Early: Where'd she go? Simon: I can't keep track of her when she's not incorporeally possessing a space ship. Don't look at me.

'Objects In Space'


Non-Fiction TV: I Reject Your Reality and Substitute My Own

This thread is for non-fiction TV, including but not limited to reality television (So You Think You Can Dance, Top Chef: Masters, Project Runway), documentaries (The History Channel, The Discovery Channel), and sundry (Expedition Africa, Mythbusters), et al. [NAFDA]


Jesse - Aug 19, 2009 9:47:11 am PDT #10373 of 23273
Sometimes I trip on how happy we could be.

I wondered if the teams with one woman were helped or hurt in "doing" Beyonce. Thoughts?


Kathy A - Aug 19, 2009 9:50:05 am PDT #10374 of 23273
We're very stretchy. - Connie Neil

Maureen Ryan (Chicago Tribune's The Watcher tv critic/blogger) has an interview with Tim Gunn. I only read the bulleted highlights to avoid any possible spoilers in the transcript.

Some of those highlights:

Michelle Obama and the girls are big fans of the show, according to Michelle (Tim Gunn met her at a WH luncheon).

One challenge in the first half of the season will set the "Runway" blogs on fire. He called the outcome "unprecedented in 'Project Runway' history and even I will not fully believe it -- that it really happened -- until I actually see it."

"We have drama to beat the band, including a model who refused to wear the garment. I’m in the sewing room begging her -- well, not begging her. I’m quite firm in saying, 'This is your responsibility. It’s not a matter of personal taste -- you are a mannequin basically. A walking mannequin. Put it on,'" Gunn said.

But the worst part of the "All-Star" special was dealing with Season 2's Santino Rice: "I don’t want to give him any more press. He doesn’t need it. But that Santino Rice -- I was ready to take a cyanide capsule. I mean, he just sucks all the air out of a room."


Kathy A - Aug 19, 2009 10:18:55 am PDT #10375 of 23273
We're very stretchy. - Connie Neil

I wondered if the teams with one woman were helped or hurt in "doing" Beyonce. Thoughts?

I think it depended on the group. Vogue Evolution nailed the "Beyonce," helped by the fact that Leomi is such a wonderful capital-D Diva. But the others faded in comparison, IMO.

Other than VE, my favorite dances of the night were those that didn't try and have a "Beyonce"--I liked Rhythm City's nightmare number (especially the "Thriller" shoutout!), the Seattle group's hula hoop number, and We Are Heroes, of course.


megan walker - Aug 19, 2009 10:30:52 am PDT #10376 of 23273
"What kind of magical sunshine and lollipop world do you live in? Because you need to be medicated."-SFist

I liked Rhythm City's nightmare number (especially the "Thriller" shoutout!), the Seattle group's hula hoop number, and We Are Heroes, of course.

Those are the ones I pretty much liked. I don't get why Vogue Evolution was so praised, they seemed way sloppy to me.

This is the first season I'm watching. Does it always work the same way (i.e., votes from the previous week determine the two bottom teams and the judges have to pick from those two)? So, regardless of their routines, certain crews are safe and others aren't?


Vortex - Aug 19, 2009 10:34:39 am PDT #10377 of 23273
"Cry havoc and let slip the boobs of war!" -- Miracleman

It was kind of confusing this week. The judges picked the lowest crew last week during the show. Then the audience voted, and the bottom two danced and the judges selected a winner from the bottom two.

I'm sure that Vogue Evolution has a strong lobby calling in.


kat perez - Aug 19, 2009 11:26:36 am PDT #10378 of 23273
"We have trust issues." Mylar

It always works that way. The audience determines who is B2 and then both crews do a DoD and the judges decide "on the spot" who goes home that night. That happens up until the final two crews and that is all up to the audience. I actually prefer this format because it takes some of the Evan factor out of the results. This judge panel usually rewards excellence above popularity.

I guess I just don't expect a vogueing crew to give me clean, crisp choreography a la Southern Movement or Rhythm City. I expect over the top exuberance and an almost frenetic energy because they are coming out of the serious, straight up battle dance culture. And not even B-Boy style battles most of the time. These are normally individual, winner take all battles decided by a ballroom full of vicious queens not battles between the different houses. So I really appreciate VE because they are up there making a crew out of a style that is really not based around being a crew and still being true to the style of dance that they represent. I found their performance all over fierce. I think both VE and Afroborike might struggle with challenges as the show progresses.

And I would agree that VE probably has a ridiculously solid voting block. But I also hope that they are winning over some b-boys and hip hop heads through their appearance on this show, especially given the extreme homophobia on display in a lot of rap culture.

I didn't care for Rhythm City because I feel like they really cheated the challenge. That half a milisecond of foot shuffling that looked like half of them were doing the Mashed Potato in no way fulfilled the spirit of the task, IMHO. And I didn't care for the business of having the guy in the PJs dance on the bed for the entire routine. And they didn't hit their ending pose it didn't seem. The two guys were still scrambling to get back under the bed when the music ended. I was all over underwhelmed which is sad, because I had really enjoyed them week one.


Vortex - Aug 19, 2009 11:28:28 am PDT #10379 of 23273
"Cry havoc and let slip the boobs of war!" -- Miracleman

PR fans, Tim Gunn is on The Daily Show tonight.


kat perez - Aug 19, 2009 12:02:28 pm PDT #10380 of 23273
"We have trust issues." Mylar

On PR, how do we all feel about a guest appearance by Nicole Kidman? I don't know if that's even a spoiler because it's been everywhere but I figured better safe than sorry. Anyway, I'm excited about it for the most part. Sure to be a better fit than Posh as an AI guest judge. I'm already weeping over that one.


megan walker - Aug 19, 2009 12:04:31 pm PDT #10381 of 23273
"What kind of magical sunshine and lollipop world do you live in? Because you need to be medicated."-SFist

We hates it.

I would rather not have "star" guest judges. Heck, I don't even want stylists in that chair.


Amy - Aug 19, 2009 12:06:19 pm PDT #10382 of 23273
Because books.

Posh SPICE as an AI judge? For real?

I also heard they're having Joe Jonas during auditions. Um.