Final Season of Little People, Big World

I haven't been doing a very good job of keeping up with the blog lately - and I've got some catching up to do. So apologies in advance for the lack of posts lately.

News came out about a week ago regarding the fate of the reality series "Little People, Big World" on TLC. The show's upcoming sixth season will be its last. To be honest, this news does not surprise me. Ratings for the past season were down sharply and the series seems to have lost its edge. I think a large part of that is because the kids are growing up and the novelty of little people seems to be wearing off. I mean, TLC has developed a few other reality series recently revolving around little people, such as "The Little Couple" and "The Little Chocoloatiers." And I honestly believe the story of the Roloffs have been written.

One of my biggest gripes about the series lately involves the multitude of trips the Roloffs have taken. They've been to Hawaii, the Bahamas, driven across the United States, and last season - went to Europe. The Europe trip bored me to tears. What about the drama involving the kids? Or what's going on at the farm? I think that has largely been missing from the series lately. There has been some drama regarding the Roloffs marriage and the potential of divorce between Matt and Amy, but I think that was overly hyped up by TLC and their marriage is as solid as can be. And last season ended with a dramatic cliff-hanger, where Matt collapsed to the floor and appeared to suffer a heart attack. Well, don't read what I have to say next if you don't want to be surprised - but Matt is perfectly fine. He simply suffered from vertigo and received medication for it. Just a method TLC used to drum up increased ratings for the season finale of the show.

There are rumors about a potential spin-off involving the twins, Jeremy and Zach. However, they simply are just rumors and there's been no official word that a new series has been green-lit. Honestly, how interesting are these two? Sure, they're twins, yet their physical profiles are so different because Jeremy is normal-sized and Zach is a little person. Yet, we've already seen that on display during the current show. Yes, they are in college, yet they still live at home while attending college. How much more different would the new series be than what's currently on air with "Little People, Big World"? If a spin-off series were to succeed, I think producers would need Jeremy and Zach to move out and live on their own and to experience completely new situations us viewers aren't accustomed to them doing.

So it'll be interesting to see exactly what comes of the Roloffs' future once the show goes off the air. They are heavily involved in speaking engagements which will likely continue if not expand. I honestly believe Molly and Jacob will be thrilled to be away from the TV spotlight and will return to living the life of normal children. However, I believe they'll miss it in certain ways - as will the rest of the family. The children have not embraced their celebrity status as well as their parents. And I don't entirely believe their life will completely return to normal because they'll always be known as a reality TV family. They still have their farm, which continues to be enormously popular, with or without a TV series. They'll lose income from having a TV show, yet they have other means of bringing in the dough. In the end, the Roloffs will be fine regardless of a spin-off series or not.

Little People Big World

I know I mentioned before in a previous blog that "Little People, Big World," a show on TLC, was one of my favorite reality-based programs that I watched. However in the past year, I can't say that anymore. It's probably the first time that I didn't watch a single episode of the latest season and I really had to interest in doing so. Something about the show changed in my views between the season in 2009 and this year. In fact, I believe the entire focus of the show has changed since it originally premiered several years back.

Originally, the show focused on Matt and Amy and their struggles with being little people. One of their children, Zak, is also a little person. That really became the sole focus of the show and it spotlighted their adventures in being little people. If you've ever watched the show, you know that Matt cannot walk around without the help of crutches. And if he has to walk long distances, he rides around on a little scooter. Amy doesn't have any walking disabilities but she still faces her obstacles in being so small as does her son Zak. However, they've been able to make the most of their lifestyles and have lived their lives to the fullest, despite the challenges that exist in being dwarfs.

Lately in the most recent episodes, the spotlight on the family has in a more luxurious light. It seems they are always on some sort of vacation. During the last season, it appeared that the majority of the episodes focused on their trip to Europe. They traveled all over Europe from Rome, Italy, Spain, the UK, and several other spots in between. In the earlier seasons, the only sightseeing they did was when they made cross country trips across the U.S. I always found it interesting to see the family dynamic get tested during those road trips across the U.S. - I mean, doesn't that happen with any family during road trips? Lately it seems the Roloffs can fly all over the world where ever they want. And hey, more power to them, but please don't make it a huge focus of the show. Heck, I'd take more episodes focusing on the trials and tribulations of pumpkin season than anything.

For awhile TLC was airing repeats of the previous seasons weekdays at 4 PM (eastern time), but they've even stopped doing that. Hopefully they start airing it at that time again because I'd like to get caught up on the show, even though I'm not happy with its new direction. Even though I wasn't a follower of the past season, I'm still a fan of the show overall. I just wish they'd keep focusing on their lives as little people and less about the amazing trips they've been able to go on and how mansion-esque their home has become. Keep making episodes about the Little People of America conferences, the Little People Games, pumpkin season, more about the twins' college experiences, etc. Hopefully they'll be able to return the focus of the show to where it once was.

Favorite Reality Shows

It's amazing how the television landscape has changed within the past 15 years. Prior to 1994, the only unscripted programs you would find on television were game shows and documentaries. Now reality programming makes up a large chunk of what you find on TV. I have come to enjoy a variety of reality shows that comprise our TV landscape these days. Some of them I have discussed in prior blogs, but in this entry, I will discuss those that are often found on cable and might not be as well known as those on network TV (shows like Survivor or Amazing Race). So in a nutshell, here are the reality shows that I get the most enjoyment out of watching:

Little People Big World - I don't remember the exact specifics as to when I started watching this show. I know my mom was watching it for a time and so then I started watching it off and on. Now I can't get enough of it! Season five just started on TLC and with it brings all new adventures for the Roloff clan. The twins are embarking on their final year of high school - along with it the challenges of a post-high school career. Meanwhile, Molly is starting her first year of high school and getting used to the notion of seeing her brothers there! The Roloff children attend a small school, something I was very much familiar with. Everyone basically knows everybody and you develop a good friendly relationship with the teachers and other staff members of the school. That appears to be the case for the Roloff kids. As for Matt and Amy, it appears some challenges may exist within their relationship. Matt is always looking for the next project; something that'll be bigger and better than his last accomplishment. But then Amy would rather start relaxing and enjoying what Matt has built on their Oregon farm, along with doing some more traveling of the world. Often times when the Roloffs go vacationing as a family, Matt is often too preoccupied with work or the activities of the farm to truly enjoy the vacation. Matt and Amy have been together for a good while now and I'm sure their marriage will endure even the worst struggles in their relationship. We'll find out much more, I'm sure, as season five rolls along. "Little People Big World" premieres new episodes every Monday night at 8:00 PM eastern time on TLC.

Flipping Out - I've always been a fan of do-it yourself remodeling and home improvement shows. "Flipping Out" was one of those shows that was right up my alley - but it certainly is not your typical remodeling show. In fact, you don't learn a thing about how to do a certain thing remodel-wise when watching this show, and it doesn't prove to be very educational. However, it is highly entertaining, especially when it comes to watching the inside and out of Jeff Lewis' world. Jeff is probably your a-typical project engineer. He micro-manages and is OCD to the fullest extent. There are times when he gets down on his employees very hard and you have to wonder how in the world they can endure such treatment. Yet employees like Jenni and Zoila are very loyal to Jeff. And in a way Jeff is loyal to them, too, because they have proven to be honest and hard working individuals. Yes, Jeff is a very demanding boss. Many of the assistants he's hired in previous seasons have quit because of his ridiculous demands. That's one of the reasons why he's had such high turn-over for employees in his business. If those folks were expecting to learn more about the business that Jeff is involved with, they came to the wrong place. I would say that the turn-over rate isn't as radical in season three as we've seen in previous seasons. However, that doesn't mean Jeff has softened his stance on many of the things that have caused previous assistants to quit. The assistants he has now are much more level-headed than previous ones! Whatever the case, you never know what to expect while watching an episode of "Flipping Out." Don't forget to watch the season three finale this Tuesday at 10:00 PM eastern on Bravo.

American Chopper - This was a show I was a huge fan of for awhile, but ever since the show switched networks from Discovery to TLC, I haven't been keeping up with it as closely as I used to. While it was on Discovery, it became a show my family and I all gathered around to watch. The antics between Paul Sr., Paul Jr., and Mikey became must see TV for all of us. And we weren't the only family tuning into this show. Yet I wouldn't say this show is suited for young children as the Teutul clan often let the obscenities fly. As the seasons' have progressed with the show, the father-son relationship between Paul Sr. and Paul Jr. has continued to crumble. Part of the reason why this show was so entertaining was due to the fights that went on at the shop between Paulie Sr. and Jr. At times, things got very explosive between the two - and often times Junior would end up leaving the shop to cool off. However, during the start of season six which was during this past April, Senior fired his son because of his work ethic. They have been able to mend fences somewhat, however, the father-son dynamic at the shop has been severly hurt and it's likely that Paul Jr. probably won't be able to work at OCC while his father is there. The second half of season six will be starting in another week on TLC, so it'll be interesting to see how the father-son relationship at work will continue to co-exist, if it'll exist at all.

Million Dollar Listing - Here is a show that follows three young real estate agents whom battle in the fickle and high-end market of Hollywood and Malibu, CA. They often battle each other to represent certain clients in buying and selling real estate - and in some cases, representing famous stars and celebrities. As I mentioned, they are young; in their late 20's or early 30's. Yet, they are experienced in their profession. It's an interesting show to watch because they face the same challenges in buying and selling for clients just as real estate agents do in buying or selling homes in the $100,000 range. They want to represent their clients fairly and give/get them good deals on their property. And if they can reach a good deal, it provides them a good deal in commission, as well. So in the high-end real estate market of suburban L.A., their commission can net them in the many of thousands of dollars, if not a millions or two (depending on the price). And just as in average American homes, there can be problems with these high-priced homes, too. During a season two episodes, agent Chad Rogers was selling Cuttino Mobley's home. During an inspection, part of the wood floor was buckling. A major water line leak was the root cause, which resulted in the home being de-listed until repairs could be made. So it just goes to show you that even with homes that cost millions of dollars, things happen. And this show proves just that; anything and everything can happen when buying or selling million dollar homes. Be sure to catch "Million Dollar Listing" every Monday for new episodes, starting at 10:00 PM eastern time on Bravo.

These are the reality shows that I am finding to be very intriguing right now. But in reality, the seasons don't last very long, so if you're planning on tuning into these shows based on my recommendations, you better check them out quick! As I mentioned, the "Flipping Out" season finale is this Tuesday. Meanwhile, all of the other shows have just started their new seasons or are about to. As I've found out, reality television isn't all bad. You'll find shows that suit your interests, just as I have. And it's actually really interesting that I have become a fan of reality shows more than scripted TV. It just goes to show that the American TV landscape continues to evolve. Who knows what it's going to look like in another 15 years.