OK, there are way too many reality shows on television today. Somebody needs to say it so I will. Well, I guess I already have, so there!

Seriously, I’m tired of hearing about new reality shows coming on the boob tube, especially these ‘hybrid reality’ shows as I like to call them. You know the ones. They usually are on cable, they star some washed up star/person that is related to a star/ex-reality star.

Yes, I’m talking about each of these shows plus a hundred others like them: The Real Housewives of Atlanta, Flavor of Love, Toya & Tiny, Frankie and Neffe, Hammertime (sorry Hammer), and etc., etc. I mean Hammertime is okay, but it’s just a copy of Run’s House (which is really just clean version of The Osbournes). To me, this is just lazy programming by cable television networks. The biggest culprits are VH1, BET and MTV. Do they produce any scripted shows anymore. Have they ever? Oh and yes, remember that each of these stations gained popularity when they actually started off playing music videos (sorry kids, i know you have know idea what I’m talking about–music videos on a real TV?? Wow!!).

So You Think You Can Dance

Now I’m not mad at what I call ‘traditional reality’ shows like American Idol, Survivor, The Amazing Race, The Apprentice (before the ‘celebrities’ showed up), So You Think You Can Dance, The Real World (the grandfather of them all), Top Chef and etc. These shows are original, they usually involve some type of competition, and they gave some actual level of realness. Plus I like most of these shows. They’re getting old, and I’d rather see some real shows on in most of  their time slots, but hey, you can’t win them all.

But these hybrids are going way too far. So many of them involve hip hop stars in some way too. Recently I read that T.I. and Lil Wayne’s teenage daughters are shopping a reality show. Yes, the daughters of Tiny & Toya; T.I. and Lil Wayne’s babies’ mommas who already have their own show on BET. Sad thing about it is that it will probably get picked up and will be watched by a lot of easily influenced teenagers.

One of my biggest complaints about these shows is that they aren’t even real! It’s just a bunch of fake arguments/fights set up by the producers to make ‘good television’. Get the ratings and that’s about it. Real Housewives of Atlanta pulled in 2.8 million viewers when it premiered its second season last week, the most for any Bravo premiere. And the ‘highlight’ that I saw from the show (no, I did not watch the show) was with Sheree, one of the housewives, arguing with a flamboyant event planner almost to the point of throwing blows, supposedly. I seriously doubt if it was real. 

Real Housewives of Atlanta

So this is what television has become, huh? It’s like the decline in music is now creeping it’s way into all other aspects of the entertainment culture. Are films next? I certainly hope not. Somebody has to stop this before it goes too far. Please let these shows kill them selves. Quit watching and promoting this garbage and let’s get some REAL(ity) shows back on TV.

Early 1990s popular rapper MC Hammer has a reality show debuting this Sunday at 10pm EST on A&E.  Hammertime is described as focusing on the Hammer family as they live their not-so-simple lives in Tracy, California.  Having a family and re-launching the Hammer empire is not an easy task, but with wisdom, faith and relentless tenacity to strive through any adversity, this family is stronger than ever.

In an interview with TVSquad.com Hammer describes what we’ll see on Hammertime:

Throughout these ten or eleven episodes… through music, technology, family, holidays, birthdays, trials and tribulations, at the end of the day, you’ll find a family that is inspirational and hopeful. In this current environment that we find ourselves in in America and the world, family and love of family at the end of the day is more important than anything. I think that’s what you’ll find very interesting and we hope will keep you watching the series.

I was never a big MC Hammer fan back in the day, although I did dig some of his songs, especially some of the early ones (like the one below). But I may have to DVR this and check it out to see what Hammer has been up to.  Well if you follow him on Twitter then you should have some clue.

There was plenty of buzz yesterday surrounding the rapper/actor DMX and an upcoming stint on VH1’s Celebrity Rehabbut his representatives have recently denied those reports.  His publicist Pam Pinnock stated, “These reports are false and Mr. Simmons has not agreed to appear in any reality show.”

“Mr. Simmon’s is currently serving a 90-day jail sentence at Tent City Jail in Arizona. He has expressed great appreciation to the overwhelming amount of support he has received from his fans during this difficult time. He would like his fans to know that he is taking this time to focus on his personal as well as spiritual growth, and is looking forward to being released soon.”

She also said that after his release from prison DMX would appear in a film soon, but did not give any details. 

I’m not surprised about these rumors.  I’m sure that DMX would draw a lot of viewers to Rehab and it would probably help his career while, hopefully, helping his addiction.

So if you’re interested, be sure to send in your applications, resumes, cover letters, etc., or just go stand in line for the casting call.

Puff is also shopping a new reality series in which he is looking for musicians to travel with him on tour. This brotha is providing his own hood stimulus package. Well, in the immortal twitter words of the puffy one, Lock In!

I’ve only caught her dancing on the show a couple of times, but I’ve been reading about the great scores from the judges. And well, check the video of her and her partner Derek Hough to see for yourself.

Looks like Kim plans to take this pretty far. Do you think that this will help give a boost to her career as it did with Mel B of Spice Girls fame? DWTS has gotta do better for her than it did for Master P. Right?

All Hip Hop is reporting, E! has a new Hip-Hop themed series titled Candy Girls, which will focus on women in rap music videos (women in rap music videos? oh ok, i get it). The 30-minute show, labeled a “docu-soap,” centers around aspiring and established female actresses who work for an agency, which casts the potential models in the videos. E! ordered eight episodes of Candy Girls, which will air Sunday nights at 10:30 PM.

Just reporting the news here people…

Looks like Puff Daddy/P. Piddy/Diddy/Bad Boy Sean Combs is ready to take his entertainment mogulism to VH1 with the debut of his new series I Want to Work for Diddy.  He’s adding to his already successful television resume, which includes his executive produced MTV programs Making The Band and Run’s House.

According to SOHH,

I Want to Work for Diddy is an apprentice type show where contestants compete to be the mogul’s personal assistant. The concept for the show was born after Diddy’s failed attempts at the standard recruitment process. To jumpstart the competition Diddy informed the media that he was accepting applicants.

Well Diddy’s Apprentice… I mean I Want to Work for Diddy premieres Monday, August 4 at 9 pm on VH1.  A new season of Making the Band 4 will return to MTV on August 13.

It seems like Flavor Flav can’t be stopped. He is starring in a new half-hour comedy series on MyNetworkTV, the network’s first (hmmm… And how long has it taken BET? 25+ years??).

The show is called Under One Roof and Flav plays Calvester Hill, a former convict who moves in with his wealthy, conservative brother, Walter (Kelly Perine). Calvester turns the Hill family’s life upside down, parading his old prison cronies through the house, teaching his nephew to be a gangsta rapper and butting heads with Walter’s snooty wife.

OK, I guess we’ll see if his past run-ins with the law will pay off.  Flav’s other show, Flavor of Love premieres with its 3rd season this Monday at 9:00 pm on VH1.

Salt and Pepa’s reality show, The Salt-N-Pepa Show will begin airing its second season on VH1 beginning on Monday, February 11 at 10 p.m. Stay tuned to see what the ladies are up to this season.

Well, it looks like everybody’s favorite hip hip media mogul is getting ready to have another realty show, this time on VH1. Diddy will be searching for an assistant in this Apprentice-like reality show. He already has Making the Band 4 currently running on MTV. SOHH reports:

The reality show will track the 20 finalists as they “compete to win the job of a lifetime,” according to the contest’s website. Contestants must be at least 21 years old, have a “whatever it takes attitude” and be on call 24/7.  

Though no further information is available as far as the parameters of the position it is fair to assume that it will be a very demanding one. Diddy has made a name for himself as being a tough guy to work for.

Open calls will be held in New York City, Chicago, Atlanta, Houston, Los Angeles, Boston and Miami. The competition is not limited to residents in these cities though. The nationwide competition is also accepting video submissions of candidates telling why they’re the best person for the job.If you think you have what it takes to be on the show go to workforpdiddy.com to find out more info.