LITTLE ROCK — The most guilty of summer’s guilty pleasures returns today. Time to sit back, dumb down and enjoy.
ABC’s Wipeout returns at 8 p.m. with a whole new gaggle of folks willing to make fools of themselves for their 15 minutes of fame.
Usually, however, it takes far less than 15 minutes to debase yourself for the Wipeout cameras.
I’ve studied Wipeout long and hard and have yet to find any socially redeeming qualities, educational purpose or excuse for this being on the air.
Millions of summertime viewers disagree. Maybe they are indulging in the universal joy of schadenfreude - the pleasure you get from the misfortune of others.
Except the contestants on Wipeout put themselves in the position of being humiliated. The tradeoff of glory on the tube was worth it.
And, of course, there is a $50,000 grand prize. I might debase myself a bit if I had a reasonable shot at that.
Each week, 24 contestants of all ages, shapes and sizes battle it out through four rounds of goofy obstacle courses to win the title of “Wipeout Champion” and thegrand prize.
Tonight’s episode, “Hotties versus Nerds 2.0,” features “12 nerds battling it out against 12 smokin’ hot hotties in a classic battle of the sexes.”
The show features a new obstacle course that promises to be “bigger and better.” Never fear, the fan-favorite “Big Balls” challenge is returning, with a twist.
On the July 5 episode, Wipeout will salute the services with a special military episode. Twenty-four men and women from all branches of the Armed Forces take on the new obstacle “Private Bee-jamin,” followed by the “Drill Sergeant” and the final challenge, the “Hangover.”
In addition to the grand prize, a $20,000 donation from ABC will go to the USO in honor of the winner.
Well, dang it. ABC justfound a way to make the show socially acceptable.
Arkie connection. Sundance Channel has begun production on its original series Rectify. The hour-long drama was created and written by Oscar-winning adopted Arkansan Ray McKinnon (The Accountant, That Evening Sun, Mud). He also serves as executive producer.
McKinnon and his late wife, Lisa Blount, moved to Little Rock in 2005. Blountdied in 2010.
McKinnon and Blount won an Academy Award for their 2001 live-action short film, The Accountant.
Sundance says Rectify is “an intense character-driven drama exploring themes of justice, redemption and freedom, all set against the backdrop of a wrongful conviction.”
It follows the life of Daniel Holden (Aden Young) after his release from prison after 19 years on death row. DNA evidence secured his freedom.
Holden returns to his hometown, where the crime occurred, and where many still believe he raped and murdered a teenage girl.
Rectify is shooting in and around Atlanta. There will be six episodes in the first season, to debut next year.
Great cheese. If you read this column regularly, you know that some of my summer guilty pleasures are the cheesy and campy original films on Syfy.
Saturday’s offering ought to be considered a classic.
Former child stars Barry Williams (The Brady Bunch) and Danny Bonaduce (ThePartridge Family) portray longtime rivals bent on capturing a sasquatch in Bigfoot. The curtain rises at 8 p.m.
What? Just plain Bigfoot? No exclamation point? No colon followed by “Harry Horror!” Syfy must be slowing down.
Wait! There’s more!
The rest of the cast should be a hoot as well. Also on board are Howard Hesseman (WKRP in Cincinnati), Sherilyn Fenn (Twin Peaks), Andre Royo (The Wire), and rock legend Alice Cooper(“School’s Out”).
You want gravitas? The film is directed by Bruce Davison (X-Men). The dude has been an Oscar (Longtime Companion) and Emmy (Touched by an Angel) nominee.
Williams and Bonaduce appreciate the fun.
“I had one condition,” Williams told USA Today, “and that was that I could beat the heck out of Danny Bonaduce at some point in the movie.”
Bonaduce added, “If youtook The Partridge Family-Brady Bunch quantum out of this, you’d have yourself a pretty good sci-fi movie about Bigfoot. It’s just that big numbers [of viewers] are going to be coming because of Greg Brady vs. Danny Partridge going after Bigfoot.”
“Big” numbers? No. But there will be many tuning in for the nostalgia.
The tale ensues when Bigfoot is discovered in South Dakota and the two rivals battle to capture the creature. One wants to exploit it and the other to save it.
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Religion, Pages 28 on 06/28/2012