghost hunters are our first and last defense against uninvited paranormal visitations.

Manufacturer: Paramount Brand: Amazing Race Model: 2238245

The complete first season of the TV series The Amazing Race. "A race like no other in history," Jerry Bruckheimer's Emmy magnet begins (and ends) in New York with 11 teams of 22 competitors. In the end, only one team will be left standing. Their prize? One million dollars. To win, they will have to travel the world using clues, a modicum of cash, and their minds. Patience, endurance, and a sense of direction certainly won't hurt (plane tickets, fortunately, are prepaid). The 2001 season is divided into 13 episodes (including two-part finale "Race to the Finish"). Instead of Immunity, there are Fast Forwards. The first team to find one goes straight to the next Pit Stop (rest area), bypassing any Roadblocks (tasks) left in the leg, while a Detour is a choice between two tasks. Some of the more hair-raising stunts include bungee jumping in Zambia ("The Race Begins") and beetle-munching in Beijing ("Fight to the Last Minute"). Other exotic ports of call include Paris, Rome, Tunis, New Delhi, and Bangkok. From the start, certain teams assert themselves--and not always in the most positive ways. They include bickering (and nauseated) couples Paul and Amie (recently engaged) and Lenny and Karyn (dating), separated parents Margarita and Frank, and 14-year life partners Bill and Joe, AKA Team Guido (a name inspired by their dog). Other contestants include friends, roommates, grandparents, working mothers, and law partners. The road ahead will be long. Some partnerships will be strengthened by the journey. Others will be weakened. As with Survivor, alliances will be formed, like mother/daughter duo Nancy and Emily with self-proclaimed "Ugly American" frat brothers Kevin and Drew. (The Guidos uncharitably dub the latter "the fatties," while Kevin and Drew dub them Bert and Ernie.) The Amazing Race is hosted by low-key New Zealander Phil Keoghan. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Manufacturer: Paramount Brand: iNetVideo Model: 2238235

The seventh season of the Emmy-® winning Amazing Race was far and away the most successful to date, thanks to the participation of Survivor favorites Rob and Amber. Every episode from that season is included here, as well as plenty of infighting, treachery and globe-trotting adventure. 12 episodes on 4 DVDs. 2005/10 hrs., 49 min/color/NR. For its seventh edition, The Amazing Race welcomed two familiar faces. Reality TV vets Rob and Amber were one of eleven teams competing for the million-dollar prize. The other contestants covered the spectrum, like boyfriends Lynn and Alex, brothers Brian and Greg, married couple Uchenna and Joyce, and mother/son duo Susan and Patrick. The latter decides he'll do whatever it takes to beat Boston Rob. As he notes in the season premiere, "I watched Survivor. He's as dumb as a rock." The show’s top-rated installment spanned five continents and 40,000 miles, from Long Beach, CA to Fort Lauderdale, FL. Other pit stops include Buenos Aires, Istanbul, and London. Some of the more colorful challenges include llama herding in Peru and cave rappelling in South Africa, while the emotional high point is a trip to a Soweto orphanage, an experience that reduces Uchenna and Joyce to tears. There will also be sacrifices along the way, as when Gretchen, the second oldest contestant--after her 69-year-old husband, Meredith--has a frightening fall and Joyce says so long to her hair. The seventh season of The Amazing Race is broken into 12 episodes, including three two-part programs. This boxed set features a mini-documentary, chatty commentary from four of the highest-ranked teams, and over three hours of deleted material. After the race aired, Lynn and Alex and Rob and Amber--on network TV, naturally--tied the knot. It was also revealed that Joyce once had a recurring role on Star Trek: The Next Generation. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Manufacturer: MTV Brand: Paramount Studio Model: 2238142

Nick Lachey, Jessica Simpson. Oddly enough, the final season of the hit show was almost immediately followed by the real-life divorce of stars Nick and Jessica. Before the divorce, however, the couple had adventures in moviemaking, recording new albums and a puppy that just won't stay housetrained. 10 episodes on 2 DVDs. 2005/color/3 hrs., 23 min/NR.

Manufacturer: Lions Gate Brand: Lionsgate Model: 2223225

CUSTOMIZED WORKOUT WITH 6 ROUTINES TO CHOOSE FROM FEATURING BOB HARPER & CONTESTANTS FROM SEASONS 1 & 2

Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox Brand: TCFHE Model: 4976353

THE SIMPLE LIFE 3: Interns follows celebutantes Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie as they pack-up their Louis Vuitton bags and board a Greyhound Bus to tour the country and take on an assortment of odd jobs. The biggest joke of The Simple Life concept is that the audience is in on the joke. Granted, the joke isn't always that funny, but it's funnier when the girls -- Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie, a pair of pampered royal New York brats -- aren't in on it. Like its predecessors, this compilation edition of the reality TV show continues the same basic conceit of plopping the girls in outrageous blonde-out-of-water situations and watching the sparks fly. This time they're tasked to be interns and actually work ("Work?!? Us?!?") at places like a plastic surgery clinic, an airline, a mortuary, a nursing home, an automotive shop, etc., etc. Of course it's all set up as an intentional joke on the sometimes angry, sometimes befuddled, sometimes good-humored "employers" and host families they're stuck with. More than that, it's just a series of staged scenes with some goofy video verite added when necessary. Any sense of comic timing comes from the ironic editing, silly sound effects, and equivalent of spit-takes reaction shots from the real people around them who can't believe their eyes. We shouldn't believe our eyes either, because it really is all a put-on. The train-wreck appeal of The Simple Life is that the girls go around making fun of lower class and white trash living, but they're pretty much complete idiots themselves. The result is obviously manipulative, but sometimes clever. There's great comfort in laughing at them, not with them.--Ted Fry

Manufacturer: Screen Media Brand: Gaiam Americas Model: 2220634

Cesar Millan has been called the Dr. Phil for Dogs. With an uncanny ability to rehabilitate problem dogs of all shapes and sizes, Cesar has captured the national spotlight with his hit TV show on the National Geographic Channel. Each episode of the Dog Whisperer documents the remarkable transformations that take place under Cesar's guidance and teaching, helping dogs and their owners live happier lives together. If you think your dog has behavioral problems, you'll feel better after watching 10 minutes of Dog Whisperer Cesar Millan's hard-luck cases. The smashing success of Millan's National Geographic Channel series is due partly to that feeling of relief--that no matter how bad your own dog's behavior, by and large, it's not nearly as bad as Millan's clients'; it's kind of like Nanny 911, but with dogs. Millan is also a telegenic, confident animal handler, whose basic message is reinforced in virtually every case: Don't treat your dog like a human; treat him like a dog, and be the alpha dog of your own household/pack. This canine golden rule applies to all kinds of doggie nut jobs: crazy little Chihuahua NuNu, who bites everyone but his owner; big sweetie-pie Great Dane Kane, whose puppy mishap sliding on a slick floor has made him terrified to walk on tile or linoleum; Brooks, who spins in circles trying to re-create a game involving looking for a laser light; and Maya the pitbull mix, who's sweet-tempered enough to let a kitten "nurse" on her nightly, but who tears apart her household a dozen times a day. One of Millan's most amazing success stories in this 26-episode series involves Churchill, a Rottweiler-shepherd mix who's docile and loving at home, but literally tries to attack all other dogs and even bites a neighbor, thus ending up on the brink of doggie death row. But within 15 minutes, Millan's calm confidence, and gentle but firm application of tugs on a well-angled leash have Churchill passing and sitting near a strange dog placidly. Extras include some outtakes, footage of Millan's beloved wife and...