Where reality TV goes, too many follow. Same competitions for something so inarguably valuable among the contestants that they will suddenly turn into the most psychotic backstabbers to make it happen. They become cannibals, in a sense, who rip out and chew up their opponents’ souls, leaving some with a blank, empty stare and no sense as to what just happened. In other words, boring crap seen nightly by those who want something to happen to these people that will never happen to them. But what about a twist to the entire genre?
In “Reality Round-Up: Superhero Edition”, the title alone makes it fairly obvious as to the type of reality TV director Mark Diestler is going for. Superheroes would make good reality show subjects. Somehow, The Surreal Life sounds better just on the basis of it. Reality maven Mike Burnett (Patrick Combs) decides that changing around programs makes them better. In turn, there’s “The Apprentice” with superheroes, “The Amazing Race” with superheroes. At the beginning, Hulk (Steven Cook) is ticked over not getting cheese on his burger like he ordered. The concept is fun, the idea that reality shows could be improved by inserting our comic book idols, allowing them to be seen on our screens every other night or so. Personally, a Surreal Life house with Stan Lee, Thor, Daredevil, Supergirl, and Verne Troyer (find him another tree to pee on!) sounds like entertainment for a good long time. For a short time, “Reality Round-Up” makes its mark tremendously, especially in costumes that were most certainly created from a fan’s perspective; the best kind.
