Boots is a Netflix comedy-drama series created by Andy Parker, adapted from Greg Cope White's memoir The Pink Marine. Set in 1990, it follows a directionless young man who impulsively joins the United States Marine Corps alongside his best friend and must survive the brutal crucible of boot camp while carrying a secret about who he is. Executive produced by the legendary Norman Lear in one of his final projects, it balances raw military rigor with warmth and humor.
Miles Heizer stars as Cameron Cope, an aimless teenager with no obvious prospects who signs up largely on a whim and finds himself utterly unprepared for the punishing world of Marine training. Vera Farmiga plays his loving but overbearing mother, and Max Parker, Liam Oh, and Angus O'Brien fill out the ensemble of recruits and drill instructors who become Cameron's unlikely found family. The series mines both comedy and genuine drama from the pressure cooker of basic training and the secrets its recruits carry.
Critics responded enthusiastically, and the show earned a strong 92% Rotten Tomatoes score along with a top-ten streaming run, praised for its heart, its period specificity, and Heizer's grounded lead performance. Though Netflix ultimately did not renew it beyond its first season, Boots was widely embraced as a standout dramedy. It streams on Netflix.
Audrina Cathleen Patridge has become a reality TV show star, highlighting an exciting career that began when she moved to Los Angeles and went to work as a receptionist for Quixote Studios back in 2005. Her swift rise to fame was helped along the way by roles in movies like Sorority Row and Into the Blue: The Reef. She became a hit on the MTV television program The Hills and appeared in more episodes of that reality show than anyone else. She is yet another former contestant on "Dancing With The Stars" and scored high marks until elimination after the sixth week. Now we get the opportunity to know Audrina a bit through her reality show on MTV. Her two sisters and mother are also sexy and deserving of plenty of the onscreen exposure this type of reality program usually generates so who will care about any plot or story line, just watch for plenty of bikini clad girls who've drawn the golden ticket to fame and fortune.
Dante Di Loreto and Ryan Murphy are the executive producers for the exciting new Glee Project that is a spin off (of sorts) from the popular Glee) and the casting director from Glee (Robert Ulrich) has moved over to The Glee Project as well. Each week there will be new challenges with the necessary eliminations to follow. Each cast member has their own part of a particular song the need to learn and then perform it before a mystery guest as the judge. When the part is done well enough they move on and perform for the guest star on a one on one basis in a music video which they will also create themselves. With help from professionals like Nikki Anders vocal producer and Zach Woodlee, a choreographer the contestants have to learn their parts to the best of their ability and perform in a professional manner. Callbacks will cull the group down, with the bottom three being offered a second chance to be safe. One of those bottom three will be eliminated and final callbacks will determine who moves on and who must leave. A list is posted and that is where finalists read of their fate.
The competition is hot as"¦ well as a hotplate! And as each new season commences we see more contestants vying for the coveted role of The Next Food Network Star. It truly can be a life altering prize that has "made" stars of the likes of Guy Fieri, Aaron McCargo, Jr., Adam Gertler, and Melissa d'Arabian among others. The Food Network competition is stiff and aspiring chefs from all over the US apply for the opportunity to compete for a show of their own on the popular network. Probably the biggest success story is found in Guy Fieri who has so much personality that he cannot be denied. He even hosts a game show on the NBC network now called Minute To Win It along with his popular Diner's, Drive-in's, and Dives plus Guy's Big Bite (both on the Food Network). Appearing as a contestant on Next Food Network Star is a golden opportunity for an aspiring chef who has a standout personality and those who enter are a widely diverse group that may consist of food bloggers, sous chefs, dietitians, personal or executive chefs, and even the occasional attorney who have dreamt of one day being a famous chef.
Mob Wives is called a "documentary soap opera" with good reason. It is a story about people who don't exist because there is no such thing as the Mob or Cosa Nostra or Mafia! But there are those living among us who know better. The housewives, parents, and children of mob and criminal related individuals are shadowy figures who live in the background of their powerful husbands and fathers until the bad guys get caught and must spend time behind bars. Then these formerly quiet and reserves ladies capably take matters in their own hands and go about their lives. The four Mob Wives include a group of friends who support each other while their men are away and it's no easy task to attempt to maintain a lifestyle they've become used to when the main bread winner of the family is away incarcerated. James Molinaro, who is President of the Borough of Staten Island in New York has declared the show is a disgrace because it portrays not only Italian Americans but also Staten Island itself as being lowlife and detrimental.
Another American reality based show on the TV? Well why not as they are all cash cows for the networks that produce them. This time around we can observe the ultra wealthy Paris Hilton as she goes about her "normal" every day affairs. Co-starring with Paris is Brooke Mueller former wife of Charlie Sheen (and mother to their twin boys Bob and Max). The concept here is somewhat based on how difficult it can be to be famous. Constantly hounded by the paparazzi who follow her every movement, Paris Hilton must find ways to avoid them when ever possible. Paris Hilton has been successful in her primary role in life; that being as a wealthy socialite who does not need to do anything unless she wants to. Her reality show has been compared with "Keeping Up With The Kardashians" as being light yet intriguing fluff that some find amusing. The TV program takes us along as Paris and Brooke travel to Las Vegas, Spain, or Cabo for some drama and or romance.
Those familiar with Law & Order will appreciate the concept of approaching legal cases from more than one perspective. In The Whole Truth we see each case from both the prosecution and the defense angles so have an opportunity to decide whether a defendant is guilty or innocent judging by the evidence presented to us and to a judge and jury. One memorable episode includes the addition of Judd Hirsch (Taxi) to the cast as a beloved judge who has been charged in a murder. Seems he approved a wiretap on a dangerous drug lord before it turned into a far larger problem involving federal charges. Rob Morrow (Numb3rs, Northern Exposure) portrays Jimmy Brogan is the prosecuting attorney for the state of New York (actually the filming was done in Los Angeles, California) and Maura Tierney (ER) is Kathryn Peale a strong advocate of personal and legal rights for her clients. The two attorneys are on opposite sides of the courtroom in each episode and we must decide who we think has the upper edge or who puts on the best case for their clients, then we see the results in the finale.
Called an American documentary, the TV program is hosted by comedians/magicians Penn & Teller, best known for their show in Las Vegas. Not quite a program about politics and almost akin to the exploitation of paranormal events and pseudoscientific ideas, the "BS" show has captured a large audience since first airing in 2003. The application of some critical thought into various misconceptions, in other words "critical thinking" added into the concept of "BS" which is all around us constantly, attempts to clarify some of the confusion. Such subject matter as animal rights, environmentalism, gun control, organic food, and even the war on drugs are explored and debunked by (self proclaimed) experts on a wide variety of subjects in each episode. Penn & Teller: Bullshit is popular around the globe and viewed in Ireland, New Zealand, Mexico, Denmark, Iceland, Columbia, Canada, Brazil, and Australian each week. The hosts bring up subjects not merely to "expose the truth" but show some to be misleading, overemphasized, or even unnecessary interruptions in life.
When fitness "guru" Chris Powell takes control and guides her volunteers who have an extreme need to lose weight everyone wins! As with the original concept there will be a complete and total lifestyle change only this time around the main effort is placed on weight loss. This takes place over a period of one year and the results are very positive and obvious once the contestants have plastic surgery performed to help in the removal of all that excess skin that comes from gaining a tremendous amount of weight. Those with an especially difficult weight problem must volunteer and agree to follow the program that will enable them to be successful and lose the pounds that they have struggled with over many years. Being overweight often has psychological issues involved even more than simply over eating so many areas must be covered before success can be realized. Chris Powell knows how to work with a wide assortment of problems faced by those who must lose weight or they endanger their health. Watch Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition and cheer them on their extreme makeover.
Following a group of teenage high school students from the fictional Greenbelt high is what this reality type program is all about. The usual and typical types are depicted by a The Beauty Queen Jackie Vachs (played by Jaime King) who aspires to be an actress and even though she has appeared in the TV show The Bachelor, her acting career is going no where fast so she marries Anders the token "rich kid" on the block. The Rich Kid Anders Holt is played by Julian Morris and he has mixed emotions over several girls he has had relationships with throughout high school. The Over Achiever and class valedictorian is Steven Foster (played by Michael Stahl-David) is the son of an Enron executive who was put away (in prison) and all family assets were subsequently frozen. Foster then moves to Hawaii and becomes a bartender. The Brain in the group is Brenda Serrano (played by Daniella Alonso) who planned on being a scientist and was also secretly in love with Anders. She instead decides to become a pre law student in Washington, DC where she also becomes involved in politics. We can all relate to one or more of these fictional characters.
The new version of the hit television show 90210 is filled with all the usual conflicts and angst found in real life for typical teenagers. But how typical are these kids who reside in one of the most expensive zip code areas in America? 90210 is Beverly Hills, California and all that the name implies goes with the younger set who live there. When Dixon and Annie Mills family moves away from their quite life in Kansas to the very well to do area in Beverly Hills they soon discover jealousy and fierce competition abound in their new high school and with their new acquaintances in their posh new neighborhood. Naomi is the unofficial queen bee played by AnnaLynne McCord (from Nip/Tuck), Shenae Grimes (Degrassi: The Next Generation) is Annie Mills who along with her adopted brother Dixon Mills (played by Tristan Wilds from The Wire) try to become part of the inner social circle in school. Dixon falls for his sister's friend Erin Silver (Jessica Stroup from True Blood, Prom Night) and she feels the same. Things get complicated as they always do when teenagers are involved.
