miss america

Miss America is no longer homeless. The long-running pageant has found a new home on TLC, of all places, for the next three years. It's the first big programming move for TLC's new president and general manager, Angela Shapiro-Mathes. The pageant was at CMT for the last few years after ABC dropped it, but its ratings have been dismal.

TLC is giving the pageant its own treatment. The cable network is the king of the unscripted show, so it's creating a reality series about all 52 contestants as they prepare for the pageant.

If Miss America is going to survive on television (and I'm not saying it should), this TLC plan may be the only way it can happen. Ratings over the past few years have shown that Americans just aren't interested in beauty pageants. But, humanizing these women (and understanding why they do this?!?) could be enough to generate interest to see who wins the pageant.

Hey, Brigitte here with TV Squad Daily. I'll be covering the TV stories I find interesting each day, Monday through Friday, in this video blog.

Today on TV Squad Daily:

• Mindfreak's Criss Angel is doing damage control about his relationship with Cameron Diaz. Cameron Diaz doesn't need this kind of drama - she just wants to be friends.
  
• The Apprentice is coming back? Was there a candy bar campaign I didn't know about?
  
• Miss New Jersey received another package of blackmail photos, and won't talk about what's in them except to say they contain nothing illegal.
  

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Hey, Brigitte here with TV Squad Daily. I'll be covering the TV stories I find interesting each day, Monday through Friday, in this video blog.

Today on TV Squad Daily:

• Miss America helped America's Most Wanted bust online sexual predators, but now she's refusing to testify in court to put those predators in jail.
  
• It's a boy! A 13 year old boy! Chris Rock may be a daddy, again.
  
• Minisodes of classic TV shows -- impressive! But does anyone want to watch them?
  

The video's embedded below, or you can download the file directly (Quicktime required). You can also subscribe to this podcast via our feed.

Hey, Brigitte here with TV Squad Daily. I'll be covering the TV stories I find interesting each day, Monday through Friday, in this video blog.

Today on TV Squad Daily:

• American Idol gave back last night, and to add the the authenticity, Simon showed off his chest hair.
  
• Miss America, Lauren Nelson, gave back in her own way for an upcoming episode of America's Most Wanted.
  
• Rosie is leaving The View. Now what?
  

The video's embedded below, or you can download the file directly (Quicktime required). You can also subscribe to this podcast via our feed.

Hey, Brigitte here with TV Squad Daily. I'll be covering the TV stories I find interesting each day, Monday through Friday, in this video blog.

Today on TV Squad Daily:

• Chris Sligh was so like-able until he got eliminated this week on American Idol.
  
• One is staying and one is going. But what's really the difference between Miss USA and Miss America?
  
• Frankie Muniz is desperate to be known for something other than "Malcolm in the Middle," but I'm not sure if a Mohawk makes me believe him as a race car driver.
  

The video's embedded below, or you can download the file directly (Quicktime required). You can also subscribe to this podcast via our feed.

Well, sort of. They're not getting rid of the actual live pageant, which will air again on CMT in 2007. This time however, the contestants will also take place in a seven part reality series which will lead up to the pageant. The way it sounds, the reality series will utilize many of the same methods of elimination as the actual pageant as the girls live together and take place in swimsuit competitions, judge interviews, and various talent contests. Home viewers will also be able to vote for the remaining finalists.

I'm not a fan of reality TV, nor do I care all that much about the Miss America pageant, but this idea just might work. The pageant has been losing its audience for several years, and turning it into the kind of calculated human drama that is the stuff of so many reality shows may actually garner the audience it needs. Or, it could be a total failure. I'm sure it will be one of those things.

I think I know who is going to be named Oklahoman of the year next December. Miss Oklahoma, known to her friends as Jennifer Berry, was crowned Miss America Saturday night in Las Vegas. Berry is a 22-year-old student at the University of Oklahoma. Her talent was ballet and her cause was preventing drunk driving. Berry is a career pageant contestant. She competed in the Miss Oklahoma contest four times before finally winning last year.

First runner-up was Miss Georgia and second runner-up was Miss Alabama. Also in the top five were Miss District of Columbia and Miss Virginia.

I think it's time that someone with hair on his chest stepped up and said what needs to be said: guys love beauty pageants. The female camaraderie, the laughter, the glitter! Earlier today Anna mentioned that there are a lot of changes in store for this year's Miss America pageant starting with James Denton hosting the show, which airs on CMT. Ratings have been non-existent for years now and no major broadcast network wanted it. But that's because no one watches it live. If you're like me, you taped it and kept the VHS to watch by yourself anytime you want. But Miss Congeniality taught me that beauty pageants are more than just exploding tiaras. Heck, I can think of lots of reasons why guys love a good pageant.

The Miss America pageant is back. By... popular demand? Well, that remains to be seen. The pageant, which couldn't find a home after dreadful ratings in 2004, begins today in Las Vegas (although, the final doesn't air until next weekend). This is the first year in the pageant's 85-year history that it isn't being held in Atlantic City. There are some other changes in store, too. Instead of the traditional parade of beauty queens in convertibles, the contestants will arrive at the Aladdin hotel Hollywood-style, complete with the red carpet and luxury coaches. And, instead of a talk show-type host, Desperate Housewives actor James Denton is doing the honors. The competition itself sounds like it's exactly the same, boring stuff that American viewers have been turning away from for years: talent, bathing suits, question-and-answer, bad choreography. Well, maybe it's not the bathing suits that they've been turning away from.

The question is... are CMT viewers the ones who will revive the beauty pageant?