Friday, August 09, 2002

Witness-protection-program TV: How desperately mired in the ratings basement is ABC?  Some see a sign in the network's decision to pick up reruns of a show from the USA cable channel -- the next few Tuesday nights, ABC will air episodes of "Monk," the modest but enjoyable new detective series starring Tony Shalhoub as a sort of phobic Columbo.  I noticed a much greater sign in the "Casting" notice on ABC.com: the Disney shills are looking for two women and one man to volunteer for a reality show called "Extreme Makeover," which will "make dreams come true for three special people" by enlisting "the skills of a dream team of hair, makeup, and wardrobe people and personal trainers" and — wait for it — "a prominent Beverly Hills plastic surgeon."  Aspirants can fill out the application here, providing extensive detail on whether you've ever been charged with a crime or restraining order or are on antidepressants, why you want to be somebody else, and why not even the old "Queen for a Day" show or Ricki Lake would want you. 9:04:19 PM    commentplace ()