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Two people; one is wearing a pink sportcoat, and the other, who's holding a massive blue ribbon, is in a pink dress

Is Netflix’s Blue Ribbon Baking Championship a worthy Bake-Off knock-off?

Netflix is giving us its own The Great British Bake-Off, but set in the world of fair and carnival food. So is Blue Ribbon Baking Championship worth watching? Here’s my review.

Two people stand in front of rose bushes outside at night and look at each other

Can Claim to Fame players use notes? And other questions, answered

I interviewed Claim to Fame executive producer Eric Detwiler, who answered all my questions about creating clues, casting, challenges, and so much more, such as which player knows the most about pop culture.

Two blindfolded people touch food in front of them: a stack of pancakes and a cake

Claim to Fame’s players conspire to throw a game—and hurl someone under the bus

In a hilarious and twist-filled episode five, Claim to Fame season 3’s remaining players plotted against Adam, and had to smell horse poop.

Richard Nixon pulls a face before a TV appearance, as shown in Tricky Dick. (CNN)

Tricky Dick: “It’s as though he has needed enemies”

CNN’s 2019 docuseries covers Richard M. Nixon from his Red-scare rise to his Watergate fall. Should you give it a hearing?

A person talking to another person in a hallway, and holding up her hand which is covering the other person's face

Joe’s jingle jangles Below Deck Med’s stews awake as Aesha devises a plan

Did Captain Sandy fire Bri and Ellie? LOL no. But between Joe serenading Nathan and Iain, Aesha’s laundry plan, and Sandy’s changing rooms plan, some relief may be on the way.

The iconic photo of Richard Nixon departing following his resignation, August 9, 1974. (Wally McNamee / Getty)

From the archives: The Best Evidence Watergate reader

Our recommendations for Watergate reads and watches, from A(ll The President’s Men) to Z(iegler, Ron). Updated regularly!

Two people on a colorful set in front of a large screen that says GOLD ZONE

We need an Olympic Gold Zone—or NFL RedZone—for reality TV

Peacock’s Gold Zone has been my favorite part of some truly excellent coverage of the 2024 Paris Olympic games. Could we please have a reality TV version of it?

Scott Peterson

Scammy psychics, body snatchers, and Sean “Diddy” Combs

Medical examiners who can’t examine, unforgettable kidnappings, a Boston Strangler stage show, and more from our July Budget sweep.

A person with spiky blonde hair screaming and pushing away a grocery cart

Why is Food Network music so loud? Is The Apprentice still streaming?

In today’s Ask Andy, questions about loud percussion and low voices on Food Network shows, and what happened to free streaming of the show starring a presidential candidate.

A sweaty, wet person talks on a blue phone handset while in a field

It’s ‘backstab season’ on Claim to Fame, starring a pop culture ignoramous

Can you be a celebrity’s relative and know nothing about pop culture? Can you be a player on Claim to Fame who just relies on getting the answers? My Claim to Fame season 3, episode 4 recap explores!

The most iconic snap of Pete Rose in a career with dozens. Does Max's docuseries do Rose justice? (Max)

Should you bet on Charlie Hustle and the Matter of Pete Rose?

The docuseries on baseball’s most controversial “case” is riveting for fans of the game – but is it worthwhile true crime?

Two people in a bathroom; one is gesturing angrily at another

Ellie’s gaslight is so bright even Iain can see it on Below Deck Med

Below Deck Med season 9, episode 9 was a packed episode: Iain screwing up more, Joe screwing, Gael dealing with her boyfriend, and, of course, Ellie vs. Bri. Did Captain Sandy act decisively? LOL no. Here’s my recap.

Peter Strauss and Heather Locklear as Cullen and Priscilla Davis in 1995 TV movie Texas Justice, based on the Davis cases. Is the Naifeh and Smith book worth checking out? (ABC)

Wrapping up our summer Edgars flashback with a look back at Final Justice

It’s actually the second time Susan Howard has tackled a Cullen Davis book for her Edgars coverage. How did THIS one hold up?

Two people sitting at a counter smiling; a wine glass, food, and candle are on the surface

These two Olympics behind-the-scenes reality shows are a must-watch

I highly recommend Netflix’s Simone Biles Rising, which spends time with Simone after Tokyo and before Paris, and the Olympic Channel’s La Grande Seine, which goes behind the scenes of the production of the opening ceremony.

A person in a chef's coat smiles and poses in front of beams of light

Chef Shirley Chung is being treated for stage 4 tongue cancer

Chef Shirley Chung—who’s appeared on Top Chef, Tournament of Champions, and most recently Bobby’s Triple Threat—has revealed that she is being treated for stage four tongue cancer. The good news is that it’s working.

News & updates

  • ❑ Thursday, Aug. 8, 10:08 pm | Andy Dehnart

    "Why the reality TV bubble finally burst" is part of the L.A. Times’ headline about the unscripted TV industry, which has been suffering alongside scripted TV since the strikes.

    Christi Carras reports that "reality TV production in the Greater Los Angeles area plummeted by 57% compared with the same period last year and 50% compared with the five-year average," and notes that some productions and jobs have moved overseas.

    The real reason, though, is that there are fewer companies (thanks to disastrous mergers) while "studios are slashing their production slates and budgets." More money for the rich people, fewer jobs and reality TV for the rest of us.

  • ❑ Thursday, Aug. 8, 1:09 pm | Andy Dehnart

    Amazon's Are You Smarter Than A Celebrity? will arrive Oct. 16, and I missed the twist when it was first announced: Instead of a contestant competing against celebrities, contestants will use them for help.

    Besides the fact that the title now makes no sense, were celebrity egos so fragile that no one would agree to compete against a normie? Were the fifth graders from the original less terrified of losing?

  • ❑ Tuesday, Aug. 6, 10:16 am | Sarah D. Bunting

    Wondery's Dr. Death podcast has announced a live tour starting this November. Per the PR email, the event "dives into the unsettling true stories of medical malpractice and the unregulated treatments brought to light by the acclaimed Dr. Death podcast," with "expert speakers and interactive discussions," including Dr. Death host Laura Beil, Suspect creator Matthew Shaer, and others. More info at the link.

  • ❑ Saturday, Aug. 3, 8:18 pm | Andy Dehnart

    NBC's Deal or No Deal Island is jumping on the lo-fi music trend—which I had to have explained to me—by releasing a 44-minute YouTube video of b-roll from the island, including sloths.

    The video is accompanied by a soundtrack that producers Endemol Shine North America describe as "an ambient audiovisual experience comprising twelve original Lo-Fi Amapiano tracks blended with elements of Afropop, Chill, and Trip, influenced by the adventure-packed reimagination of beloved game show."

  • ❑ Thursday, Aug. 1, 12:28 pm | Andy Dehnart

    Carrie Underwood will replace Katy Perry on American Idol season 23's judging panel, joining Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie.

    The season will air 20 years after American Idol season four, which Carrie won. But because of ABC's ridiculous insistence on counting its seasons from zero, we've ended up with this sentence in the press release:

    "Television’s most widely recognized music competition series, American Idol, welcomes season four winner and eight-time GRAMMY Award winner Carrie Underwood to the judging panel for season eight on ABC and Hulu."

    Yeah, four seasons and 20 years later.

  • ❑ Thursday, Aug. 1, 8:39 am | Sarah D. Bunting

    NYC Mayor Eric Adams's colleague Timothy Pearson is facing yet another lawsuit/accusation of harassment and misconduct (more at this NYT gift link). Hell Gate's analysis calls the allegations in the latest action "f*cking nuts"; unsurprisingly, Adams is doubling down in his defense of Pearson.

  • ❑ Wednesday, Jul. 31, 12:59 pm | Andy Dehnart

    Here are two fun Survivor-related videos:

    • "Survivors Who Broke the Rules," in which Henry Hickman uses the Survivor rule book to find examples of players who broke obvious rules and/or examples of producers not enforcing their own rules.
    • Eric Brown's illustration of Jeff Probst's telling a story about Mark Burnett. I saw this on TikTok recently, but tracked down the original, because it'd been copied without attribution. (These reality TV-related social media accounts that just rip off other people's creative work and reporting are obnoxious. How hard is it to give a link or credit?)
  • ❑ Wednesday, Jul. 31, 11:32 am | Sarah D. Bunting

    The Best Evidence July bonus review is actually THREE reviews of recent(-ish) podcasts: an Errol Morris interview on TCM's pod; Flashpoint, a new limited series on the bombing at the 1996 Olympics; and the long-awaited third season of In The Dark. Grab a paid sub and read those -- and our whole archive!

  • ❑ Tuesday, Jul. 30, 7:58 pm | Andy Dehnart

    Charity Lawson says being on Dancing with the Stars was “was so much worse than Bachelor and Bachelorette“ because of all the racist comments “death threats for existing”.

  • ❑ Monday, Jul. 29, 8:07 pm | Andy Dehnart

    Netflix's Famous Last Words will feature "longform interviews with notable personalities who have spent their lives making significant contributions to humanity and culture."

    But we won't know who those people are until after they're dead, which is when they're episodes will start streaming. That "creates an intimate and safe space for the guest, knowing that their interview is confidential and will not air until after their death," according to Netflix.

    This fascinating/morbid show is based on the Danish TV show Det Sidste Ord, and is being produced by Brad Falchuk's Eley-Vision company. The "interviews being held and preserved by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts," Netflix said.

Shows I recommend this week → La Grande Seine (Peacock) • Wayne Brady: The Family Remix (Hulu) • Claim to Fame (ABC)

All of this week’s premieres → Reality TV shows • reality TV specials and docs

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