Whenever you are surfing through television channels with your remote control and can't find something interesting to watch, here's one channel you can count on: The TV Guide Channel. I can't even count the number of times I have tuned in to the TV Guide Channel to review the television listings, but have instead become absolutely mesmerized by what is taking place ABOVE the scrolling channel listings. Many are the times I have caught myself, too late, and yelled, "Darn it! I missed what's on channel 27 AGAIN! Now I'm going to have to wait for it to come back around!" I then admonish myself to focus, focus, concentrate, concentrate, in an attempt to keep my eyes from straying north of the scroll line. Usually, it's to no avail. The wacky TV Guide Channel goings on capture my attention once more, and I end up spending about an hour watching what is supposed to be, after all, a virtual TV channel guide.
What are some of the great "shows" on the TV Guide Channel that have such great entertainment value that they never fail capture my attention? Here are a couple you should catch sometime--when nothing else good is on, of course.
Look-A-Like: Okay, the premise of this show is that they take a few average Joe's off the street and decide which one looks the most like a popular celebrity. A crew consisting of a hair stylist, a makeup artist and a wardrobe specialist then steps in to make this person over to look as close to the celebrity as possible. Sometimes the transformations are amazing, sometimes just so-so, but they are always interesting to watch. Most interesting is the transformation that seems to take place on the inside as a person is pulled out of their sweats and put into red carpet finery. At the end of the hour long show, a professional photographer comes in and does a photo shoot with the person. People who came in timid as mice are suddenly posing for the camera for all they're worth. I'd like the show better if they went out and tried to fool people into thinking the person really WAS the celebrity, but it's enjoyable just like it is.
Open Call: For this show, a really cool and assertive female casting agent holds an open casting call. I'd give you her name, but the TV Guide Channel website won't let you access much information unless you register and give them your personal information--I refuse to buckle to that kind of pressure even if it is for a writing assignment. Anyway, this really cool and assertive female casting agent holds various open casting calls with names like, "The Search for the Real Desperate Housewife" and "The Search for the Next Martha Stewart." People--real people just like you and me--wait in line and then get just a few short seconds to wow the really cool and assertive female casting agent. Some of the people who try out are really wacky, which adds immeasurably to the show's entertainment value, as of course does the really cool and assertive female casting agent, who is never afraid to say exactly what is on her mind. The casting agent then picks one person to star in a "mini pilot," which airs at the end of the show.
There you go. Now, don't tell me there's nothing to watch on television!
Copyright (c) 2005 by Leanne Phillips
