This week Melinda and I had the great pleasure of having reality TV producer Troy DeVolld (“Hollywood Game Night,” “Basketball Wives”) as our guest on the show. I think it’s safe to say that both Melinda and I learned a lot about how our favorite (and least favorite) shows work. We also talked about the Kardashians. A lot. It’s tremendously reassuring to learn that an expert in the field thinks that their fifteen minutes might someday tick out, too.
Troy’s book, “Reality TV: An Insider’s Guide to TV’s Hottest Market,” is chock full of the kind of interesting, behind-the-scenes details he shared with us, so listen in to get a taste (also check out his awesome blog, realitytvbook.com) for more reality TV insight. Here’s the rundown!
1:00 – We talk a little bit about Troy and why he wrote the bible on reality TV.
2:30 – Guess what? Troy likes “Duck Dynasty.” .
4:35 – Troy is less enthusiasitc about the Kardashians.
5:25 – Troy reveals the one genre of reality TV he really hates.
7:25 – Troy talks about his stint on “Dancing with the Stars.”
9:30 – Troy talks about why he likes Jeffrey Lewis (“Interior Therapy with Jeffrey Lewis”).
9:45 – Troy worked on “Paris Hilton’s My New BFF: Dubai” and he talks about the challenges of making a reality competition show built around relationships.
11:50 – For all those reality stars who’ve carped that they were victims of editing, Troy has something to tell them.
15:45 – We discuss the racism and homophobia on the “Big Brother” live feed and what Troy would have done.
22:35 – Melinda talks about Jay-Z’s disappointing Samsung collaboration.
28:55 – I talk about Elisabeth Hasselbeck’s exit from “The View.”
34:30 – We discuss whether Jenny McCarthy will be a worthwhile addition to the show.
35:35 – Finally, we talk about whether the Kardashians’ 15 minutes will ever end. We can only hope.
Thanks for tuning in!