Reality TV takes no holidays

Fri., Dec. 24, 2004

Kathleen Sheridan Knight Ridder

As could be expected, the final episode of “Apprentice 2” (NBC) last week was completely drawn out and somewhat ridiculous, but being an avid fan of this show, I had to watch every last cheesy moment to see who won.

Reminiscent of last season, the boardroom facade was pulled away during the last hour of the show, and the program went live to Lincoln Center in New York City. Trump supposedly had not made up his mind yet, so, with some help from guest host Regis Philbin, he reached out to the cheering audience to find out who they were rooting for.

It turns out that Trump invited nearly his entire staff to attend, including his CEO, who choked on his words and looked like a deer in headlights when Trump asked who he thought should be the next apprentice. He managed to say that he was rooting for Kelly before he hid under his chair.

Actually, it seemed like the majority of the audience was rooting for former military man Kelly, and ultimately, so was Trump – Kelly was picked as the new apprentice.

In his final comments to Jennifer M., Trump said that her teammates really didn’t like her and that would work against her in the future. I hadn’t realized that being likable was a prerequisite for working with Trump. If that’s true, then explain Carolyn’s success.

Trump offered Kelly the chance to work on one of two construction projects. Kelly chose Trump Place, a $4 billion project on Manhattan’s West Side.

In other news, Eva won the final round of “America’s Next Top Model” (UPN) and was rewarded with a $100,000 contract with Cover Girl cosmetics, a spread in Elle magazine and a Ford Modeling contract.

Plastic surgery- enhanced beauty, DeLisa S., also was crowned a winner on the final “Swan” (Fox) pageant on Monday night.

Don’t give up on reality TV yet – there are still some shows left.

“The Amazing Race” (CBS, Tuesdays) is coming to its midway point. There are seven couples left, and the competition is fierce. I’m so excited that my favorite team, Freddy and Kendra, are in the lead. However, I am disappointed that Jonathan and Victoria are in second place. They are the couple that you don’t invite to parties because they end up getting in a fight. Am I wrong? Feedback is welcome.

Lastly, there seems to be some confusion over Princess Ann Claire from “Love is in the Heir” (E!) and Princess Reality. Princess Ann Claire is a real-life princess who is on a quest for a husband and a country music recording contract. Princess Reality is the name I have created to give my column some pizzazz.

I write about silly reality television from my throne (or couch) in New York, while Princess Ann Claire lives in a luxury apartment in Los Angeles. Alas, we are not the same person. For the gentlemen out there who would like to score a date with the other princess, might I suggest that you contact the E! network instead of me. Thanks in advance for your cooperation.

That’s all for now. Have a good holiday and be on the lookout for a New Year’s treat premiering Jan. 3 on Fox called “Who’s Your Daddy?” Sounds intriguing.

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