If you resolved to limit your screen time and read more books this new year, good for you!
And good for us! Because it means the big TV is free for the rest of us to curl up and watch our winter guilty pleasure shows. So far, 2019 is beginning with a bang ... and a Bachelor and a Beach Club and a Boot Camp. Here's our handy guide.
MONDAY
The Bachelor (7 p.m., ABC): Season 23 (!) began last week with some 30 women seeking to deflower Colton, a 26-year-old former football player and current virgin. This season's contestant crop features the usual odd occupations, including two pageant winners, a "Cinderella," a "Never Been Kissed" and a "sloth." Considering Colton's not one to move fast, a sloth sounds just about right.
America's Got Talent: The Champions (7 p.m., NBC): "Fifty of the world's most amazing and memorable acts return to compete" before judges Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum, Terry Crews, Mel B. and Howie Mandel. The seven-episode series, which began last week, includes winners and finalists from America's Got Talent and the worldwide franchise. What a thrill to be reunited with What's Her Name the singer, Whose His Face the sword swallower and Whatever Their Names the illumination dancers.
Celebrity Big Brother (7 p.m., CBS, beginning Jan. 21): As of deadline, we didn't know who was starring on the show. And we didn't know who was hosting the show: Julie Chen or Julie Chen Moonves, as she began introducing herself in the wake of sexual harassment allegations against her husband and former head of CBS Les Moonves. Hey, maybe Moonves could star in the three-week show. It's not like he's doing anything now.
TUESDAY
The Masked Singer (8 p.m., Fox): "Hosted by Nick Cannon, The Masked Singer is a new celebrity singing game show featuring panelists Jenny McCarthy, Nicole Scherzinger, Ken Jeong and Robin Thicke" and "features celebrities facing off against one another with one major twist: each singer is shrouded from head to toe in an elaborate costume, complete with full face mask to conceal his or her identity." After getting sucked into this rubbish and rooting for the "Peacock" and the "Monster," you might want to conceal your own identity too.
Lindsay Lohan's Beach Club (7 p.m., MTV): An actress known more for her off-screen exploits than her films, Lindsay Lohan is now a club owner on the Greek island of Mykonos supervising an unreliable, hot, young staff in the show that began last week. So instead of her getting scolded for not working, now she's doing the scolding. How times have changed!
Temptation Island (9 p.m. USA, beginning Jan. 15): A remake of the 2001 Fox show, this one "follows four dating couples at a pivotal time in their relationship, where they must mutually decide if they are ready to commit to one another for the rest of their lives -- or should go their separate ways. Together, the couples travel to the tropical paradise of Maui, Hawaii, where they join 24 eligible men and women. There, they live the 'single life,' in a test that is meant to help answer their most difficult questions about their relationship." Questions like, "How can I possibly bring you around my family again after this?"
WEDNESDAY
Gordon Ramsay's 24 Hours to Hell and Back (7 p.m. Fox). The bully celebrity chef has only one day to save failing restaurants on Gordon Ramsay's 24 Hours to Yell and Back. Oh sorry, it's to Hell and Back. Same thing.
Project Runway All Stars (8 p.m., Lifetime): Six previous American winners vie against six international winners in the last Project Runway installment on Lifetime, hosted by Alyssa Milano, before the franchise packs up its needles and thread (but not its cast; Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn are "out") and sashays to Bravo. For us it wore thin years ago.
THURSDAY
Music City (8 p.m., CMT): It's the second season for Music City about aspiring musicians in Nashville, Tenn., and starring Little Rock native Jessica Mack. This season the singer is in love and getting married, which is great ... but hardly bodes well for a successful country career.
Marriage Boot Camp: Hip Hop Edition (9 p.m., WE TV): "This season, some of the biggest names in Hip Hop take a break from their lavish lifestyles of champagne, fancy cars and adoring fans to put the spotlight back on their relationships" in the show that stars Soulja Boy, Waka Flocka Flame and Lil' Mo. We expect more than a Lil' drama.
Boot an email to:
jchristman@arkansasonline.com
Spin Cycle is a weekly smirk at pop culture.
Style on 01/13/2019