Beauty and the Geek Australia

Does anyone have any predictions about what twists might be thrown at the new Beauty and the Geek contestants.  The US series ran for five seasons with, from memory, five different ways to choose partners at the start and five different ways to choose a winner.  Please share your thoughts on what you think will be done this season or what you would like to see happen.

Then there is the obvious twist with the twins.  Will they try and fool the Geeks to see whether the Geeks are really paying attention the the personality of the girl and not just her looks? Will it be a team of three or will one Beauty have to leave? Thoughts anyone? It has an almost ‘Big Brother’ feel to it (remember the Logan twins) but lets hope it is not an exact replication.

Beauty and The Geek first season winner Jeremy Reading, will be writing for Throng about Season 2 which starts Thursday night on Channel 7 at 8.30pm.

He will give us updates, behind the scenes information and insights and his views of the show.

The Bernard Curry hosted show, is based on the USA version of the same name, that was created by Hollywood star and master Twitterer Ashton Kutcher.

Jeremy and Emma Can were the winners out of 8 beauties and 8 geeks paired together to combine their abilities to ultimately win $100,000.

The show averaged over 1 million viewers each Thursday night in Season 1 which aired late 2009.

Beauty and the Geek Season 2, Thursdays on Seven at 8.30pm from Oct 21.

Read Jeremy’s blog here.

I should completely prepare myself to eat my words. I remember when I first met the 8 Geeks last year, sitting in a large room with all my luggage, all of us spread out so we could not talk to each other. I thought to myself, ‘man they look Geeky! I am going to have nothing in common with these guys’ I turned out to be completely wrong, and they are all now some of my best and closest friends. So I am preparing for any of my harsh comments made in my last post to come and bite me on the butt. I think I was hardest on Stuart. It would not surprise me in the slightest if he ends up being one of the nice ones, trying to make a noticible effort with everyone – just like Pete last year! And Xenogene, the eldest last year came 4th and he had no trouble fitting in. He never got nominated! Only time will tell… Tomorrow I will give my opinions on the Beauty’s (did I spell Beauty’s correct? I never know.)

The Geeks

You’d be forgiven for thinking we were in a non-ratings period right now, with the Commonwealth Games taking over all Ten programming for 11 days and Seven and Nine holding off premiering any new shows or season returns until after the Commonwealth Games.

The final two month dash to the 2010 ratings finishing line has been delayed for a few weeks while the Games play out, leaving just six weeks of the ratings battle for the networks to get  you watching their shows.

Come next week, from Sunday October 17, it is game on for the ratings war with Seven, Nine and Ten providing many new offerings and season returns competing for your attention and filling your PVR with recordings.

It all starts on Sunday night as Junior Masterchef returns to Ten at 7.30pm, fighting it out with Seven’s X factor at the same time. In an attempt to get you over to Ten first, new Modern family premieres at 7pm Sunday Oct 17 for its 2nd season. After the X Factor, Seven are hoping to lure even more viewers for the new season of Bones, sort of fast tracked, as it airs nearly 4 weeks after it did in the US. Meanwhile, Nine are hoping viewers will be glued to their sets watching Sherlock, which begins at 8.30 Sunday Oct 17. On Ten, Offspring continues at 8.30, followed by new Medium at 9.30.

As we move to Monday night, Junior Masterchef continues on Monday nights from October 18, hitting The X Factor again as it competes in the same timeslot for the second night in a row. But Nine have NEW Two and a Half Men – back in its usual timeslot of 7.30pm Mondays. Squeezed in between two repeats (at 7pm for metro markets and 8pm everywhere), the new episode will be a welcome break for fans of the show from the hundreds of repeats spread over Nine and GO!

At 8.30pm Monday October 18, Sherlock continues on Nine, while The Event on Seven plays in its 8.30pm Monday night timeslot before making its move to 9.30 the following week. Ten have the Australian version of Undercover Boss, focussing on Dominos Pizza.

Tuesday night Oct 19 is an all out three way tussle for viewers at 7.30pm. Seven are hoping that Iron Chef Australia will continue the cooking show craze – we note they don’t dare put that against Junior Masterchef! – while Nine roles out all new Top Gear Australia. Ten return one of their ratings hits Talkin’ ‘Bout Your Generation to that timeslot.

At 8.30pm, the ancient Tuesday late season battle between new NCIS on Ten and Packed to the Rafters on Seven is back. Both shows draw huge audiences, leaving little for the rest of the channels. New NCIS can reach as high as 1.6 million, while Rafters often flirts with the two million mark. In Packed to the Rafters itself, the story lines are starting to gear up for a big season finish.

While Ten premiere the new season of NCIS a few weeks after the US, Nine seem to give up with a repeat of the UK Top Gear featuring Jay Leno at 8.30pm. Survivor, as a result, is pushed back to 9.40pm, which puts it against NCIS: LA repeats on Ten (wonder why they have not gone for new episodes) and Parenthood on Seven which does very well for its time.

Wednesday October 20, is Glee night for many – it returns at 7.30pm that night. Seven have the ever popular Border Security and The Force combo against it, while Nine has the demo-friendly The Block remaining at the same timeslot. Moving to 8.30, and Ten brings us season two of The Good Wife on a new night, while Seven keeps City Homicide alive. Nine, however, are hoping new episodes of The Big Bang Theory will bring some shares their way at 8.30pm. A repeat follows at 9pm. Nine’s move to put new Big Bang on Wednesday night 8.30pm could be as a way to catch younger viewers after they watch Glee. Both Glee and Big Bang do VERY well in younger demographics.

Still on Wednesday, its not all over at 9.30pm. Ten have moved House to 9.30pm, while Seven have replied with new Highway Patrol at 9.30pm, followed by Russel Crowe’s Damage Control at 10pm. Nine, at this stage, are leaving RPA at 9.30pm. Both Nine and Ten seem to have a very mixed order of shows on Wednesday night.

Thursday October 21 sees Seven roll out the second season of Beauty and the Geek Australia at 8.30pm. Nine are keeping Cops LAC against it – for now, with new CSI featuring Justin Bieber at 9.30pm. Later in the night, Seven have new 30 Rock at 10.30pm. Tens’ night consists of new Bondi Vet at 7.30pm, Keeping up with the Joneses at 8pm, and Rush returns at 8.30pm in a movie length episode.  Burn Notice returns to 9.30 Thursdays from October 28. The first episode of Keeping Up with the Joneses can be seen at 9pm (NSW & VIC, others check local guides) on Thursday Oct 14, in between the last day of Commonwealth Games competition and the Closing Ceremony.

On Friday nights, Ten will be airing Junior Masterchef Masterclass at 7.30pm from October 22. On Saturday nights, Hey Hey it’s Saturday returns to where is should be – Saturday nights from Saturday October 16 at 7.30pm.

Moving on to the following week, and Monday October 25 sees the 3rd season of the Mentalist premiere at 8.30pm on Nine. With Seven moving the Event to 9.30pm from that night, a program for 8.30pm has not yet been announced – although I would guess new Criminal Minds would be a good chance for that timeslot. On Ten, Undercover Boss Australia continues.

With such a tight battle between the three networks, expect there to be numerous programming changes particularly in their digital channels as they tweak their line ups to help grab those all important ratings points to win the year. It is still very close between Nine and Seven, with Nine appearing to be promising a lot more still to come in the year than Seven are.

Whether all these shows Nine keep saying are coming make it or not, is to be seen. One we know for sure in coming weeks, is the National IQ Test. Wonder if that will play out on their weakest night – Tuesday?

Last year, the last week of ratings saw an unbelievable number of programming changes with Seven, 7TWO, GO and Nine all making significant changes to their schedules – adding extra episodes of some shows, moving others, all for the sake of a few extra shares. There was almost too much to watch in that final week 2009. This year, with more channels than last year, they’ll be at it again.

In Summary from next week:

Seven – new shows:
Iron Chef Australia – 7.30pm Tuesdays from Oct 19
Damage Control – 10pm Wednesdays from Oct 20

Seven – season returns:
30 Rock – 10.30pm Thursdays, from Oct 21
Bones – 9pm Sundays from Oct 17
Beauty and the Geek Australia – 8.30pm Thursdays from Oct 21
Highway Patrol – 9.30pm Wednesdays, from Oct 20

Nine – new shows:
Sherlock – 8.30 Sunday Oct 17, Monday Oct 18 and Sunday Oct 24.
Top Gear Australia (ep 2) – 7.30 Tuesdays, form Oct 19

Nine – season returns:
CSI – 9.30pm Thursdays, from Oct 21
Hey Hey It’s Saturday – 7.30pm Saturdays, from Oct 16
Two and a Half Men – 7.30pm Mondays from Oct 18
The Mentalist – 8.30pm Mondays, from Oct 25
The Big Bang Theory – 8.30pm Wednesdays, from Oct 20

Ten – new shows:
Keeping Up With the Joneses – 8pm Thursdays from Oct 21. First ep 9pm (NSW, VIC, 8pm QLD & WA, 8.30pm SA) Thur Oct 14.
Undercover Boss Australia – 8.30pm Mondays from Oct 18

Ten – returning shows:
Burn Notice – 9.30pm Thursdays from Oct 28
Glee – 7.30pm Wednesdays from Oct 20
House – 9.30pm Wednesdays from Oct 20
Junior Master chef – 7.30pm Sundays and Mondays from Oct 17 & 18, Masterclass Fridays from Oct 22
Medium – 9.30pm Sundays from Oct 17
Modern Family – 7pm Sundays from Oct 17
NCIS – 8.30pm Tuesday from Oct 19
Offspring – 8.30pm Sundays from Oct 17
Rush – 8.30 Thursdays from Oct 21
Talkin’ ‘Bout Your Generation – 7.30pm Tuesdays from Oct 19
The 7pm Project – Weekdays 7pm from Oct 18
The Good Wife – 8.30pm Wednesdays from Oct 20

Some of those blanks in Seven’s programming in the week after the Commonwealth Games have now been confirmed.

As already posted before, new episodes of Bones will return to Sunday nights at 9pm (or 9.15 as it will end up being) from October 17, after the X Factor. The first episode is called “The Mastadon in the Room”.

Highway Patrol is set to return at 9.30pm, Wednesday October 20, with new episodes. As already posted, the new Russell Crowe sporting series Damage Control follows, at 10pm.

On Thursday October 21, series two of Beauty and the Geek Australia premieres at 8.30pm with a 90 minute special. The first episode introduces us to this years’ beauties and geeks, two of the beauties are twins.

Following Beauty and the Geek, at 10pm is a repeat of How I Met Your Mother.

Then at 10.30pm, and still in a ridiculous timeslot, although at least not at 11.30, is the new and 4^th season of 30 Rock. The first episode is called “The Fabian Strategy” which sees Jack meddling in Liz’s relationship with Carol in an attempt to help her keep a man for once.

Source: TV Tonight.

Tim

23, WA

Astrophysicist Tim has arrived at the Beauty and the Geek Australia mansion just in time because he cites a character in a computer game as his ideal woman! 

“I think I end up lusting after characters rather than women. My Shepard from Mass Effect (computer game) fell in love with Liara and I think there is a part of you in every character you play, so Liara from Mass Effect would be my dream date!” 

Tim’s currently writing his Honours thesis on a “Single Pulse Analysis of Potential Orthoganal Polarisation Modes observed in the Vela Pulsar”. 

“I’m probably going to end up in research in pulsar astrophysics. I’ve been interested in this field for forever. A pulsar is a really compact object in the sky about the size of a city block but it has the mass of three or four suns so it’s huge. They are the second densest objects in the universe behind black holes.” 

His other great love in life is the pen and paper game, Dungeons and Dragons. 

“I have been playing for about seven years now and I’m a dungeon master. A friend and I actually rewrote the rules for 3.5 edition to be more mathematically consistent.” 

But while astrophysicist Tim feels comfortable in the gaming world, he does become insecure around the ladies. 

“I get intimidated. I don’t like to disappoint people and I think a lot of people outside the geek culture could pretty easily be disappointed by the way geeks behave and what we don’t know. I don’t even know who is in Hollywood; I’m vaguely aware of Hollywood but only because Hollywood is in LA which is where a lot of scientists come from.”

Thomas

22, Victoria

Hawaiian shirt enthusiast Thomas says he’s been around lots of beautiful women as a tap, and more recently hip hop, dance student. 

Not that it’s helped him out with the ladies in the past. 

“I’ve never kissed a girl before – apart from in my dreams,” Thomas says. “My romantic history is non-existent. Not through any lack of trying on my part. 

“I probably need help in actually getting a girl to like me. I think my pick up lines are good, but no-one else does.” 

The avid dancer, sci-fi and Marvel comic fan is also a huge politics fanatic. 

“I have a blog and several Facebook albums of my favourite politicians,” he says. 

Thomas’ other major hobby is sourcing his beloved Hawaiian shirts from second-hand shops. He’s been collecting shirts for more than seven years. 

“I love the patterns and colours – I wear them whenever and wherever I can.” 

Thomas is looking forward to getting in the house and teaching his beauty all about his favourite subjects, which also include “sociology, the environment, tigers and other cats, wolves and other canids, gorillas, bonobos and other primates, serpents, crocodilians and other reptiles.” 

And he’ll be bringing his best friend along with him. “I sleep with a teddy bear – he’s my oldest companion and he’s been around since before I was born.”

Stuart

31, SA

Pop-culture junkie Stuart first realised he was a geek in Year Six and since then he’s grown to embrace his geekiness, currently residing in a basement apartment brimming with comic books and games. 

“I’m a comic book geek. I tend to curtail it a bit when I’m with civilians, but with other comics, I go to town,” he says. 

Comics, in fact, are always on his mind. 

“I can’t draw for peanuts but I have ideas that could work as comic books, but I’ve never seriously pursued it.” 

The IT professional – who describes himself as a “thinker, not a runner” – describes his role model as Iron Man. 

“Iron Man built his own superpowers, rather than let fate decide for him. I hope if something bad ever happened to me, I could step up.” 

At high school, Stuart didn’t fit in with any particular group of people so did his best to remain invisible. 

“I like my brain but at times I want to switch it off. I do have some slight social problems and awkwardness.” 

Stuart’s shyness has prevented him from having any romantic prospects, with his longest relationship lasting a little under three weeks. 

“My consistent lack of self-confidence keeps me from doing a lot of things. I need to get over my own insecurities to make an approach, as well as learn how to pick up on cues well enough to know when such an approach would be welcome.” 

Michael

23, Queensland

National maths champion Michael has always been a studious guy and he can maintain his focus on his studies and gaming without a problem. 

“I particularly like real time strategy games and I play Halo online with my friends. On occasion I do dedicate a whole day to gaming on weekends,” he says. 

But he’s ready to trade gaming for girls if he could only get the guts to ask someone out. 

“I’ve never asked a girl out,” he confesses. The one girl he has ever dated actually asked him out! 

Michael embraces his geekiness most of the time, but this self-confessed “daggy and hopefully funny” guy thinks this is the opportunity to finally shed some of his geeky behaviour and really learn what a woman wants in a man. 

“I’d like to learn to be a bit less geeky, not that there’s anything wrong with being a geek. But sometimes you want to be a little less geeky in some social situations and try and learn how to not put off people.” 

He has the smarts – he finished his Bachelor of Electrical Engineering with First Class Honours and a Masters of Engineering Systems in just four years. But can he transfer this knowledge to a beauty? 

“I used to be a maths tutor so hopefully I can teach her to look at problems analytically; to stop and think about things more and not be afraid to sit there and take on an academic challenge. 

“And hopefully I can teach her that us geeks aren’t all that bad. We’re a bit weird, but not in a bad way, in an interesting way.”