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May 25, 2013

ABC renews five reality shows

by Allison Waldman, posted Feb 29th 2008 10:04AM

supernannyReality rules at ABC -- or so it seems. Today the network announced that five "alternative" (their word, not mine) shows have been picked up for next season: Dancing with the Stars (no surprise), Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (still no surprise), Supernanny (understandable), Wife Swap (not too unexpected) and America's Funniest Home Videos (are you kidding me???).

Yes, yes, it's true. Even in this era of YouTube, there's an audience out there that still enjoys America's Funniest Home Videos. ABC has booked it for an 18th season, making it the longest-running primetime show in the network's history. Host Tom Bergeron will be back -- natch -- and more money will be awarded to the funniest videos, which are now DVDs.



The pickup for Bergeron's other show, Dancing with the Stars, was a mortal lock (moreso than the New England Patriots winning the Super Bowl). DWTS has been a ratings winner and water cooler success. The sixth edition of the show premieres on March 17th with Marissa Jaret Winokur, Adam Carolla, Shannon Elizabeth, Cristián de la Fuente, Steve Guttenberg, Penn Jillette, Mario, Priscilla Presley, Monica Seles, Kristi Yamaguchi, Jason Taylor and Marlee Matlin all taking to the dance floor.

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is coming back for another year of rebuilding homes and doing good. Supernanny (Jo Frost) will continue her Mary Poppins-like crusade to travel around and save parents who don't know how to discipline their kids, while Wife Swap will serve up more bizarre family switcheroos.

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Chuck

Sorry--I meant on a small computer screen, not a large one!

February 29 2008 at 3:08 PM Report abuse +1 rate up rate down Reply
Chuck

I'll admit--I watch AFV. I have about a twenty minute window after putting the kdis to bed before I leave for my night job, and usually I put on AFV.

The way I see it, why is youtube even a comparison--they're two completely different things! That's like saying "why do people watch TV anymore, don't they know there are independent web shows on?" It's a different medium, with a different result. Plus, I don't have to go searching for it, it's all delivered to me, on my tv screen rather thana large computer I can't share with the people sitting with me.

February 29 2008 at 2:47 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Chuck's comment
MCW

Agreed. It is a family tradition for us. We've watched AFV since the beginning, and I even remember the one with Joey from Full House, that spin-off (World's Kookiest Clips?). While the videos on the show are often hit-or-miss, there is enough entertainment to make it great Sunday night fare. Though the lousiest videos often win on AFV, I don't care about that part. I just like seeing someone getting hit in the head repeatedly while holding a pinata from a string. Call me crazy, but that's funnier than ANYTHING ON TV RIGHT NOW. Don't try and tell me to watch freaking Pushing Daisies.

February 29 2008 at 3:41 PM Report abuse -1 rate up rate down Reply
Cody

Is the Audience for America's Funniest Home Videos the people that are too old to know what YouTube is?

February 29 2008 at 1:00 PM Report abuse -1 rate up rate down Reply
2 replies to Cody's comment
Julio

Noooo....

I can think of a couple of reasons:

1. Despite what Gates and Jobs might have us think, everyone DOESN'T own a computer.

2. Not everyone who owns a computer has access to broadband. Ever try to watch You Tube on dial-up?

February 29 2008 at 4:32 PM Report abuse +1 rate up rate down Reply
Brent McKee

It's more than just not everyone having a computer or not every computer owner having broadband. I hate to sound like the Parents Television Council here, but the fact is that America's Funniest Videos is a show that you can sit down with the whole family and watch and enjoy. Try doing that on a computer with YouTube. In fact it is the sort of show that benefits from being a shared experience.

March 01 2008 at 3:54 AM Report abuse +1 rate up rate down Reply
Ric Kaysen

Pinch Me! Will the network schedules eventually become completely infested with this crap?

February 29 2008 at 10:16 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply

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