The Learning Channel keeps coming up with bigger and better ideas to try and garner the lion’s share of ratings in the reality television business. With Bravo shows such as the wildly famous “Real Housewives” series and “Chef” series, it is getting increasingly difficult to keep up.
But TLC has come up with a plan to change all that. They’ve come up with a new concept that should have them back on top in no time. It’s called the “throw it all in the pot and see what comes out cookin” plan. Their idea is based on the theory that if one good idea will get a share of the ratings, teaming up two or three good ideas together will get a lot more ratings. Instead of shooting a series of shows all on one subject, TLC is going to combine several of their popular shows into super-specials to be aired around the holidays.
The first offering “This Old Crack House Hoarder Brideszilla Special” is currently shooting in a gritty, run-down part of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and features several crack houses, two untamable soon-to-be brides who are trying to get married on a budget of around $150 each with rings purchased at a pawn shop, and an older gentlemen by the name of Herschel Wormstein, who has so much junk accumulated in his home that he lives on his neighbor’s porch.
Each special will take up a two-hour block of time and producers are hoping that is enough time to get everything into the shows without leaving much out. They hope to re-run the shows every other day to get maximum exposure. In addition, TLC plans on holding a marathon weekend during the long Thanksgiving weekend to air the most popular segments over and over and over again.
In all, 6 super-specials will be shot between now and Thanksgiving. One project, near and dear to the executive producer’s heart, tentatively titled “Goat Rodeo, Paranormal Kiddie Casino” will pair the children of former Iraq veterans with midget Italian casino owners who claim the nannies hired to babysit them are former Russian spies.
Check your local listings for a complete schedule of air dates beginning the first week in November.