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A DCBLOG Year-End Special
with DC Cueva and Andrew Kirk
@DC408Dxtr / @CSUAKirk
Well on this New Year's Eve, here we are at the end of what has been a memorable year in so many ways. We've had so many great stories, big events and other things that's defined the last 365 days across the whole landscape. But if you're an MTV fan, this has been a fantastic year as well: we've seen a passing in the Teen Wolf cast, the intriguing drama Finding Carter, new additions to Snooki & J-Woww's family, taking trips to Alaska, Virgin Territory and beyond, new comedy Faking It joining Awkward, and of course that never-ending but fascinating saga of Chelsea, Jenelle, Kailyn & Leah.
But the MTV shows I'm most passionate about are not one, but three: one had a brand new format that totally reinvented TV's longest-running reality franchise here in the Bay Area and its newest season already underway in Chicago, another with an unpredictable season where anything can & did happen, and a third that is a hybrid of those two that became my newest guilty pleasure. And obviously, there was also the untimely passings of both Diem Brown and Ryan Knight last month, and whose appearances on the upcoming Challenge will make this the most emotion packed one yet.
It's with this backdrop that we bring you this latest edition of DC Fan's View. In previous editions of this post, we've brought you unique perspectives on the reunions & after shows for The Real World, The Challenge and Are You The One? from the eyes of those who watched it in the audience. But for this first installment of this newly-revamped feature, I'm turning the attention now to fellow fanatics, webcast hosts and bloggers to discuss the shows we love right here on this site. And what better way to kick off this new generation of Fan's View than to bring on perhaps my twitter best buddy to discuss the year that was in MTV reality TV. And to explain how post has come about, you gotta go back to when I started here in the twitter-sphere.
The Saturday after Christmas last weekend marked exactly two-and-a-half years since I joined Twitter on June 27, 2012, the same day as the premiere of Real World St. Thomas. During this time, I've become great friends with so many people - both those in the MTV family and fellow fans, and one of them is Andrew Kirk (@CSUAKirk). Although it's been 30 months since I first heard of AK, it feels like we've known each other for way longer than that because so much has happened during this time frame in watching, covering and following this MTV world & beyond.
As I wrote a couple times on here, Andrew is one of the best in the business in talking to Team MTV, starting in 2011 as a caller to Brandon from The Challenge on his show. AK then became a webcast host himself a year later - first on Blog Talk Radio, then SpreeCast and now on Google+. He's enjoyed the pleasure of talking to 60 cast members from The Real World, The Challenge, Are You The One? and others. And though you might not hear my voice or see me on camera (I don't like listening to myself on playback), I've been a contributor to his shows in asking questions to the cast. And he's also given me a plug on his shows in promoting this very blog as well, and vice versa.
In all, both of us have watched & covered six full seasons of the RW/Challenge franchise and both seasons of AYTO since he started doing webcasts on a regular basis at the same time I started my thing on Twitter. And of course, with Real World Skeletons now underway and Battle of the Exes 2 to come on its coattails come January 6th, this will be the 9th and 10th MTV seasons that we've covered together. Not to mention, there's also been some other shows on the side and lots of sports as well.
Now to the present. With 2014 to shortly become a thing of the past, Andrew and I will be reviewing the year that was in reality television, with specific focus to the Trifecta: Real World, The Challenge and Are You The One?. We started the year close to home here in our Northern California backyard with RW Ex-Plosion, then went to South America for Challenge: Free Agents. During that time, we saw the first season of Are You The One? in Hawaii, and we recently got done with season 2 over in Puerto Rico. And now, we're into RW Skeletons and the countdown to Exes 2.
But here's the catch: how about I flip the the script and let this fella talk to Andrew. We'll discuss our thoughts on the four seasons of those shows, plus we'll also discuss other reality TV this year. Plus, since Andrew also has own reality TV blog in addition to doing these webcasts, and me also having some thoughts too in actually answering my own questions as well (LOL), there's sure to be plenty of discussion here to both provoke and fuel conversation in these last hours of 2014.
So, join Andrew and I after the jump as we debrief and discuss the moments, the personalities and the stories of the year in reality television.
DC: Looking back at this year in reality TV, this has definitely been the best year yet. What's your overall view of the year in this genre?
- Andrew: "I would agree with that statement no question. I’ve enjoyed everything from the MTV genre to getting interested in the CBS programming its been fun to see and I’m looking forward to 2015 in reality TV."
- DC: "It's been a great year. I'll be explaining more about it here, but when you've got a lot of great drama, great stories, great people and beyond, you have something very good."
Real World Ex-Plosion
DC: We began the year with Real World Ex-Plosion. This was the first time that the show had changed its formula, and I definitely enjoyed it. Your thoughts on it?
- AK: "I didn’t want them to change the formula because we were so used to the same status quo for the first 28 seasons. But after it was all said and done it worked out and turned out to be my favorite season covering."
- DC: "How could anyone NOT like this season? This rejuvenated this show with this total reinvention of it, though they did keep the things that made it famous. Being someone who also has a good knowledge of TV production, I really liked how they broke down the 4th wall in showing more of the production side of things, the cast interviews, new style of filming & editing. And there was a very good cast of great people who' e gone through these romances and had to encounter them head on. It's those things that not only brought fans back to the show but really glued them in to the drama in the house all throughout the season. And of course, it took place in our neck of the woods which made things very nice."
DC: The big storyline all season was the exes moving in to join the seven strangers. It definitely changed the whole dynamic in the house. Thoughts on that Ex-Plosion?
- AK: "You hit the nail on the head it totally changed the dynamic in the house. Every season that I can remember of the past 10 with the exception of Brooklyn, we always see one or more showmances a season but once the exes showed up all that was out the window for Cory and Jenny and the other triangle of Jamie Thomas and Hailey was totally different."
- DC: "Yeah. I take your word from the IG vid you posted after one of the episodes: this saved The Real World. And this has always been prevalent in every season: it's always about relationships both between those in the house and those the roommates have with their significant others, family and friends. And when it has to do with those ex-girlfriends & boyfriends, it definitely makes for great television. There's something about these couples that always brings us to these shows and Ex-Plosion was no different. It changed the game."
- AK: "I didn’t want them to change the formula because we were so used to the same status quo for the first 28 seasons. But after it was all said and done it worked out and turned out to be my favorite season covering."
- DC: "How could anyone NOT like this season? This rejuvenated this show with this total reinvention of it, though they did keep the things that made it famous. Being someone who also has a good knowledge of TV production, I really liked how they broke down the 4th wall in showing more of the production side of things, the cast interviews, new style of filming & editing. And there was a very good cast of great people who' e gone through these romances and had to encounter them head on. It's those things that not only brought fans back to the show but really glued them in to the drama in the house all throughout the season. And of course, it took place in our neck of the woods which made things very nice."
DC: The big storyline all season was the exes moving in to join the seven strangers. It definitely changed the whole dynamic in the house. Thoughts on that Ex-Plosion?
- AK: "You hit the nail on the head it totally changed the dynamic in the house. Every season that I can remember of the past 10 with the exception of Brooklyn, we always see one or more showmances a season but once the exes showed up all that was out the window for Cory and Jenny and the other triangle of Jamie Thomas and Hailey was totally different."
- DC: "Yeah. I take your word from the IG vid you posted after one of the episodes: this saved The Real World. And this has always been prevalent in every season: it's always about relationships both between those in the house and those the roommates have with their significant others, family and friends. And when it has to do with those ex-girlfriends & boyfriends, it definitely makes for great television. There's something about these couples that always brings us to these shows and Ex-Plosion was no different. It changed the game."
DC: There was a lot of relationship drama, both among the exes and the OG's. Of all of those couples/triangles, which had the biggest impact in the house?
- AK: "Both triangles had different impacts due to one being two females and a male and the other being two males and a female. Even from interviewing the eight that I did I still can’t imagine what a toll emotionally it played from not only being followed around by cameras but being a house with an ex."
- DC: "I believe those two triangles of Cory/Jenny/Brian and Jamie/Thomas/Hailey had the biggest buzz in the house. We saw fighting with them in back-to-back episodes, there was jealousy in both of them with them having to juggle back and forth between partners even beige the exes moved in, and tension with Cory & Brian. Ultimately Jenny & Brian made up but Thomas & Jamie didn't work out in the end. Also, there was Jay & Jenna and she with Jamie's help exposed the cheater side of the ladies man. And we can't forget that though they weren't shown as much, Arielle & Ashley C. made up as well."
DC: Aside from the exes moving in, which moments stood out for you in San Francisco?
- AK: "I think the fact that in back to back episodes we had two big fights between exes Jenny and Brian and Thomas and Hailey both sides were in the wrong and it made for entertaining television. Also another moment was seeing the amount of cast mates actually leave during the season. Normally we just see one leave or get kicked out but to see three of them leave was interesting and disappointing at the same time "
- DC: "I got a few: those fights that we saw, Lauren's pregnancy and of course the drama surrounding the couples. But the moment that stands out to me most was the passing of Jay's mom. I wrote here of how this nice guy had to suddenly cope with this unfortunate news, him having to deal with it 3,000 miles away and having just his new family to comfort him instead of being with his own family back home. I can relate to Jay, and what the RW/Challenge family have gone through the past month, since my family has mourned the passings of both my grandma and our two family dogs this year - that's three times. The outpouring of twitter support for Jay that night and in the few days after that episode was really touching."
DC: Who among this cast made the strongest impressions on you?
- AK: "If I had to pick one it’d probably Jay. Being able to speak with him on multiple occasions and seeing what he went through on and off the show from his mom passing away to all the drama in the house."
- DC: "I love all the cast. With all due respect to the rest of the group, the ones who made great impressions on me are, for the originals - all the guys, Jenny and Jamie, and for the exes - Hailey, Jenna and Brian."
Are You The One? Season 1
- AK: "It was a great season without question. I tell people who are fans of the Real World and Challenges but not are the one that its like both of them mixed in together you live together in a house and you try to find a common goal and that’s to find love."
- DC: "Yeah. I first discovered AYTO on IG and never thought back then in early January that it would reach that level of becoming a show that would be on par with Real World and Challenges as far as both of our greatest interests. This drew me in from the beginning with all the elements we're used to on those shows, plus something we're not used to as MTV fans in this having a dating game element to it too (though my mom's a loyal Bachelor viewer). And there was an awesome cast as well. I do have to agree with Kristen Bell: Are You The One? is the Game of Thrones of reality hook-up TV."
DC: There was a lot of drama with just about all the people: Shanley/Chris T., the two triangles, Adam/Brittany, etc. and of course Ethan & Amber. Which couples stood out to you most?
- AK: "Honestly because this show is strictly about couples I really can’t give you a select one or two. I mean obviously the one that sticks out is Ethan and Amber because within the first two seasons they’re the only to make it work by being engaged, and having their first child, but other then that all of them stood out in very different ways."
- DC: "Chranley definitely was the most-followed couple among the fans and though the house wasn't having it with them staying together after being a no-match, it still was one that drew everyone's attention. For Adam & Brittany, it was the latest definition of a love/hate relationship, you never knew what was gonna happen next with those two, and obviously what we'll see on Exes 2 will be a key story to watch. There was what we saw with Chris T., Paige and Scali, the Ryan/Kayla/Wes triangle, Scali/Jacy/JJ, Ash/Dre/Simone and Coleysia/Dillan.
And Amber & Ethan were meant for each other from the moment they started to click, and what's happened since then with the reunion engagement and now having their baby definitely proves that a matchmaking show like Are You The One? can produce everlasting love and obviously they deserve the best."
DC: What were your favorite moments from this season?
- AK: "Three moments that stood out for me the first moment was at the date Brittany and Adam went on where they were both cursing each other out that was very hilarious. Chris T’s drunken speech where he talked about Thomas Edison and the lightbulb that was pretty funny too, and of course when my buddy Wes went off on Kayla and Ryan, like I don’t have to even be watching the episode to recite that whole confrontation they had."
- DC: "Obviously, them going 10 for 10 in their last matchup was clearly the biggest highlight for me, one of the best moments I've seen as an MTV fan. But there's also what happened in that second truth booth that was a huge moment, where Chris T. & Shanley were separated and she goes after Simone for voting him & Paige in. That, along with that first match, was the turning point and game-changer for the house and that brought them all together.
I enjoyed watching those challenges, and I also liked the luxurious & fun dates they & season 2 went on. It certainly made Challenge castmates feel jealous because they don't go out much on their show, and the AYTO kids get to be out of the house much more often. I bet they'll will be asking for more outside time like the first generation of those challenges did back in the day."
- AK: "In no particular order obviously the main two that stood out to me were my first two guests from the show Wes and Shanly. Others like Simone, Kayla, Ryan, Pagie, Scali, the list can go on and on with how great this cast was."
- DC: "I definitely agree, it's everyone. I have no specific favorite castmate because I've talked to all 20 of them and our fellow fans have grown in love with them the same way we do in BMP land. Just as it is for so many great seasons, the whole dynamic of the cast as an entire group was what made the season for me. It's what made that first season so memorable with everybody having great personalities that clicked with everyone. And even after that baby shower we saw before season 2 - and with all due respect to Team 21, there's still a great deal of support for the Originals. They're definitely one of the most beloved MTV casts ever, I'm fortunate that I got to hop on the express just as they were revealed to everybody."
DC: In the end, the group makes short work in 9 tries, win the $1 million and eventually sees the only remaining couple not only get engaged & married but also produces a baby. Thoughts on the game they played that saw them win?
- AK: "My take on the game they played was they had three particular people in the house that ultimately were the voices of reasons in very particular ways. They had Ryan was able to reason with people like Brittany and others to pick someone. Dre, I felt he had the best idea when it came to how to run things in the house , and of course Simone, she wanted her money and even though she rubbed people like Shanly the wrong way she was playing the game."
- DC: "It was them playing this game more strategically, consistently and as a whole that not only gave them the money but also comfortably as it turned out. Obviously, they came together when they got those first two matches and the house events that took place, and towards the end, they knew how to stay together with the ones they had week to week, figure out who wasn't a match and, as I wrote then, the money would not have been possible without contributions from everyone in the house."
The Challenge: Free Agents
- AK: "Despite what the ratings were I thought this was a great season I liked the whole concept of your on your own and you get to team up with different people each challenge."
- DC: "Yeah, it was the unpredictability of that season. You knew that because of The Draw that anyone could go into elimination and be sent packing. We saw that with Jemmye, Dustin, Camila going home much earlier than expected, Theresa was finally able to show what she was made of. And, as you tweeted during an episode, it benefited Johnny & Devyn who were expected to head home early but made it to the final without an arena visit. We saw Preston of all people make a greater impact than everyone expected of him, and so did 'Toya. And with this being an individual-based game, this really gave everyone a chance to be themselves."
- AK: "One girl that stood out to me was definitely Theresa due to getting the bad luck of draw on partners and not being with the in crowd she always would leave early but she proved herself to be a contender. For the guys I agree with you on Johnny and Reilly and Cohutta but the one that stood out to me even though he left with an illness was Frank. I’ve always been back and forth with him on his prior two challenges but this one despite him leaving early he really proved that he is a top individual challenger."
- DC: "For me, there's several. I agree, Theresa was my Most Improved Player with her going farther than ever. Jessica really impressed us in how she was finally able to show everyone that she's someone to look out for in the future. Princess definitely outperformed our expectations and she has a lot riding on her on Exes 2. Latoya also made both of us so proud of her, what she did in coming back from being sent to the hospital for exhaustion after that first mission and take out Jem in stunning fashion in that first elimination. Nany finally emerged to become a power player with that great finals run and she might be the best challenger from her great Vegas cast. Cohutta definitely proved that 5 years away didn't hurt him much, and though she didn't make the final Cara Maria still proved she was a force. And how about Johnny riding that wave of luck & maintaining a calm demeanor on his way to the final."
- AK: "People are calling that move a douche move including Bananas but I’m on the opposite end. He did what he said he was going to do by flipping all of the cards and yes it didn’t pay off but he put people on that cast and ones who weren’t they’re that he’s there to stay."
- DC: "It was a great reality TV moment there of all the lead up to that battle and what happened there. You obviously sensed in your blog that this was inevitable with the build-up to that where Jordan sent JB in, then they got into words after Jordan's elimination win, and then came their showdown. I documented it in my diary of how this was THE moment of the season and how it drew a lot of reaction from the cast, fans and both of us. I was speechless when Jordan decided to flip all those cards to get his matchup against the King.
Though some fans did have an issue with the game they chose and I felt that they should've chosen a better one to make it fairer for both - Jordan was in trouble when he saw the wall was gonna be the game, it was just as rewarding an elimination win for Bananas as what he had on Rivals I, and that gave him momentum that brought him into the winners circle. Jordan's very motivated from that early exit to turn this into something positive."
- AK: "The final was probably not my favorite by any means. It being an individual challenge it should’ve been all solo the whole game. I get that they were trying to keep the Free Agent thing but it just wasn’t needed. Bananas and Laurel without question deserved the victories but I just hope that they don’t stages like that again and just go back to a race format where the person who crossed the finish line first takes the grand prize."
- DC: "Yeah, Bananas and Laurel deserved to win as the pre-season favorites, they were expected to win. She finally got that first Challenge win, it certainly wasn't easy with suddenly having tension with CM, then going into elimination and holding off Nany. Bananas had to endure being put into elimination several times, with Jordan in the house, with having no alliance whatsoever and that made the $125K all the more satisfying. Seeing Johnny and Nany hang in there with them on that trek to the top was exhausting, and it was unfortunate to see Zach struggle considering what we saw from him the past two seasons. But Dev really gave us something to believe in there and she really stole the show there. Given that she has this hilarious personality, I never expected her to put on the kind of inspiring and persevering performance she had in finishing and gaining our respect. She was the MVP that day."
- AK: "Jordan pulling all the cards was without question the best moment because love him or hate him your going to remember that one moment looking back a year or more from now. Also, Cara Maria pulling out the win at that long elimination with Nia was very inspiring and she also proved herself to be a top competitor and will get a title sooner rather then later."
- DC: "For me, there was the Jordan/JB match, yes. But some of my other favorites include the Nany/Cohutta romance, it's very cool to see a great romance blossom between two great people, and that was more than a showmance. There's The 'Toya, Brandon and Isaac Show that brought a sense of fun to an otherwise intense Challenge house. And there were the numerous twitter beefs that took place during the episodes which I documented on here which were fascinating to watch.
From a competitive standpoint, what I saw from Jessica in the first mission when she braved the heights to get across that log was when she told everyone she was for real and she won over everyone's respect. There were the Balls In eliminations that had two great battles in 'Toya & Jem and Cara & Jess. Every time there's a physical elimination on these Challenge, it always grabs our attention and those were two great matchups."
Are You The One? Season 2
- AK: "Yes and no. I felt that this cast was great for the most part but had more cast members that I particularly didn’t really care for. Like I mentioned on my show and the time I called into afterbuzz I really wasn’t a fan of my of the guys this season I felt they were very either too cocky or too annoying."
- DC: "I think this really lived up to what we thought this season could be, and proved that a sequel can be just as good as the original even if that first one was fantastic. My favorite moments had to be those roller coaster moments they had early on: episode 4, Pratt & Paris become their first match and then they get gut-checked with no beams; episode 6, they had their parents fly in for a visit, Layton & Ant get into a fight and their 2nd blackout. And those were just a few, there's so many other moments as well too many to mention."
- AK: "I think the reasons why the producers added a twist with the 11th girl was the cast in season 1 would always say “If we got nine we got ten”. From them to have a chance at possibly getting nine and not ten was very interesting and I hope they make some switches to this 11th girl or guy twist to make it even better."
- DC: "It was a really big twist there that really made things so much more interesting than it was in Hawaii, and it really made the group earn their stripes, and as it turned out, the million the hard way. Christina was with Brandon of course, and that in itself was a great moment where you never knew what was gonna happen with them next, and as it turns out they are on better terms than Chranley. But she also had the allure of the house where John was interested in her as well, Nate was a truth booth no-match with her and Layton was part of that double match with her. She had tension with most of the girls when she was revealed as the 11th girl but ultimately clicked with what is now the Goon Squad. And of course, she held the key to the group's fate all throughout the season."
- AK: "Layton wanted to give people something to remember him by and he did just that. Just like he said on the reunion he’s a home run hitter and thankfully for him he didn’t have someone like a Coco Crisp (Oakland A’s outfielder) rob his home run at the wall."
- DC: "Yeah. I always remain Switzerland and observe everything impartially, but that really made everyone's heart rates at that patio jump to an all-time high there, as was all our palms sweat watching that at home. To take Anastasia's words, 'My jaw just dropped' when that happened. And most of us thought how can someone with what they consider a huge ego make a move that could see them all lose? Brian and Ali tweeted it was be the riskiest move in RTV history and they wondered that if that was the wrong move they would've all gone in HAM on him. It would've mattered anyway because he was the double match, but still that was a great reality TV moment."
- AK: "You know what I made it extremely vocal that I wasn’t a fan about how they were picking matchups. But from speaking and hearing cast members in interviews it made perfect sense why they never showed any of them strategizing because the aspect of the game is to find love first and then if they all find love they win the money."
- DC: "Yeah. You wrote there about how they were all over the place when they were in the woods. And we talked about it right after their 2nd blackout where they needed to change their ways if they wanted to win where you told me they needed production help the same way the originals got to the cash, but as it turned out they didn't get a double truth booth or choose any couple like we saw in Hawaii. Though season 1 better strategized their game more consistently than season 2 did, it was the 5 TB matches and them closing with 3 in the last 4 weeks that propelled Team 21 to, as I wrote earlier, earning the cash the hard way. And as you tweeted, if you combined their TB success w/ season 1's MC success, this would've ended much earlier."
- AK: "I’m going to say all five of my guests that I had on during the season were obvious standouts. Starting with Brandon, the man was very athletic and won 7 out of the 9 challenges he competed in. He was very vocal in that he wanted something with Christina and I didn’t see anything wrong with that at all. Tyler Abron, while she didn’t get much airtime in the episodes I appreciated how well spoken and how real she was on the show. Jasmine wasn’t like most of the girls in the house in that she wasn’t there to hook up and that would’ve stood out to me had I been in the house. Not to mention that million dollar smile ms @JasiPen has. Christina obviously made a splash because she was the main person in this season being the 11th girl."
- DC: "For me, there's a few that stand out. First, Briana...I know I wrote that piece on her revealing that miscarriage she had and she gave me great feedback on it, and that really drew me to her. Ellie also with bringing that southern accent and sense of humor to the group...I think the house would've been different if she wasn't casted. Brandon with that great success in the GC's, his relationship with Christina and him making waves in the house and at the MC's. Christina for the great personality she has, that relationship with him and the bond she now has with the Goon Squad. Tyler for not being afraid of speaking her mind, and Curtis for being that voice of reason. But I love all the cast, though there is that thing that still bugs me."
Other Shows
- AK: "This is the first time that I’ve watched the CBS shows Big Brother Survivor and Amazing Race. I got to say that I wish I would’ve tuned in sooner. Big Brother according to people was bad on gameplay all season and very predictable, but they had one of the best winners in the shows history win it convincingly. Survivor I watched a few episodes of Season 28 but for some reason I just got over it but glad I watched the 29th season and enjoyed it. Amazing Race was fun to watch to and was the biggest surprise winner of all the competition shows this year. I see why the challenge doesn’t get as good ratings as these three shows because BB Survivor and The Race reach out to all ages while the Challenge only reaches to a particular audience."
- DC: "Yeah, obviously those three shows air on CBS - on free-to-air TV, and the shows we're into most air on cable. Anyway, we were both intrigued by Catfish, season 3 was the first one I live tweeted. It's probably the most-compelling show MTV has aired in a long time. As I say, not much RTV outside the MTV world, but I also enjoyed a few others ranging from culinary school to virgins to fun in Alaska. And I gotta credit social media for helping drive me to shows outside the Trifecta. It's Twitter, IG and the castmates being interactive with their fans that have changed the game for me as a fan. I have a broader network of MTV people who I've interacted with than ever before."
And there you go, that's that. Nothing more to say after this long chat between a couple online best buddies, other than to say a very big thank you to Andrew for joining me to debrief and discuss the year in reality television, MTV style. Obviously, this certainly won't be the last time I bring on Andrew to talk the Trifecta on DCBLOG, and you can expect me to bring him back on frequently to recap the seasons once it wraps up, preview new ones before they debut and other things too. So, much thanks Andrew for doing this with me and it's been a great 30 months. Here's to another great year and Happy New Year, bud.
Now, I have an extra thought to share before we wrap up. If you've been a loyal listener/viewer of these webcasts that cover the show, then you know Andrew has definitely become one of the best MTV interviewers around in having the fortune of talking to 60 members of Team MTV, and he can thank all of them for helping him earn that spot. And it's hard for me to pick which of Andrew's shows have been my favorite since he's done many, so I'll just single out a few.
First, the best interviews often come when he or anyone else get on the key figure from a previous week's episode that had a lot of drama, and that's where you get the first, instantaneous thoughts from them. I believe that him landing Shanley just a few days after the events in episode 6 was the biggest scoop any podcast host got this year - and proof is over 11,000 views, blowing away all his other webcasts as his most viewed ever. Him talking to Tyler after the AYTO2 finale, to Brandon & Christina afterwards and others also stand out as well.
It also applies to when anyone gets a big name from these shows on, and though we have to admit that Brian has had time of his life talking to the big names, he has spoken to Sarah, Leroy, Dustin, some of the older Challenge ladies, list goes on. And along with growing a strong rapport with the last three Real World casts as well, he's spoken to half of the Exes 2 cast, so those past chats will be coming more into focus as the season rolls on, so check them out when you can during the season.
First, the best interviews often come when he or anyone else get on the key figure from a previous week's episode that had a lot of drama, and that's where you get the first, instantaneous thoughts from them. I believe that him landing Shanley just a few days after the events in episode 6 was the biggest scoop any podcast host got this year - and proof is over 11,000 views, blowing away all his other webcasts as his most viewed ever. Him talking to Tyler after the AYTO2 finale, to Brandon & Christina afterwards and others also stand out as well.
It also applies to when anyone gets a big name from these shows on, and though we have to admit that Brian has had time of his life talking to the big names, he has spoken to Sarah, Leroy, Dustin, some of the older Challenge ladies, list goes on. And along with growing a strong rapport with the last three Real World casts as well, he's spoken to half of the Exes 2 cast, so those past chats will be coming more into focus as the season rolls on, so check them out when you can during the season.
For Andrew, you can follow him on Twitter at @CSUAKirk, check out his previous G+ shows on Andrew's page at www.youtube.com, his now-archived SpreeCast chats at www.spreecast.com (on a pay-per-view basis), past podcasts at BlogTalkRadio.com, and read his Big Time Reality TV blog at bigtimerealitytv.blogspot.com. A new policy put in the startup saw the premature end to his SpreeCast shows last summer, but that brought his interviews & recaps to Google+ Hangout, where he's chatted to four of the AYTO2 castmates there in Brandon, Tyler, Christina and Jasmine, and so far he's spoken to Violetta and Bruno from RW Skeletons. Of course, you can expect plenty of Exes 2 talk with the cast of that Challenge (14 of the cast have been past guests of his) and more with the Chicago seven, among other things in the near future. And every time he interviews a cast member, it's always a must-listen/must-watch.
And as for me, DCBLOG will be on top of everything Real World and Challenge in the coming next few months. Of course, there's the signature DC SocialPulse diaries that offer the twitter action and reaction of cast and fans like me & Andrew of episodes of both RW Skeletons & Exes 2, all in the same posts all season long. There's also complimentary posts that offer unique perspective to supplement the recaps and rankings. And there's these new Fan's View posts that I plan to do alongside my diaries, and if you're a blogger, webcast host or a MTV fanatic who would like to do one of these posts, I'll have contact info in a coming post this weekend so you can join in and chat.
By the way, whenever I tweet my SocialPulse links at TW/@DC408Dxtr, I always make Andrew among the first to tweet the links to since, of course, both of us live here in Northern California and want to have him & other fans get caught up on the tweets we missed because of that 3-hour west coast delay. And from an off-air DM talk I had last year, I gotta give him thanks for some inspiration in inspiring me to create DCBLOG to showcase all these tweets & cover this franchise.
By the way, whenever I tweet my SocialPulse links at TW/@DC408Dxtr, I always make Andrew among the first to tweet the links to since, of course, both of us live here in Northern California and want to have him & other fans get caught up on the tweets we missed because of that 3-hour west coast delay. And from an off-air DM talk I had last year, I gotta give him thanks for some inspiration in inspiring me to create DCBLOG to showcase all these tweets & cover this franchise.
To follow the live tweets and real-time interaction of both Real World Skeletons and Battle of the Exes 2, give me a follow to my secondary twitter handle devoted entirely to live tweeting, DCNOW at @DC408DxNow. There, you'll find my live tweets of the episodes, curated real-time tweets of cast specially timed for west coast fans, and event & sports tweets too. And you can always find me on Twitter & Instagram @DC408Dxtr for tweets, chats, alerts and pictures.
And as I wrap up this post, this is my last post of this incredible year of 2014. I've had both a productive and very successful year in covering the shows that I love here and the things I'm passionate about. Yes, MTV is the principal focus here, but we've also covered music, sports, the Olympics and beyond. Okay, I will admit that I fell some 1,500 views short of reaching my stated goal of reaching 20,000 views by New Year's Eve - I am at 18.5K, but need not worry, that milestone will come at sometime during the next few months, if not sooner.
Anyway, to all of you who visits DCBLOG, whether you're a regular visitor who bookmarks this site or not, whether you're famous to everyone or just to family & friends, or whether you're here or halfway around the world, thanks for your continued patronage, support & loyalty. To those who given me great & positive feedback - from those who I've talked with in my Fan's View series or from those who've read these posts and have given me props for the great work I do, a thanks to you also. And for those who have promoted my blog by tweeting my links on your twitter page to help drive users to my site, thanks for helping spread the word out.
As I wrote on here many times, the great support & respect I've received from everyone is very gratifying, and as always I'm most appreciative. It's doing these posts - providing great depth & reflection, the long hours compiling the SP posts, asking fans like you for insight and more - that's no doubt made this hobby of blogging worthwhile and something that I am most proud of. And of course, I'm looking forward to what the New Year has in store. It promises to be a great year ahead.
So once again, many thanks to Andrew for joining me to talk this year in reality television, and of course both of us can't wait for what 2015 in reality TV has in store. And until I talk to you on twitter & back here at the 'Blog, thanks for reading, stay warm, have fun, see you then and Happy New Year.
- I AM DC
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