ICYMI: I talked to the co-founder of Weight Stigma Awareness Week—which is right now!—about Netflix's Fit for TV: The #BiggestLoser, to get some of the expert insight the doc lacked.

Disney and ABC have been trying hard all summer to get us to watch #TheGoldenBachelor season 2 and Mel Owens. Maybe don't!

What will it take for people to understand how full of shit Substack actually is, and why they shouldn't make their brand synonymous with such steaming stool?

Here's my review of #Netflix's Next Gen Chef, which airs its finale Wednesday, and has taken the Top Chef model into new territory, focusing on learning and improving instead of just performing.

3 hall-of-famers and 3 up-and-comers, on cases from Wyatt Earp to Watergate.

BREAKING — Notices for the Disney+ price increase went out at noon ET today, confirming my scoop from last night. Details: www.vulture.com/article/disn...

When did people start saying "I resonate with" and when did it start driving me bonkers?

ICYMI: It's Bread Week on #TheGreatBritishBakingShow collection 13, season 16, episode 3, which means lots of jokes about balls and holes—wait, what? My recap has all the details and childish humor!

I talked to the co-founder of Weight Stigma Awareness Week—which is right now!—about Netflix's Fit for TV: The #BiggestLoser, to get some of the expert insight the doc lacked.

pushback from consumers > capitulation to wannabe authoritarians

Kimmel is back on Tuesday: DISNEY: "We have spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday."

Here comes fall reality TV: Survivor, Amazing Race, The Floor, RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, Halloween Wars, and Fox trying to kill more quasi-celebrities. Wednesday has six premieres alone! Details/times:

Where do I collect my Pulitzer for cultural criticism? #BakeOff

It's Bread Week on #TheGreatBritishBakingShow collection 13, season 16, episode 3, which means lots of jokes about balls and holes—wait, what? My recap has all the details and childish humor!

Column: If the Emmys can’t muster excitement for television, why should anyone else? Seriously, what are we doing here? Gift 🔗

Why did Below Deck sink so fast this season? I have some theories!

ICYMI: From the BB27 live feeds this week: an unholy trinity of WTFery and fallout from Zingbot. Plus: A Facebook group stole Hamsterwatch's reports!

I want everyone to take a step back for a second, remember why she was fired from New York and juxtapose this w/ all the high profile media folks that have recently lost *their* jobs. *Some* people are allowed to fail upwards. It's mesmerizing.

A Facebook group admin copying and pasting criticism of that same Facebook group admin copying and pasting someone else's work is kinda hilarious! But it's also super shitty behavior that hurts the people doing the work—in this case, @hamsterwatch.com. Here's the story:

TCA condemns ABC and Disney’s capitulation to the government’s demands of censorship.

ICYMI: Chortle's Greg Nix uses his official SURVIVOR FANTASY EXPERT™️ credentials to analyze the #Survivor49 players based on very little information. How do you think he did?

ICYMI: On today’s show: What the hell happened to Below Deck?! Breaking down the problems with season 12, and maybe the entire Bravo franchise. Plus: the usual recommendations!

Support independent media, now more than ever. Not just news and politics, but film, TV, fashion and other cultural criticism and commentary, from podcasts to apps to good old-fashioned web sites. Pay for it. Turn your adblocker off so they can keep the lights on. Share it.

This is the lead story in the New York Times. If you're in the business of communicating, whether through journalism, commentary, or art, this is the five-alarm fire. People are going to remember who spoke up and who stayed conveniently silent or postured about "neutrality."

Don't miss Greg Nix (@chortle.blog) on the new #Survivor cast—or Greg's newsletter ( www.chortle.blog )—both of which are full of the laughs we need these days.

ICYMI: Welcome to a new Dancing with the Stars season, and a welcome to new recapper Marshal Knight, whose wit and knowledge will dazzle us as much as those sequined groins.

From the BB27 live feeds this week: an unholy trinity of WTFery and fallout from Zingbot. Plus: A Facebook group stole Hamsterwatch's reports!

This is the real reason Jimmy Kimmel is being taken off the air. Brian Stelter: "Nexstar already owns lots of TV stations. It wants to merge with Tegna, which owns lots of other stations. In order to do that, it needs Brandon Carr, the FCC Chair's, permission."

It's wild how easy it was to play the media about TikTok.

I first misread this as "Race Toward Fascism with Jimmy Fallon," which wouldn't make sense as a rebrand since that's what we already have now.

ICYMI: Jeff Probst's presentation of an Emmy was one of the few highlights of a terrible telecast. But on the red carpet, Probst horrified and delighted me with two different answers.

ICYMI: Scenes are critical to compelling writing, and if you're struggling to craft one or find your way into a scene, I have advice: start with the 5Ws and H.

Chortle's Greg Nix uses his official SURVIVOR FANTASY EXPERT™️ credentials to analyze the #Survivor49 players based on very little information. How do you think he did?

ICYMI: A review of the harsh but worthwhile second chapter of America Undercover's "Newark trilogy," and an art-crime round-up.

I do think it’s finally an important time to rethink your tech tools. Spread out more and reduce reliance on Meta, Apple, Google, TikTok, etc. You need to know how to do your own audience distribution. If you don’t yet, you gotta learn this year

On today’s show: What the hell happened to Below Deck?! Breaking down the problems with season 12, and maybe the entire Bravo franchise. Plus: the usual recommendations!

People have emotional connections to these songs and therefore the shows! Wrote about this and talked to composer Mike Post, who might as well be Mr. TV Theme Song at this point, his resume is filled with really memorable ones (including the ongoing "Law & Order" theme and chung-chung) Gift 🔗

Trans allies should know why it's scary for trans people that Charlie Kirk, conservative influencer and public speaker, was shot dead yesterday. This is a heavy topic, but we'll keep it brief. I appreciate your attention, as this is important. www.amplifyrespect.com/violence-is-...

Welcome to a new Dancing with the Stars season, and a welcome to new recapper Marshal Knight, whose wit and knowledge will dazzle us as much as those sequined groins.

ICYMI: My theories about why Bravo's #BelowDeck season 12 was such a mess, from the editing to the casting, Stillie to Solene.

Jeff Probst's presentation of an Emmy was one of the few highlights of a terrible telecast. But on the red carpet, Probst horrified and delighted me with two different answers.

Don't miss @moryan.bsky.social on what happened to Alan Sepinwall and Karen Attiah this week, but what's happening to our sources of information and analysis: www.moryan.com/on-the-firin...

A review of the harsh but worthwhile second chapter of America Undercover's "Newark trilogy," and an art-crime round-up.

ICYMI: Bryan Voltaggio surprised Michael Voltaggio on Bobby's Triple Threat, seeking redemption from his Top Chef loss years ago. Did he get it? Is the show any better? Here's my recap/review.

My theories about why Bravo's #BelowDeck season 12 was such a mess, from the editing to the casting, Stillie to Solene.

Hallmark's first reality TV show premieres its second season tonight. Here's my conversation with the EP of Celebrations with Lacey Chabert, an executive who previously launched a very different show, Married at First Sight:

Among this week's reality TV premieres: The first of the Halloween shows, Halloween Baking Championship and Scariest House in America; new seasons of DWTS, Love Island Games, and RHOSLC; and the new Netflix competition Next Gen Chef. All shows/details:

Halloween Baking Championship returns tonight, which means it's the start of Carla Hall season! Can't wait to see her costumes.

ICYMI: How did The Great British Bake-Off's bakers handle cookies—or, as the British call them, hard, crumbly unsweet pieces of garbage? Here's my recap of episode 2!

Did someone forget to start the dead people PowerPoint? #Emmys