Inside MTV Reality: It's an All-American Challenge

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB/TK

Pic: Laura Barisonzi/Paramount

Today, the United States turns two-hundred forty-six years old since a group of men gathered in a hall in Philadelphia to sign a Declaration of Independence. But as we speak to you on this Monday, July 4th, 2022, this nation stands divided just as it has since we turned the page to the 2020's... you don't really need to be reminded of what has happened in these last thirty months, especially the past month and today just outside in Chicago. But if there's one thing that can unite all of us, it's getting to watch what is called "America's fifth major pro sport," and Wednesday night sees a brand new chapter in the long history of MTV's The Challenge as it boldly goes where it hasn't gone before in this journey.

Four years ago, an unprecedented move both changed things once again for the show, and helped set the stage for two companies which divorced from each other years earlier to get together again in the battle for eyeballs in our new entertainment reality. The choice to bring houseguests not only to The Challenge with Big Brother 18's Natalie and Victor going onto Vendettas and Jozea to Champs vs. Stars, but also their fellow houseguest Paulie going onto the ensuing first season of Ex On The Beach, provided a glimpse into the future for both MTV and what was then Viacom... for which over a year later they merged once again with the show's network, CBS. It's because of that and a few other things that we have Paramount+, and in turn the All-Stars spinoff which this week heads towards its conclusion.

But as soon as the final verdict is rendered in Panama, the focus will shift instantly down to the nation of Argentina, which hosted perhaps the most notable season of The Challenge during the 2010's of the original Rivals season. It's here that the next phase of this show's evolution further into the mainstream will play out as a totally different crop of players will get initiated into this world for the very first time... those who come from the network that made reality television cool when it brought the genre into the world of the big four broadcast networks. And it will be seen on the one platform where everybody who can plug in a television set and an antenna can watch for free, in addition to streaming it on Paramount+ or on their pay provider.

The Challenge: USA will begin just a few days from now just after the 4th of July fireworks smoke has cleared away, as those from Big Brother, Survivor, The Amazing Race and the three CBS seasons of Love Island USA will all gather in South America for a new game unlike any other. And just ahead, DCBLOG offers our very first look at this truly and uniquely All-American Challenge.

Who Are These Newbies? - All-Star Shore: The Brits, the Mexicans & the Brazilians

Due to the heavy presence of graphics and video, "Who Are These Newbies?" is best experienced on desktops and fast-performing mobile devices. Some videos embedded contain adult language & situations, parental guidance is suggested.

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB/TK

Right now, summer 2022 in MTV Reality is going into overdrive as not one, but three all new series are debuting within the space of a couple weeks: Buckhead Shore was first to debut over a week ago, while this coming week sees The Challenge come to primetime network TV for the first time when CBS hosts a new spinoff featuring its reality show alumni just as All-Stars 3 is drawing to its end on Paramount+. And on that streamer, All-Star Shore is premiering as an all-new competition show featuring reality TV's finest... and we at DCBLOG now enter half #2 of this edition of "Who Are These Newbies?," as we turn from the ones who we know from watching American reality TV to those outside of our borders.

For this interesting tidbit: the MTV Shore series was a concept originally conceived by 495 Productions founder Sally-Ann Salsano and intended to be a VH1 competition show... but when she saw the cast that she put together was so good that summer of 2009, she decided to keep them all together for a Real World-like docu-series... and the rest is history: the show and its Seaside Heights location are American cultural landmarks. It's also grown into a franchise that has spanned eleven different regional variations including a German/Swiss series that aired last year in Europe in addition to four in Europe, three in the U.S., and two in Latin & South America. And here in the U.S., we'll have the pleasure of enjoying three different Shore shows at midweek this summer, as its Wednesday episode drops mean All-Star Shore will actually serve as the appetizer to Thursday night in both Family Vacation and Buckhead Shore.

After the break, we will turn the focus to those from outside the U.S. in six of those who come from Shore shows that, until now, were relative outsiders to those of us on this side of the Atlantic... so do two others who have gained enough fame outside of the MTV ecosystem to earn their way to the Canaries.

Who Are These Newbies? - All-Star Shore: The Ones Who We Know...

Due to the heavy presence of graphics and video, "Who Are These Newbies?" is best experienced on desktops and fast-performing mobile devices. Some videos embedded contain adult language & situations, parental guidance is suggested.

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB/TK

Tomorrow -- a few hours from now for some of you, the second all-new series to premiere in MTV's global Shore franchise within the last week will debut when Paramount+ will play host to the show's first worldwide entry to the streaming service, All-Star Shore. It's a first-of-a-kind "party competition series" that mixes two popular forms of reality TV: living it up in a party house, and a big-bucks competition show... and familiar faces to the MTV audience from three different iterations of the franchise will join those from outside the network for this bold new show that is truly unlike any other.

Coming into summer 2000, the reality genre consisted of MTV fare, Cops, America's Funniest Videos and a handful of shows that were here and there. But CBS' successful gamble to put on Survivor and Big Brother during the least-watched portion of the television calendar helped bring a form of programming previously successful in Europe and overseas into something that not only dominates our summer viewing habits, but also during the traditional September-to-May schedule too... and it's now popped up in the new world of streaming. And continuing in a recent MTV Reality show trend, this fact will be reflected in fandoms from all around the dial converging for this social experiment.

As we count down to the premiere, DCBLOG has a longstanding tradition of introducing those who many of us are getting to know for the first time with this thing we call, "Who Are These Newbies?" -- a primer on MTV rookies with background, insight and visuals. This feature has focused on around 200 personalities since we began in 2013... and more will be added to this total both this and next week when over twenty CBS reality alums compete on The Challenge: USA. And after the break, we give these global reality stars their first closeup with the first part of our focus on these All-Star Shore newcomers... starting with a man who comes here from another summer reality tradition.

Inside MTV Reality: It's A Party at the All-Star Shore

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB/TK

Summer 2022 is now officially in full swing thanks to the long weekend that mixed both Father's Day and the second observed Juneteenth holiday, plus the longest day of the year of the Summer Solstice -- and now, Pride weekend as the LGBT month of celebration wraps up amidst a divided America after what happened yesterday. Summer also means that the reality genre is front and center on the broadcast television calendar, which includes another spinoff of the fifth major pro sport: MTV's The Challenge: USA will debut just after the 4th of July on CBS, and that is only part of a busy summer for those at what is now Paramount Global will have on the reality front -- on television and on streaming.

One year ago, the re-merger of CBS and Viacom into one company once again brought the Eye network, MTV and their various networks under the same umbrella, as well as a blockbuster movie studio that now bears the company's name of Paramount. Wherever you go, their impact is just about everywhere: the fact that Top Gun: Maverick broke box office records over the Memorial Day weekend signaled the return of the communal experience of watching movies at the local cineplex... and soon, another rite of summer will begin in an all-new season of Big Brother, along with that new Challenge that we at DCBLOG will be previewing next week all while Season 3 of All-Stars rages on.

Back in 2009 after waving farewell to the ten-year run of Total Request Live in Times Square, MTV reinvented itself once again as a spot in December offered a glimpse into the channel's next decade: at around the same time as the premiere of the first installment of the Teen Mom franchise, Jersey Shore debuted with no idea that it would not only overtake The Osbournes as the most-watched show in channel history, but also become a pop culture phenomenon. Think back to 2009 and 2010, and you can imagine that the cast was just about everywhere... and to go from being lampooned for the stereotypes it portrayed when it premiered to being loved a year later. It's why the show still radiates over a decade later... and you can see proof of it in the Family Vacation spinoff that began four years ago.

Ever since, the Shore franchise has become a global name: 2011 saw the debut of the British equivalent of Geordie Shore, followed by Warsaw Shore in Poland, Acapulco Shore in Mexico, Gandia Shore in Spain and Super Shore with housemates from the ladder two shows living together. And five years ago prior to the Vacation, Floribama Shore debuted down in Florida which was then followed just this week by its cousin Buckhead Shore outside of Atlanta... and more localized versions are planned for later this year in Australia, Argentina, Colombia and elsewhere to join the just premiered Rio Shore in Brazil.

It's with the expansion of this marquee franchise from one that was originally filmed for VH1 in the summer of 2009 into a global phenomenon that offers the backdrop for the latest addition to the Shore series... and one that will bring together those from different versions of these shows, plus even a few from outside of this ecosystem, for a competition show unlike any other. And if the three All-Star Challenges and the upcoming CBS one are something for us in Challenge Nation, then what happens by the Shore here will be the perfect summer pleasure.

The Look Ahead: June '22's Last Weekend

A Note From The Editor

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB/TK

As we're into the last weekend of June, as this blogger speaks to you it has been both scorching hot outside my house in temperatures reaching 100 on Summer Solstice Day on Tuesday, and then cloudy the next day thanks to an unseasonal monsoon coming up to California. But thankfully, plenty of fans in my room and our AC system is keeping us all cool as summer is now officially on, meteorology wise -- and I'm also doing this post wearing my ideal summer attire of a tank top & shorts.

Along with everything that this site offers with weekly MTV Reality coverage and occasional posts not related to it on sports, pop culture and the Vegas beat, sometimes DCBLOG will offer these sort-of update posts on what we have planned in the days and weeks to come. This Friday check-in will give me the chance to peek in on what's ahead... and it's all made possible by something that hasn't happened as of yet on The Challenge All-Stars... and if you've seen this week's episode we don't really need to elaborate on it on here for the sake of everyone else who haven't seen it yet.

As we have stated on here before, DCBLOG has a policy in place that, if any episode of shows that we cover end in cliffhangers, then that week's episode coverage is instead pushed back to the following week for the sake of continuity and with our utmost respect to those who prefer to binge-watch rather than watch live. To that end, we will have what happens in this weeks episode, along with what happens next week in the same weeks offerings... or maybe the following week as we are getting closer to the finale of All-Stars 3.

A serendipity of saving coverage of this week's All-Stars to next week is that it does clear away the time for us to focus in on the following posts that we will be featuring on here in the next couple of weeks.

● DCBLOG came online at the same time as the Portland Real World season, and where it has been a focus of All-Stars 3 one of them got to do something brave before the cast of this season was revealed. Our ExtraTime story for this All-Stars season will feature Jordan as he and another multiple champion head across to Ukraine to take part in the humanitarian effort during the early weeks of the conflict the nation had with Russia earlier this spring.

● A week from now sees the premiere of an upcoming new series that debuts on Paramount+ called All-Star Shore. We got to do a "Look Ahead" post at the start of this year to get our feet wet on what we called "the biggest MTV crossover event ever," and now that the cast has been officially revealed we will offer our traditional season preview coming up in the days ahead.

● On the back of that, two weeks from now will see CBS reality alumni take to the same stage that the Stars are in right now: the heat of battle. The Challenge: USA will see those from Big Brother, Survivor, The Amazing Race and Love Island USA compete in the same game as Paulie, Josh and everyone else has played... and next week we will be previewing all that, 

● In both of those instances, we will stay true to the policy we have that you don't meet a new castmate on these shows for the first time on the premiere: we will several editions of Who Are These Newbies? to introduce us to the many CBS alumni going onto the U.S. Challenge, and the cast of All-Star Shore -- but not everyone will be featured in those posts... we'll explain that in due course.

● And in the spot in between our All-Stars doubleheader next week, we will have yet another Look at the world of Dre.Media and a first for the one person who this site has focused on more than any other: the latest season of The Life We Live sees it return to a previous destination for Season 8... and the Poconos will be where Dre & friends will have plenty of fun and drama.

So, that's what we have in the next few weeks... hope you enjoy what we have to come. As always, bookmark this site, subscribe to the notifications on my social channels & the email list, and of course like, comment and share, and tell a friend so they can also become fans of our insightful content. But as you can see from a new statement that appears in the comment section below, please be mindful and courteous... I discovered that I got some hate for my post on CT's brother getting murdered -- you don't see that there anymore as I promptly disabled the comments there for the sake of protecting my mental health. Please, DO NOT leave negative comments... that's why they are now subject to my approval -- and also to promote a judgement free zone during this Men's Mental Health Month of June.

But to leave you here on a positive note: this coming Monday will mark my tenth Twitter anniversary... which coincided with the season that came before Portland in that Real World season that took place in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Joining that social media community changed how I would get to experience not just this MTV beat, but also the sports and music world as well. And though it can be a wreck just checking out your Twitter feed, just glancing over at my @DC408Dxtr channel you can see my passion for the things I'm most passionate about on display, along with offering everyone "The Escape You Deserve." Let's go for ten more on there, and ten more on this blog... we'll see you here then.

- I AM DC

#DCBLOG

DC SocialPulse: Ex On The Beach - The Season 5 Finale

*** Advisory: #DCSocialPulse contains adult language, objectionable content and spoilers for some readers. Viewer Discretion is Advised. Due to its length, take frequent eye breaks if you're viewing this top to bottom. ***

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB/TK

If you can feel the heat radiating outside your window, then it's hard to not overlook that summer 2022 has now officially begun thanks to the summer solstice and the year's longest day coming on the heels of the duel Father's Day/Juneteenth weekend. But it's hard to think that an early summer is about to come to an end for those who called the villa home to MTV's Ex On The Beach Season 5.

The events of the past two years has prevented us from getting to enjoy the sight of reality television's finest going through the kind of hell of seeing their ex-boyfriends and ex-girlfriends invade their lives. But this spring saw things finally return to normal in resuming the American take on this global franchise when three familiar MTV faces and a slew of others from around the reality world embarked on the Canary Islands. We've had the usual array of love, heartbreak and everything else that this show is known for the world over, and we can't forget Welborn Ferrene's voice to guide us through this.

Last we were there, the singles found themselves in the hot seat as the house tried to get deep into who's being truthful and who isn't... and as we rejoin matters at the villa one more time, Love Islander Ray will have to air it out about his player ways -- and not everyone will make it out alive on our last trip to the Table of Truth. The last few days in the EOTB compound means plenty of time to reflect for everybody to see where they've come from when they entered back in March to now and the summer solstice... and that will lead to the ultimate choice: the singles who came here must decide whether they will leave the Canaries with their ex next to them, with their next by their side, or just to go at it alone on the last boat.

But, be mindful of what happened the last time we were in this spot on an American EOTB season... we will let you in on why that is the case this time around, along with revealing who is the latest to go from being exes to being parents... just ahead on the final Season 5 edition of the DCBLOG Ex Pulse.

DC SocialPulse: The Challenge All-Stars 3 - It's All-Star Trivia Night!

*** Advisory: #DCSocialPulse contains adult language, objectionable content and spoilers for some readers. Viewer Discretion is Advised. Due to its length, take frequent eye breaks if you're viewing this top to bottom. ***

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB/TK

Happy Father's Day and Juneteenth to all of you... and on this Sunday where we all celebrate the most important man in our lives and mark the nation's newest holiday, we wrap up this holiday weekend (or if you got the observed Monday holiday off, a chance to stay up a little bit) with something to make up for not having a NBA Finals Game 7 after the Warriors' wrapped up the title back on Thursday: Season 3 of The Challenge All-Stars.

A Father's Day tradition has been the contesting of the 4th & last round of golf's U.S. Open, which today saw Englishman Matt Fitzpatrick survive the game's toughest test and win his first major at where he won the U.S. Amateur event nine years ago: Boston's Country Club. Anyone who is qualified can win America's national championship... it's also the same thing when you discuss one of the unique facets of an MTV Challenge: mental challenges give anyone a shot at winning in any given week. And last we were in Panama, solving puzzles like stacking things and trying to maneuver a ball through a mouse hole was the focus in the daily and elimination weeks... and we also saw Sylvia get blindsided as a seemingly safe Treehouse alliance has now found out how tough this game really is.

Now, if anyone can handle those tough tests of trying something as simple as those tasks above... then those are just ordinary weeks in Challenge Nation compared to what the Stars have to contend with this week. It's that one time of the year where TJ Lavin sort of hybrid of the doctor that creates Frankenstein and Alex Trebek... and that means, the week's daily challenge is all about trivia -- and that will delight those teachers in the audience looking for some comic relief after dealing with final exams and SAT tests at the end of the school year. Meanwhile, one's ways with politics might put the game of another fellow player in danger, and what happens at the quiz show might set up two more big elimination battles.

We know it's late night... but if you are still up on this Sunday night, we hope you'll indulge in the DCBLOG Challenge 'Pulse of Week 6 of The Challenge All-Stars 3, coming up next.

Inside MTV Reality: Welcome to Buckhead Shore

BY DC CUEVA                        

■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB/TK

For the first time in three years, it's safe to say that this is a busy but amazing time to be a MTV Reality show fan... and fitting for the thirtieth anniversary of when this incredible saga began in the Big Apple, Summer 2022 will be an absolute treat. Right now, the focus is on the second half of Season 3 of The Challenge All-Stars as a field complete of finals veterans continue to battle it out in Panama, and the drama of a show that got a head-start on the sultry level in Ex On The Beach is wrapping up its Season 5 return. And if you're a history nut in the reality sense, then you just enjoyed drama of another kind in seven strangers getting back together in New Orleans in the third Real World Homecoming.

This summer will be quite an adventure: once the 4th of July firework smoke clears away, yet another spinoff of the fifth major pro sport will take to the big stage and to the bigger platform of terrestrial free-to-air network television when CBS hosts The Challenge: USA, starring its reality stars from Big Brother, Survivor, The Amazing Race and Love Island. On Paramount+, still another competition show with reality stars from across the wide world of this genre will begin a week before when Jersey OG Angelina joins those from other Shore iterations and beyond for fun and games on All-Star Shore. And on the MTV channel itself, the Hamster will also grace Thursday nights once again as the 11th overall season of Jersey Shore continues with the resumption of Season 5 of Family Vacation.

Now, let's be honest here: I might not have been big on the Shore franchise as much as a Challenge, Real World, or even the dating shows. But fall 2017 changed all that and reaffirmed my interest in the wide array of MTV fare when Floribama Shore debuted... and over our four seasons with them, we most definitely got to enjoy the company of Nilsa, Gus 1.0, Aimee, Codi, Jeremiah, Kirk, Candace, Kortni and Mattie. But as the first one on that list is enjoying the life of being a married mom much like three of her Jersey counterparts as well as Candace joining her as a mom, the torch of friends, fun, drama, and in their case - Southern style - is now being passed on this summer to a new generation of Shore kids... and it's all right in Kirk's very own backyard in Northern Georgia.

In the past year, the city of Atlanta has celebrated a world championship when the Braves won baseball's World Series, and then a national title when the Georgia Bulldogs took the College Football Playoff... and the champs have just reminded everyone who they are with a 14-game winning spell. The region has already become a hotbed when it comes to film & TV production as "The Hollywood of The South" including hosting the most recent new season of The Real World, which you only got to watch if you have a Facebook account. And now, the Dirty South is about to become the venue for the newest addition to the global Shore family, as we're about to welcomed to Buckhead Shore, as uptown ATL will play host to what should be another summer to remember... and then some.