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Tuesdays Take A Twist: Hunky Guy, Smart Gal Added To 'Beauty And Geek'

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 18, 2007

Even though 'Gilmore Girls' was past its prime and 'Veronica Mars' couldn't get arrested, Tuesday nights just won't be the same on The CW this season.

We will miss the 'Gilmore' glibness, but beginning next week, we can stick with Fox on Tuesdays, when the mystery-romance drama 'Bones' will lead into the ever-fascinating 'House.'

Alas, Hugh Laurie and 'House' were robbed Sunday night at the Emmys. But don't get me started on that (see my blog at TBO.com, keyword: Walt TV, for story and photos).

Tonight at 8, The CW debuts a fourth season of 'Beauty and the Geek.' This reality show reinforces stereotypes. There are dumb blondes and socially challenged nerds.

But 'B&G' also rips off the outer shells to reveal that some beautiful young women aren't born dumb; they just haven't had to rely on brain power. We also learn that some of the dorky guys can blossom into potential dating machines.

'Beauty and the Geek' opens with a two-hour special with a twist: A geeky woman and a hunky guy are added to the mix. This makes for instant jealousy from the get-go.

At stake are a $250,000 grand prize and 13 weeks of reality fame. The drill remains the same: pairing the ademically impaired with a genius for various challenges.

The contests this season include improvising an autobiographical rap at a nightclub, running for Prom King, holding an 'American Beauty Debate' and substitute teaching at an elementary school.

As far as we can tell, no one from the Tampa Bay area is on the show. There is a 'theme park performer' named Hollie from Orlando among the beauties, as well as a Hooters waitress from North Carolina.

The geeky girl, Nicole, is a graduate of Cal Tech and the University of Southern California and is studying musicology at Tufts University.

The hunky guy, Sam, is a 'party promoter' from California.
Ashton Kutcher is a co-producer and co-creator of the series, and you have to wonder if he's trying to prove something after playing a dumb chick magnet for years on 'That '70s Show.'

TOP MODEL: Among the contestants on 'American's Next Top Model,' which debuts Wednesday night on The CW, is Janet Mills of Tampa.

Mills, a 22-year-old aesthetician, is from Bainbridge, Ga. She can't talk to the media until after her run on the reality show.

Mills is one of 12 models who will be tested each week with challenges including photo shoots, runway walk-offs and more. The women live together in a mansion in Los Angeles while they are competing.

Each week one of the contestants is eliminated by a panel of judges, including model-producer Tyra Banks, Twiggy, Nigel Barker and J. Alexander. See my blog on TBO.com for information and photos of Mills.

VIDBITS: If you missed the debut of 'K-ville' on Fox on Monday night, it repeats at 9 tonight.

•Forget Tony Soprano; the big Tony at the Emmy Awards on Sunday night was named Bennett. He's 80 and still smooth as silk.

He took home two Emmys for his PBS special 'Tony Bennett: An American Classic,' and he performed 'Steppin' Out (With My Baby)' with Christina Aguilera. It was one of the better moments of the night.

•Weird interview moment: Matt Lauer on NBC's 'Today' show Monday was talking about getting inspiration while sitting in the bathtub. Lauer was chatting with Alan Greenspan, former chairman of the Federal Reserve, who has penned a new book, 'The Age of Turbulence: Adventures in a New World.'

Greenspan, credited with keeping interest rates low to fight inflation, says in the book that he often gets some of his best ideas while in the tub. Lauer asked if he was inspired to propose to NBC correspondent Andrea Mitchell and was she with him in the tub. They all had a good laugh over that mental image.

Hey, Matt, Alan is not that kind of guy. Apparently it took him 13 years to propose after their first date in 1984. Mitchell has said he tried to impress her back then by showing her his essay on the Sherman Anti-Trust Act of 1890.

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