THE SHOW "I'm a Celebrity . . . Get Me Out of Here!"
WHEN | WHERE Monday-Thursday, Monday night at 8, through June 18 on NBC/4. Monday-Wednesday June 22-24.
REASON TO WATCH Serious answer? Or smart-alecky quip, which I'm having trouble coming up with at the moment?
THE CELEBS Heidi Montag, Spencer Pratt, Lou Diamond Phillips, John Salley, Janice Dickinson, Sanjaya Malakar, Stephen Baldwin, wrestler Torrie Wilson and former Illinois first lady Patti Blagojevich, who took the place of hubby Rod, who's awaiting trial on corruption charges and unable to leave the States ( NBC says he will have a role on the show.)
WHAT IT'S ABOUT Pretty much the same format as the 2003 ABC version - think "Survivor" with celebrities plus some comedy. These episodes will air live from Costa Rica, and viewers will be allowed to vote for celebrity challenges. Want Heidi to throw Spencer into the Pacific to practice synchronized swimming with the Great Whites? Hit the number for "Yes! Please, please, please!" on your phone.
In fact, challenges will not be life-threatening, per se, but stomach-threatening. (Insects for dinner, anyone?) People are voted off or simply leave. Hosts are Myleene Klass and "Total Request Live's" Damien Fahey, who predicts the first to go will be Speidi: "I don't know why. They're not accustomed to being in the jungle."
BOTTOM LINE Six years ago, ABC plucked this British import off the shelf of reality TV's dollar store because it was so deep in fourth place at the time that there was nothing left to lose, anyway, including dignity. The ABC version sank.
Will we be so lucky this time? One cannot be certain: The live component is certainly a delicious new wrinkle, and Speidi without makeup or hairdressers? Will we even recognize them? Plus, the production team will camp this show up big time. Will it be terrible? Almost certainly. Will we watch? Alas, almost certainly.
The original American version of "I'm a Celebrity . . . Get Me Out of Here!" aired on ABC from Feb. 19 to March 5, 2003. The "celebrities" stranded in the Australian Outback included eventual winner Cris Judd (the dancer/former husband of Jennifer Lopez), Robin Leach, Alana Stewart, Maria Conchita Alonso, Nikki Ziering, Tyson Beckford, "Downtown" Julie Brown, Bruce Jenner, Stuttering John Melendez and Melissa Rivers. John Lehr was the host.
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