Reality Competition Shows

Summer of Love 45th Anniversary

Top Chef: Texas Is Now Set in Canada, Because Why Not

​This week's episode of Top Chef: Texas has left Texas entirely, never to return (at least for this season). It has, instead, gone to almost literally the polar opposite of Texas: British Columbia, Canada. On Top Chef: Texas. Which was funded with $400,000 of our tax dollars (much more if you coun ... More >>

Top Chef: Texas and an Impromptu Tour of the Houston Press Offices

Our TV viewing area!​I arrived home yesterday evening to find that my cable had gone out. To be fair, it could have been out for days. I have no idea. Such are the perils of owning a Roku box and living off Hulu and Netflix instead of basic cable. Either way, I had no means of watching Top Chef th ... More >>

Five Other Reality Shows We Wish Clay Aiken Would Guest On

ClayMates, start your engines! Your hero and American Idol runner-up Clay Aiken just joined the cast of the next cycle of Donald Trump's Celebrity Apprentice set to premiere on February 12 on NBC. This cycle, filmed a few months back, is sure to have some proverbial fireworks, with the opinionated ... More >>

Fashion Shows: Finding Fashion on the Spring TV Schedule

Project Runway All-Stars isn't the only fashion-centric show on the spring television schedule, though it's likely the most anticipated. Favorite contestants from past seasons are returning for an "all-star" season full of beautiful clothes and -- more importantly -- high drama. Thirteen designers w ... More >>

Joel Osteen's Reality Show

Some suggestions from us.

Dallas Makes a Damn Fool of Itself on Top Chef: Texas

​Thoughts: Is it really a "Healthy Choice" when so many of your frozen dinners are laden with preservatives and other chemicals? With that, we're hitting the road to Dallas, better known these days as a "dining nowhereville." Great choice, Bravo! Enjoy that! "When I think of Dallas, I think of t ... More >>

Joel Osteen's Reality Show: How It Will Be If Based on Any of Six Current Shows

From the producer of Survivor.​TMZ has reported that Lakewood Church's Joel and Victoria Osteen will be the stars of a new reality show by the producer of Survivor. "The premise of the show is that ordinary people will give up several days or longer to go on a mission with Joel Osteen, one o ... More >>

Chiles and Chili: The Most Obvious Episode of Top Chef: Texas Yet

Above is is how I imagine the initial planning meetings for Top Chef: Texas went. I'm also imagining future episodes where the contestants will be forced to shoot their own horses and grill them over a fire of cactus paddles. Let's go, Top Chef: Texas! DO THIS SHIT RIGHT. Until then, we'll have to ... More >>

Top Chef: Texas - Let the Games Begin

​I have absolutely no tolerance for reality shows of any kind, and I watch little food television programming aside from Chopped, Alton Brown and the PBS Saturday morning line-up. I do not understand the modern paradigm of chef as rock star. I don't know why food blogging has become so entrenc ... More >>

The X Factor: Mentoring, Mentoring & More Mentoring

Last night I was officially annoyed with The X Factor. To be fair, the show suffered from my having to wait until the Yankees lost, and my husband was done swearing and stomping around the living room, so I had to stay up really late (for me) to watch. And then I realized that the show went from 90 ... More >>

Top 5 Food Inspired Moments in Television

Food and television. My two favorite things in life. I mean, besides family and friends, of course. Anyway, some of the greatest scenes in television are based around food, as evidenced by this season's rum-ham filled It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia episode. Feeling inspired myself, I made a list ... More >>

The X Factor: A Host, A Pussycat Doll & A "Creep"

As I settled in to watch The X Factor last night, my husband asked me, "Who is that British guy?" and I said, "Um, that's Simon Cowell, honey. From American Idol? A show we watched for like, five years?" And my husband said, "Um, no, the other British guy - the host." And then I was all, "The host!? ... More >>

Football! This Weekend's Best Bets, A Salute To TV Season Premieres

DWTS = this week's Philly-Giants game?​Television fascinates me. It seems like a new station pops up onto my channel grid every day to the point where I'm actually a little disappointed I haven't been approached by anyone to televise the Sean Network. I mean, doesn't everyone have their own ne ... More >>

The X Factor: Simon Cowell's Softer Side

Fox​Wednesday night, Fox's highly-anticipated The X Factor debuted, and though as of this writing I was unable to find any ratings numbers I have to imagine they were stellar. Not too good - Ed. Simon Cowell has massive appeal, and even if numbers continue to decline throughout the season, I ... More >>

Pop Rocks: Chaz Bono Is Far from the Worst DWTS Contestant

Worse than her? Really?​As someone who doesn't watch Dancing with the Stars (note to self: watch DWTS for upcoming "Sight Unseen" blog), I'm not sure if I'm supposed to care about the announcement that Chaz Bono was added to the cast: Transgender activist Chaz Bono is speaking out for the fir ... More >>

Eater: Top Chef "Texas" Coming to Houston After All?

​Yesterday afternoon, Amber Ambrose broke two interesting pieces of news on Eater regarding Top Chef's current tour through Texas as it films for its next season. "Today, the tipline brings the rumor that after shooting in Dallas (where they are presently) and then Austin, the show will also ... More >>

Chefing Shows Come to Texas

Guess who's not coming to town!​The big food TV news from over the weekend came from San Antonio (of all places), where it was revealed that Top Chef is currently filming. The news broke when a local blogger spotted Gail Simmons and Tom Colicchio in a San Antonio bar, then promptly got into a ... More >>

Sherell Nicole Baldwin, 24, Bayou Body Count No. 88: Pregnant Woman Beaten and Set on Fire

Sherell Baldwin: had hopes of being America's Next Top Model.​Police have identified the woman who was found beaten and burned to death shortly before midnight June 16. Sherell Nicole Baldwin, 24, was in her third trimester of pregnancy and had come to Houston from her Huntsville home June 15 ... More >>

Rock of Ages

Sherell Baldwin: had hopes of being America's Next Top Model.​Police have identified the woman who was found beaten and burned to death shortly before midnight June 16. Sherell Nicole Baldwin, 24, was in her third trimester of pregnancy and had come to Houston from her Huntsville home June 15 ... More >>

Biggest Loser, v 1.0 -- Brewer Lawn Ornament Hoarder

It must have made sense at the time.​New feature alert for this space! Every now and then, stories come to my attention that deserve to see the light of day, if for no other reason than to ridicule the subject matter and serve as a de facto "public service announcement" for you, the reader, ... More >>

Top Chef Comes to Houston

​Calling all would-be chefs in the Houston area: Bravo will be holding open casting calls from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. this Sunday, February 27, at Mark's American Cuisine. The casting will be for both the upcoming season 9 Top Chef and the second series of the spin-off Top Chef Just Desserts. We k ... More >>

Last Night: Clay Aiken At Jones Hall

Photos by Groovehouse​Clay Aiken Jones Hall February 14, 2011 While most people celebrated Valentine's Day last night, we headed to Jones Hall to see former American Idol contestant Clay Aiken. While it wasn't necessarily our ideal way to spend the most romantic of all holidays, we'd by lying ... More >>

Idol Beat: Say Goodbye To Hollywood

​You know, I had my misgivings about covering Season 10 of American Idol. I've already mentioned my concerns that, contrary to what David Hasselhof would have us believe, American doesn't necessarily have talent. At least, not enough to fill ten seasons worth of programming. I also feared the ... More >>

Clay Aiken: Tried and True

​You know, I had my misgivings about covering Season 10 of American Idol. I've already mentioned my concerns that, contrary to what David Hasselhof would have us believe, American doesn't necessarily have talent. At least, not enough to fill ten seasons worth of programming. I also feared the ... More >>

The Situation is Making Us Fat

He may be a tool, but, unlike most of us, he ain't fat.​Americans are voyeurs. We like to watch. Since the invention of the television, it has been the choice for peering into the world outside our living room and, despite the popularity of streaming video and the Internet in general, TV is ... More >>

Burn the Floor

He may be a tool, but, unlike most of us, he ain't fat.​Americans are voyeurs. We like to watch. Since the invention of the television, it has been the choice for peering into the world outside our living room and, despite the popularity of streaming video and the Internet in general, TV is ... More >>

Nine More Washed-Up Musicians On Reality Shows

Photo illustrations by John Seaborn Gray​Everybody's favorite lovelorn rock has-been Vince Neil has signed on to Skating With the Stars, an upcoming reality show sure to feature an exact recreation of the photo illustration above. Times, it seems, are tough all over, and Neil can't be the only ... More >>

Nick Cannon

Really? He's a mogul?

Troy Aikman Doing Dancing With The Stars

Following Tom DeLay and Michael Irvin​Rejoice, Cowboy fans -- the last quarterback to lead you to a Super Bowl is going on Dancing with the Stars.Troy Aikman has confirmed to TMZ -- who ambushed him outside a restaurant to get the answer to this pressing questions -- that he will follow in the sli ... More >>

Jordin Sparks

Following Tom DeLay and Michael Irvin​Rejoice, Cowboy fans -- the last quarterback to lead you to a Super Bowl is going on Dancing with the Stars.Troy Aikman has confirmed to TMZ -- who ambushed him outside a restaurant to get the answer to this pressing questions -- that he will follow in the sli ... More >>

Christina Aguilera, Lady Gaga (Again!) Headed Our Way

Hot off the wire this morning is that pop's two preeminent bionic women have penciled in Houston for dates on their upcoming tours. First up is Christina Aguilera, who will bring her tiny frame and prodigious voice to the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion August 12. British diva Leona Lewis, a former ... More >>

Riddle Me This

​This is a tough one ya'll...What has: Ego overload; Awkward, obvious dubbed-over video (at times); Shameless product placements of Toyotas, Whole Foods and now bands like The Bravery; Ridiculous food challenges: using gas station ingredients to cook a gourmet meal; An annoying yet addic ... More >>

Inside the MasterMinds

The Houston Press honors three local arts groups on the city's cutting edge.

Idol Beat: A Lot of Hot Air In the Windy City

​So here we are with our pants on the ground, in the second week of American Idol, and it'll be another month before auditions end. At first I was pleasantly surprised to find that last night's episode was just an hour: I did my time in the trenches with Dancing With the Stars and assumed tha ... More >>

American Idol: A Lot of Hot Air in the Windy City

​So here we are with our pants on the ground, in the second week of American Idol, and it'll be another month before auditions end. At first I was pleasantly surprised to find that last night's episode was just an hour: I did my time in the trenches with Dancing With the Stars and assumed that ... More >>

American Idol: It Begins

Last night's guest judge: a bobblehead doll Victoria Beckham​I've never watched a whole season of American Idol before, but that's a minor detail. Actually watching this show doesn't seem to be necessary to know as much about it as the most devoted fans: Amateur singers judges = quasi-drama. ... More >>

3rd Annual Galveston Pride Fest

Get three pop princesses for the price of one

Grease

A classic musical hits Houston, with Idol in tow

Movies Houstonians Love: The Sound of Music

Web exclusive!

A Gift of Christmas — LIVE

Web exclusive!

Billy D. Washington

Local comedic force once served on the police force

Houston Survivor Challenge

City Councilwoman (and ex-tribal member) Jolanda "Jo" Jones heads up a local, one-day version of the hit television series

18th Annual Houston International Jazz Festival

Ruben Studdard, Hiroshima and the “Sax Pack” head up Bubba Thomas’s yearly ode to all things jazz

Last Comic Standing Auditions and Showcase

NBC’s comedy reality show hunts Houston for humor

Very Merry Pops

The Houston Symphony take Christmas tunes from Muzak to merry

A Tale of Two Brooklyns

The Houston Symphony take Christmas tunes from Muzak to merry

Il Communication

The Houston Symphony take Christmas tunes from Muzak to merry