http://www.realitynewsonline.com/cgi...457.art&page=1

Bravo to Bring Us ‘Battle of the Network Reality Stars’
by David Bloomberg -- 06/23/2005


It was corny, it was fun, it was the ‘70s – it was the Battle of the Network Stars, where actors competed against each other in a variety of athletic tasks. But today, there seem to be more reality stars than actors. So Bravo is updating the concept and will be bringing it to us soon. Some well-known names are participating – find out all the details right here!

As proof that everything old truly is new again when it comes to reality TV (in case that wasn’t already proven to you over the past few years by the return of Star Search and the conversion of Fame and Gilligan’s Island to reality shows), Bravo has announced that it will be airing Battle of the Network Reality Stars, a six-episode series beginning Wednesday, August 17.

Readers who are old enough may remember the old Battle of the Network Stars shows that used to air in the ‘70s. These would pit actors against one another in various competitions. Now we will get to see the same type of thing updated to focus on reality TV participants.

Thirty-two ex-reality show participants from 16 shows will compete against each other in athletic challenges at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California. They include:

Chip & Kim and Charla & Mirna from The Amazing Race

Nikki McKibbin and Ryan Starr from American Idol (and, of course, Ryan was on Surreal Life as well)

Heidi Bressler and Bradford Cohen from The Apprentice

Will (the Evil Doctor) Kirby and Mike “Boogie” Malin from Big Brother

Coral Smith and Mike “The Miz” Mizanin from The Real World

Rich Hatch and Sue Hawk from Survivor (I just hope Rich keeps his clothes on and doesn’t bump into Sue!)

Brittany Brower from Americas Next Top Model

Adam Mesh from Average Joe

Tina "Fabulous" Panas from The Bachelor

Evan Marriott from Joe Millionaire

Matt Kennedy Gould from The Joe Schmo Show

Wendy Pepper from Project Runway

Theo Gantt from Road Rules

Rachel Love Frasier from The Swan

Valerie Penso from Temptation Island

Duncan Nutter from Showbiz Moms & Dads

Not only will reality TV stars be in the battle, but they will also report on the battle. While the play-by-play host will be Mike Adamle, former host of NBC Sports and American Gladiators, The Bachelor’s Bob Guiney, Real World and Surreal Life’s Trishelle Cannatella, and Apprentice and soon to be Surreal Life’s Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth will be featured as sideline reporters. Personally, I was just hoping Omarosa would be left on the sideline, period.

As a partial nod to the original Battles, and because these folks aren’t doing anything else anyway, some of the referees will include M*A*S*H’s Loretta Swit, The Incredible Hulk’s Lou Ferrigno, and Good Times’ Jimmie Walker.

Among the difficult competitions Bravo promises are a joust, a kayak race, and of course the tug-of-war. But Bravo has also updated the original Battle format, with the twists we expect from reality TV and even opportunities to create alliances and vote people off. Sounds more like the Real World/Road Rules Challenge, but at least it won’t just be the folks we’ve gotten used to seeing on those!

I have to say that as corny as the concept sounds, it should be fun to watch. You can, of course, expect RealityNewsOnline to bring you full coverage!

David Bloomberg is the Editor of RealityNewsOnline and can be reached at [email protected].


I don't think this has been posted, but I can hardly wait to see some of these folks!

Chris

Oh dear Lord...







... help me fight the temptation to watch this.

I don't watch any reality TV except Amazing Race, but I still might watch this since it doesn't look like it will take itself too seriously.

I actually remember Battle... from way back when. Getting old.

whatever happened to american gladiators. that show was cool.

An early photo of the competition has been released!

^^

......and that's exactly why I'll watch this.

I might watch some of that. Hmmm don't know.

Loved American Gladiators and The original Battle of the Network Stars when it was just every once in awhile but then after the third one they had it like every 3 to 6 months. I also remember a prequel of sorts to Battle which was called Almost Anything Goes that had teams of college students compeating agianst eachother, I believe it was a year or two before BOTNS.

Will we see the return of the short-shorts?

You have one of the quickest and greatest comedic minds that I have ever known. Let me know when you're in LA and we'll get a burger together.

Chris

http://www.jumptheshark.com/a/almostanythinggoes.htm

Almost Anything Goes

First Show 1975
Last Show 1976
Genre Variety
Network ABC
Slot Day Thursday
Slot Time 8 pm
Jumped The Shark when... Votes
Never Jumped 11
Day One 1

Other Thoughts:

Wasn't this an ABC variety show from the late 70's / early 80's? Either that or it was a "battle of the network stars" type of program. Maybe someone could elaborate?

They had people racing with loaves of bread and different "camp-like" events. Pure 70's cheese, with Regis on the sidelines no less!

Almost anything goes was pretty damn funny. My favorite part was when they replayed footage of the obstacle courses at fast speeds. It very nearly sharked itself when they had celebrity contestants...the strangest being Chaka Khan and Rufus. But, it didn't jump because it was very funny watching pudgy little Chaka the Unathletic run the obstacle course.

The original host was smarmy, and couldn't sing the theme song, but the new host was worse! Regis on the sidelines? Now I need to get a copy of this show on tape!

I remember this show, which had a short run in the mid-to-late 70s. It was a beat-the-clock type game show that featured 4-5 person teams from different cities competing against each other in strange events, relays and obstacle courses. The contestants got somewhat abused and humiliated (dunked, covered with mud, running/falling in clown shoes, etc.), but all in good fun, which was the allure. The wildly untalented (then as now) and very young Regis Philbin was one host but I can't remember the other. Show was pretty entertaining, then again I was 12 when I watched it.

Are you sure it was on Thursdays? My not-too-dependable memory says it was a Friday night show. Anyway, I liked it during its all-too-brief run. Events like two people trying to knock each other off a greased log into a pool below. There was even a Saturday morning spinoff called Junior Almost Anything Goes, I think. That was fun, too.

I *loved* AAG, but I was an early teen at the time. I'd surely ignore it now. The scary part is that I know who won the championship in the second (and final) season. It was my mom's hometown, Chambersburg, Pennsylvania.

I think the Junior version Jumped, because the irony and sense of fun (i.e., seeing a grown man from Canton, Illinois, dressed like George Washington, trying to shimmy up a greased flagpole to capture a flag, or two people dressed like clowns on the back of a motorbike in a game called Circus maximus) that was appealing to me as a ten-year-old was lacking from the Junior version. Plus, Soupy Sales was the host and his rug was co-host. The prime-time version was mine and my brothers' favorite show, and when it was canceled we cried long and loud. No kidding. We loved the show. I remember sneaking away from a kids' birthday party to watch the episode that had the B-Hill Runners from Bisbee, Arizona. That's loyalty, I think.

This is my first recollection of TV when I was 5. I never missed an episode. I almost wet my pants from laughter every time this show came on. It was short lived but I have very fond memories of bolting across the house when my Dad yelled it was Almost Anything Goes time. The antics and the humiliation of the contestants was too much to bear during those crazy obstacle courses.

I remember this being on during the summer and thinking it was the coolest show ever! ( I was about 12 or thirteen) The precursor to crap like "American Gladiators" and the original ABC primetime game show hosted by Regis Philbin!

This show was hysterically funny to me as a ten-year-old. I guess it was seeing adults do silly stunts that made me laugh, but I have very fond memories of AAG. There always seemed to be something that involved sliding "mugs" of "beer" down the top of a "bar" and having someone catch them; and something that involved a blindfolded person driving a golf cart while a teammate gave them directions. Bisbee, Nogales, Douglas. Havre de Grace. What were some of the other towns? Why isn't this available for purchase on DVD?

I think the title says it all. "Almost" is not enough. Should have taken the next step. Then it would have been Fear Factor.

Okay, I thought the title was "All-Star Anything Goes", and I thought it was on in the late70's. I used to watch this almost every week, and remember thinking that the push-the-bread-across-the-greased-log-over-the-pool-and-put-it-in-the-basket-at-the other end was about the hardest thing God could ever have celebrity monkeys do...I think I saw them score points only once or twice.

I seem to remember this being a Friday show, too. Curt Alliaume has a great web page on it (Google it). To muddy things up, he says it was on Thursdays in its summer run and returned on Saturdays the beginning of '76, which I definitely don't remember. I guess It's no surprise we can't remember which it was after 28 years. Memory's the first to go. Sure was fun while it lasted, though, and so was the Junior version.


Chris

Doesn't sound like any of the hotties from reality shows will be on this. I would have watched just to see them in the dunk tank.

This summer should just be entitled "The Big Reality Television Trainwreck of the 21st Century." With the fantastic (yet terrible) programming like Hell's Kitchen, Dancing with the Stars, Hit Me Baby One More Time, and now Battle of the Network Reality Stars; I don't know how I will contain myself for much longer.

Come on, you don't think she is a hottie?



She may be a beyotch, but still!

Chris

Memories of Kristie McNichol and Barbie Benton in tight shorts on the obstacle course just came flooding back!

That's nothing. ABC had the Double Heather factor: Locklear and Thomas - in the dunk tank.

How did Bravo go from airing quality TV to airing crap? I blame that Queer Eye show. Ever since the popularity of that hit the ground running, it's like Bravo is trying to appeal to the audiences who like that stuff. If you like that stuff, all the power to you, but Bravo is increasingly unwatchable to me these days.

The only way I would watch is if the Battle is to the death.

There they go throwing the word "stars" around a little too loosely again.

I'd watch if they had real TV actors on. Who gives a crap about these reality idiots hanging on for dear life to that 15 minutes (don't get me wrong, i woudl too, but that doesn't mean i have to watch others do it)

As long as they feature the biggest T's and the nicest A's I'll watch.

One of the greatest TV moments ever

Considering it's Battle of the Network Reality Stars, I don't agree.

Is nobody else watching this? I'm having a freaking blast!

Is this stupid thing on? I never watch Bravo, so I haven't seen any commercials. Are they going to repeat it soon?

Chris

It wasn't that good, but I'm still looking forward to the rest of the episodes because I like seeing more of these people. The competitions are so boring compared to what I'm used to seeing on reality shows and there was no outside drama to make up for it.

It kinda sucks that the teams are so random. It seems like it might be easier to root for or against a team if they were put together based on network or some other factor.

It was weird seeing the last names for some of these people. I've seen some of these people so many times because of all the RW/RR challenges, but I didn't know any of their last names. For instance, I don't think I ever heard where the name Miz came from before.