Summer Sundays 2017

Surprise! Here’s a post the likes of which you have never really seen before. You know that I review each weekday during the main season at random times. But I never give the summer versions of it their due until now. You see, it had kind of bothered me in a way that the last main set of reviews that I did on Sundays had a show on it that was cancelled more or less right after I had posted it. To make it for it, when I get enough posts away from that previous post, I will do another set of reviews, this one being a special set of the summer Sunday schedule. I will ignore shows in reruns when I do these special posts unless I haven’t reviewed them before and only include the summer shows airing new episodes. You should see more normal summer posts every year as usual, but be sure to look out for these.

Celebrity Family Feud: Status- Currently on ABC at 8/7 Central on Sundays. Why I’ve seen it- I was able to catch a rerun. Description- This is basically the same as Family Feud, only the people competing are from famous families and competing for charities instead of themselves. Also, winning people wouldn’t be back on future shows like in the regular game show. Notable People- Steve Harvey, well known comedian and current talk show host who also currently hosts the regular version of Family Feud is the host of this show as well. Pros- Everything that you’d love about the regular Family Feud is in this show as well. Celebrities are competing for charity so it is all for a good cause. Cons- To make this an hour, they cram what are two half hour shows into one episode, which I find strange and unnecessary. A lot of the questions relate, intentionally or otherwise, to sex. Note to Parents- You might have some stuff to worry about for the really young ones, but other than that, it should be fine. Recommendation- I’d say that this is worth watching. My Viewing Habits- This is something that I plan to watch when I can although I haven’t always watched it in the past. Prediction- This show comes and goes already so even if it ends, it could come back. I’d imagine that it will probably stay as a long term summer show for a while. Reception: somewhat positive. Grade: B+.

Big Brother: Status- This CBS show airs in three hours of primetime during the summer and on live internet feeds at www.cbs.com. The three primetime hours are basically split into the mostly live show where people are voted out, the show where people get nominated to get voted out, and the show where people compete to possibly change the nominations on the show. Basically, you’d have to watch the average week of shows to get the way it airs. The current airing schedule has it on Sundays at 8/7 Central, Wednesdays at 8/7 Central, and Thursdays at 9/8 Central. Why I’ve seen it- A parody of it on the Talk interested me in watching the real thing. Noteworthiness- There are many versions of it in other countries, most of which work very differently than ours. In case you were wondering, we were not the first country to do this show, although we were the first country to use the format that it has in almost no other country’s version of it. Description- A group of people, normally strangers, but sometimes not, are put into a house where they are recorded 24/7 and competing for a money prize. Notable People- Julie Chen, formally of CBS’s the Early Show and current co-host of the Talk, is the host of this show. She has hosted this show longer than any other host in any other country’s version of this show. Pros- While it may seem similar to other reality TV shows, it is very different to the usual. You can see whatever you want to online since CBS has live feeds of what goes on inside the house. Cons- The live internet feed gets cuts a lot making it seem like the people that air the show is hiding something. Tons of controversies have arisen on the show. Note to Parents- I’d say that teenagers can watch this. I wouldn’t go with much younger than that as the typical episode can have enough objectionable things in it. Recommendation- Despite the rather lengthy cons section that I just mentioned, this show is a pretty good show to watch. My viewing habits- I got into this late and for varying reasons don’t know yet if I’ll watch it again. I have not been watching it this season. Prediction- It will probably last a long time, although it just as easily might not. Reception: mixed. Grade: B-.

Steve Harvey’s Funderdome: Status- Currently on ABC at 9/8 Central on Sundays. Why I’ve seen it- It looked interesting enough for me so I watched it. Description- Entrepreneurs with similar ideas compete against each other to fund their projects. Notable People- This is hosted by the talented Steve Harvey who also hosts Family Feud and a talk show. Pros- This is pretty entertaining. It is fun to see all of the ideas that people have. Cons- It seems like ABC has enough of these types of shows already. Plus, the idea that someone could wind up with nothing or someone could cash out and miss out on the prize they would have gotten seem pretty dumb. Note to Parents- I don’t think that there is much  wrong with this in terms of content for kids. Recommendation- I say that this is good enough to watch. My Viewing Habits- I have seen some episodes, but not all of them. I do watch at times. Prediction- I’d say that this has a good chance of lasting for now, but I don’t know how long it could stay around. Reception: good. Grade: B. New review

Candy Crush: Status- Currently on CBS at 9/8 Central on Sundays. Why I’ve seen it- I normally watch a CBS show at least once. Noteworthiness- This is based on the popular Candy Crush app. Description- Teams of players compete in different versions of this game in order to win money. Notable People- Mario Lopez, who also hosts Extra, hosts this show. Pros- The game is simple and fairly straightforward. It seemed crazy yet kind of good and interesting. Cons- The puzzles could use some work on. It doesn’t seem entirely fair in every way. Note to Parents- There is nothing wrong with this in terms of what kids can watch. Recommendation- This is probably good, provided that you like game shows and can follow this without multitasking. My Viewing Habits- I watch this sometimes, but not all the time. Prediction- I don’t think that this will last. Reception: bad. Grade: B-. New review

The $100,000 Pyramid: Status- Currently on ABC at 10/9 Central on Sundays. Why I’ve seen it- I was interested in it and didn’t really have anything else to watch at the time. Noteworthiness- This is a reboot of the pyramid game show. Description- People have to get various questions answered by the other contestant. The current format has a regular person paired with a celebrity and they compete against another team like them. Partway through the game, the regular person is then paired with the other celebrity. Notable People- Michael Strahan, who used to cohost the Live talk show and still helps with sports commentary, is the host of this show. There are famous guests who help each show. Pros- The show is fairly entertaining and funny to watch. Cons- It is weird that they always put together two halves of a show into one hour long show instead of just making this one half hour show while finding other things to air. Parts of the format are a bit strange and don’t entirely seem fair in a way. Note to Parents- This is mostly acceptable outside of potential sexual things said. Recommendation- I’d say that people would like and watch this. My Viewing Habits- I don’t always watch but do whenever I can see it. Normally I watch when I can. Prediction- This could last and it might not. Whether it does or it doesn’t, I’m not entirely sure of. If it doesn’t last, it will probably still be revived at some point anyways. Reception: good. Grade: B.