.. this post from movieline.com, "The Biggest Loser desecrates the nation's capital: a photo essay."

Enjoy!

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 5:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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On tonight's Biggest Loser, the remaining contestants head to D.C. for a challenge, a lobbying session, another challenge, and a visit to the White House.

For the first challenge, each person had to get as many people as possible to head down to the Washington Monument to participate in a public workout with Bob and Jillian. Immediately, I'm wondering whether any of you went and what it was like. It looks like it was filmed this summer some time.

Allen managed to wrangle a bunch of firefighters, but in the end Liz gathered more people and won the challenge. 

After a quick detour to speak with some congresspeople about childhood obesity and health education, it was time for the main challenge for immunity. 

For the first part of the challenge, the teams have to run a mile around Constitution Garden. Liz's advantage is to skip one of the four rounds, but she doesn't get to find out that the other three rounds are first. She decides to participate. The top six finishers, including Liz, have to grab pennies off the Watergate steps and put them in their "bank." The first three people who get pennies to the line in their banks make the third leg. Liz opts to skip this part with her advantage. The last spot comes down to Allen and Rebecca, and it's so close that Allison Sweeney is jumping up and down in excitement. Rebecca takes it, and she's excited, too.

Continue reading "'The Biggest Loser': A trip to D.C. " »

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 11:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

In this space last week, many viewers of The Biggest Loser lamented all of the cursing and putdowns emanating from trainers Bob and Jillian on the season premiere.

But this week, they seemed pretty toned down. While Bob put half the contestants through an intense workout (now with less belittling!), Jillian walked the rest through the kitchen, explaining to them how important it is to eat enough and make the right choices.

Also, hospitalized contestant Tracey rejoined the group, and chef Curtis Stone stopped by for some more food tutorials.

The twist this episode was that if the contestants collectively lost 150 pounds this week, no one would go home. Week 2 is historically one of the toughest for weight loss, as their bodies start fighting all the changes, so everyone was worried.

But in the course of two challenges, the contestants worked together and earned deductions. By the weigh-in, they only had to lose 115, which was still a sizable chunk. But they pulled it off, and no one went home. 

It was nice to see the contestants cooperating (though some were really thinking that Julio wasn't, um, pulling his weight, but he ended up losing 19 pounds) and to see the trainers pushing them hard but in a seemingly more supportive way. Don't you think?

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 9:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)
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Has a season of The Biggest Loser ever started without waterfalls worth of tears? I don't think so, but last night's season premiere brought new depths of the seas of tears drawn out of viewers.

The new contestants took on a grueling one-mile run after they learned that the season's theme of second chances meant that Dan, who last season was the largest contestant in the show's history, would be returning "to finish what I started." The competition was so intense for the folks that two of them ended up in the hospital.

Later, the rest of the contestants gathered to begin sharing their stories and get to know one another. One young woman, Rebecca, began bawling when discussing how she had been called fat her entire life and how people always said she had a pretty face, closing with, "I'm more than just a pretty face," as she collapsed in tears. I'm sure she felt pretty silly and awful when Abby (pictured above) shared her story: Nearly three years ago, her husband, and her children, ages 5 and 2.5 weeks, were killed in a car accident. I can't even type about it now without starting to tear up, because I just cannot imagine the horror and the grief of that situation. But Abby's attitude is amazing -- she seems to have a very clear idea of what she wants to accomplish and yet is taking everything in  her life one day at a time.

Continue reading "'Biggest Loser': New season focuses on second chances -- and tears" »

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 2:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (26)
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This one's for the 40 people who got confused a while back when I posted about The Biggest Loser getting the green light for a couple more seasons and deciding that I must be in charge of casting. Sorry, y'all, I'm not, but I finally have some information for you.

There are casting calls starting June 27 and running through Aug. 1 in various locations. (The closest TBL is getting to Baltimore is Philadelphia this time around.) You can find more information here.

Anybody planning to try out?

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 3:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Well, that was an unsatisfying conclusion.

I finally caught up on The Biggest Loser three-hour finale after watching American Idol, and I have to say: Bleh.

First, we learned that the last member of the final three, voted on by the viewing public, was Mike, who won out over his dad, Ron.

Then, the contestants who had been sent home weighed in, vying for a $100,000 prize. I would have guessed that Nicole might have taken it, based on her short stint back at the ranch. But the winner was 64-year-old Jerry, who lost more than half his weight.

Finally, it was down to Mike, Helen and Tara. If I were a betting woman, I would have put money on Tara or Mike. Tara won 12 challenges and set a record for the amount of weight lost by a woman on the Biggest Loser campus, and Mike set the record for the amount of weight lost by anyone on campus.

But then here came Helen (left), who was one of the lightest contestants to start with. But she managed to whittle herself down to 117 pounds, which frankly looked like it might have been a little bit too little. Mike and Tara were close, but not close enough.

I'm still irritated with Helen for forcing her daughter, Shanon, to go home. And she never mentioned her daughter again after that, did she? Yuck. I'm a sucker for a good makeover story, especially a life makeover like on The Biggest Loser, but not this one.

What do you think about the finale?

Photo courtesy of NBC

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 11:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)
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It's almost time for this season of The Biggset Loser to wrap up, and last night, we discovered who two of the top three will be.

The remaining four contestants went home and spent 30 days trying to get back to normal life and still maintain their new, healthy lifestyles, but they found it challenging. Also, soon after arriving at home, they learned they would have 26 days' notice to take part in a marathon. (Yes, a full marathon, and yes, that's 26.2 miles by definition. Is there more irksome of a question for a marathoner than, "How long of a marathon are you doing?" Well, maybe, "Did you win?" But I digress ...)

Tara retained total control over her workout schedule, but her personal life was in chaos. Helen tried to be Superwoman and wasn't enjoying a single moment at home. Mike was so wrapped up in getting his brother, Max, to work out that he wasn't focusing on himself, and he was using his brother as a target for his own pain. Ron was also worrying about his sons instead of himself and getting distracted. Thankfully, their trainers came to visit and talked some sense into them.

The final four reconvened for the marathon, and it was a wrenching experience. Mike injured his hip shortly before, so he had to walk it, which he wasn't happy about. Tara, Helen, Mike and Ron were visited by friends, family and former contestants along the route and got a lot of support that way. Tara finished in under five hours and Helen in under six. Mike was closer to nine, but the real heart-render was Ron. He had to stop and receive medical attention a few times, but Ron toughed it out and finished the whole 26.2 miles with tears from everyone.

At the weigh-in, the numbers weren't as amazing as they had been on the ranch, of course. Tara, Mike and Ron each lost 10 pounds and Helen lost 7. That put Tara and Helen through to the finals automatically and left father and son facing off for the last spot, based on viewer votes.

I'm hoping for the best for everyone, but I have to say that Helen's situation started to really bother me after a while, especially when counterpointed with Ron and Mike. Helen opted to send her daughter home several episodes ago, and her daughter hasn't had nearly the success that Helen did. In all the footage from their time at home, Helen didn't even speak of her daughter and the progress that she has (or hasn't?) made, and to me, it ended up making her look really, really selfish. Is that just me?

Who are you rooting for in the final?

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 2:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)
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Thanks to reader etucker for the heads up: Remember a few months ago when Dane Patterson from The Biggest Loser was getting a lot of guff for being portrayed as having completed a marathon when that's not quite what happened? And then he wanted to make up for it by doing the Country Music Marathon in Nashville?

Well, he did complete that race. It was this past weekend. You can read more about it at OK Magazine. (Which, by the way, totally fails to address the controversy part of things.) There's a little more info at Runner's Web, too.

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 3:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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For me, things changed a lot on last night's The Biggest Loser.

I've enjoyed Mike and Ron's father-and-son dynamic and seeing them change their lives together -- and hopefully laying the foundation to change Mike's brother Max's life, as well. But it became markedly clear last night that for them, it's all about the game.

After the weigh-in, Kristin and Helen were below the yellow line. Ron had promised Kristin he would never vote for her, and he kept his promise, but he also counseled Mike to vote for her, causing a tie, which led Kristin to go home anyway. And he had the gall to act surprised in the voting room about Mike's vote.

But for me it all changed when Kristin accused Mike of acting like he has the win all tied up; Allison asked Mike if it was true that he thought he was going to win, and he said yes, yes he did. Really? Has he been paying attention? I mean, yes, he has a lot of things going for him -- his dad still being in the game, and largely controlling it, for sure, but also that he is only 18, so his body should be much faster to react to the sea changes that are going on. But hasn't he learned that anything can happen? Laura got injured so badly she can't walk! Out of nowhere! And hasn't he noticed Tara, who has been winning challenge after challenge after challenge? I don't think she's going to slow down much once they leave the ranch.

I don't know -- I was just really turned off by his declaration. And really, why is Ron still there? He's been below the yellow line, what, six times? Now, all of a sudden, I am frustrated by them.

I was also sad to see Kristin leave -- she's just so happy and thoughtful about what she's going through. (I do have to admit, though, that she started to get a little cloying this week. Still, I'm happy for her.)

So I guess I'm rooting for Tara. She is working hard, and yeah, she's playing the game, but it seems like her focus is still on the life change.

What did you think about last night's show?

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 3:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
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I missed this last night, but @marylandzoo on Twitter got me in the loop. Staff members from the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore were featured in a "Pound for Pound Challenge" segment on last night's Biggest Loser.

You can see the video here.

A recap of the episode will be posted later!

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 1:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Lots of tears are shed throughout every season of The Biggest Loser, but I would be willing to bet that last night's episode might have provided the largest volume ever.

First, there was the weekly challenge: The contestants had to cross a 700-foot canyon using two wires, and at times they were as high as 10 stories in the air. Filipe got a good start, and was determined to win in honor of his cousin Sione, who went home last week, but challenge-dominator Tara came from behind. And Mike conquered a longtime fear of heights and placed in third.

The big news of the episode was that it was makeover week. The contestants headed over to Macy's to get their new look, and who was there to guide them but Tim Gunn? All the finalists found outfits for their new bodies, thinking they were going to be attending a Hollywood movie premiere. Helen cried about feeling pretty for the first time in a long time, and she wasn't the only one.

Continue reading "'Biggest Loser': Tears, Tim Gunn and injuries" »

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 12:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
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A couple of weeks ago, there was a lot of furor over The Biggest Loser contestant Dane Patterson (pictured at right with his cousin, Blaine Cotter, left) -- in his makeover moment at the end of the show, he was shown running a marathon with his wife, but he hadn't completed the distance, and his time was misstated by producers in a caption. He didn't help matters much when he said he wouldn't give back his finisher's medal.

But he's aiming to address these issues: He'll be competing in the 2009 Country Music Marathon in Nashville on April 25, according to a news release.

In addition, according to the release:

He is welcoming runners to sign up to "Run with Dane" as he challenges himself to the 26.2 mile course on Saturday, April 25th in Nashville, TN. Patterson, who is 27, had planned on running another marathon in April to show that he can complete a race. "I am thrilled to have this opportunity and encourage others runners to come out and join me on the course," says Patterson.

Runners can go to www.cmmarathon.com and sign up to "Run With Dane."

Will this help him recover from all the drama? What do you think?

(Photo courtesy of NBC)

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 1:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
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Last week's Biggest Loser was a total letdown -- dragging out for two hours and culminating in a to-be-continued, so we didn't even see who, if anyone, was going home. I don't want to sit through two hours of Biggest Loser and not see a "transformation moment"!

Anyway, as this week's episode began, it was all down to Mike's weigh-in. If the entire group last more than 77 pounds (an average of 7 pounds each), no one would have to go home. He lost enough, no one went home, and there is no way that was worth a week's wait for the audience. But of course, there was much rejoicing.

For the first challenge, the teams had to do a wall-sit for as long as possible (ouch!) while holding a 6-pound medicine ball (double ouch!). Whoever lasted the longest would choose the matchups for the final weigh-in. Because of course, there was another twist. Instead of percentage of weight loss by team, a black team member and a blue team member would face off, and whoever lost the highest percentage of weight would earn a point for his or her team. Three points would win the weigh-in, and someone would get to sit out. It came down to Mandi and Tara (that Tara is slightly annoying but seemingly unstoppable), and Tara won yet again. She chose all the matchups and decided that she herself would sit out.

Continue reading "'Biggest Loser' features more tears and jeers than usual" »

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 7:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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Wondering how President Obama's 9 p.m. address is going to affect your reality-TV-watching habits? (Yes, we cover the most important news here.)

No American Idol tonight. Twelve of the Top 36 will perform tomorrow night from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., and the results will be Thursday night at 8.

Also, The Biggest Loser will get divided, with half airing at 8 tonight and the second hour at 8 tomorrow night.

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 2:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

-- Survivor: Tocantins kicked off last night, and I haven't had a chance to write about it until now. It's always tough to get a handle on Survivor in the first couple of episodes because there are so many people. But we did see more of the same: a twist (two people get voted out before it starts -- but psych! They are just missing the hike to camp), a naked guy (Utah cyclist Tyson), a crazy lady (bus driver Sandy), a guy who already thinks he's running the game ("Coach") a total lack of fire-making, a brutal challenge, a puzzle, a blindside (buh-bye, Carolina).

I think it's too early to tell whether it's going to be a good season, but there's definitely some potential. Also, moving to HD last season was a fab idea. That Brazilian landscape looks amazing in high-def!

-- I got a little behind on The Biggest Loser, what with the kid's hospital stay and all, but I finally got all caught up. The ousted contestants who had returned got to weigh in, and their numbers were not all that impressive. When Joelle failed to lose a pound, her fellow competitors voted her out -- and Carla, though they would have preferred to keep her.

This week was emotionally wrenching as usual. First, Kristen and Tara faced off as the final two in yet another endurance challenge (this time with their partners), and this time, Kristen was victorious, winning immunity for her and her mom. Then, at the weigh-in, Kristen was so excited because she was starting at 301 and certain she would finally be dipping into the 200s. Unfortunately, she had an unexpected 2-pound gain (thank goodness for that immunity), and she was really upset.

Bob had been pushing father-and-son team Ron and Mike, but Ron got injured and hasn't been able to work as hard as he'd like. This has put pressure on his son (at 18, the youngest contestant ever on the show), but Mike hadn't been posting big losses. He and Bob had a heart-to-heart, and Mike realized he wasn't eating enough calories to support his hours-long workouts. At long last, Ron and Mike were not below the yellow line, and Mike was thrilled. (Good to see after his breakdown during the last-chance weigh-in.)

At the end of the weigh-in, cousins Dane and Blaine were the bottom team, and one of them would have to leave. Blaine wanted to leave, since he had a newborn at home, but for some reason, the teams went through this big drama of acting like they were going to keep him anyway. In the end, Blaine was voted out and got to go home to see his baby.

Seemed like it went OK for him; he looked good in his several-weeks-later footage.

-- I totally missed Bachelor and True Beauty the past couple of weeks -- did I miss anything good?

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 2:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

On last night's The Biggest Loser, the contestants who got unceremoniously sent home after week one had the change to come back to the ranch if their teammates were still in the game.

It was so satisfying to see them back in the game, but it would have been moreso if their weigh-in had actually happened last night instead of being put off to next week. It's not like the show is packed full -- TBL repeats more segments going into and coming back from commercial than any show I've ever watched.

For the first challenge, celebrity chef Curtis Stone (from Take Home Chef) stopped by to help the contestants learn to make some healthier Super Bowl treats (including chicken skewered on rosemary stems, which sounded tasty). Dan won the challenge by guessing the right number of calories for a number of products. The prize was a two-pound pass for his partner, Dave, to use upon his return to the ranch.

Continue reading "'Biggest Loser': The teammates return" »

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 4:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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Last night's Biggest Loser proved to be another emotionally strained episode. Last week, as you may recall, Joelle and trainer Bob Harper got into it big time, and he ended up screaming at her during training for her lack of effort.

Joelle's relations with her team and with Bob continued to be strained this episode. First, there was a temptation in which the contestants (and their counterparts at home) were faced with platters full of fattening foods. Whichever team ate the most calories would get a workout with their trainer -- back at home with their partner.

Mandi really wanted to win because she was desperate to go home and see her kids, but her single piece of pizza didn't cut it. None of the other contestants at the ranch ate anything (though Joelle came very close), but a couple of the at-home folks did. Filipe's partner Sione ate a couple of pieces of pizza and a taco, and Joelle's partner Carla ate more than 2,000 calories, meaning that Joelle and Bob headed to Detroit. (One question, though: Where was the orange team? We didn't see Dan or Dave during the temptation at all. Was someone injured or was the timing of the challenge different than we were led to believe? No clue.)

Continue reading "'Biggest Loser': a doozy of a visit to Detroit" »

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 11:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
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MediaWeek has news that The Biggest Loser has been renewed for 2009-2010, and that two new seasons of the show will likely be produced. That's what happened this season, too, with the current season launching mere weeks after the last season's finale.

In some ways, it seems like a little much Biggest Loser, but on the other hand, starting a seaon with the new year, as happened this year too, is probably smart since people are all resolution-happy.

30 Rock and The Office got renewals, too, according to the press release. Sounds good to me! I might write mostly about reality TV here, but it warms my heart when scripted shows find success in this day and age.

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 12:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)
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It's not as if The Biggest Loser is usually an emotionally aloof kind of show. People are struggling to change their lives and working hard under a lot of pressure. But last night's episode took it to a whole new level.

Trainer Bob Harper -- nice, calm, zen Bob -- totally lost it on Joelle because he felt she wasn't working hard enough, and instead of working, she kept talking. (See for yourself in the clip above.) On the one hand, I understand where he was coming from. Every time he would push her to do something, she would go on and on: "I am focused; I will do it; I am determined; I will do this for you," or whatever else. In the meantime, she would continue to not work out. Bob finally couldn't take it anymore during the last-chance workout when he was having his team run 30-second sprints on the treadmill, and she kept stopping or leaning after 20 seconds. But he really handled it poorly. Not in terms of making the whole team redo the sprint -- that's a classic motivational maneuver. But the stream of f-bombs began to feel really uncomfortable after a while, and I really felt like this was not an approach that would work for Joelle. She seemed like she would be more likely to shut down in the face of such behavior. But still, stop talking and get back up on the step!

Things got emotional in a different way after the weigh-in. For some people, the week two curse struck again, and their losses were minimal. Dan lost the initial challenge and was given a one-pound penalty, and at the weigh-in, this was enough to put him in the bottom two and keep Joelle out. Dan and Jerry ended up below the yellow line -- DUN DUN DUN -- and the remaining contestants were torn up trying to decide who should go home. Dan is a teenager and the largest person to ever be on the show, and Jerry is the oldest and seemed the most in need of medical attention. (He fainted frighteningly during the premiere last week.)

In the end, it seemed to come down to the idea that Dan has his whole life in front of him and needs to change his mindset now, as well as the fact that he has been heavy forever, while Jerry was once thin. So Jerry was sent home to his wife, Estella, and thankfully, in the catching-up footage at the end of the episode, he looked great, having lost more than 80 pounds.

I don't think Joelle is long for the ranch. Her teammates seem frustrated with her efforts, and of course, same thing with Bob.

What did you think about the show?

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 1:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
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I caught the premiere of The Biggest Loser last night (though, sheesh, the last season really did just end -- by the way, I'm so glad Vicky didn't win). All the promos went on and on about how it was "the biggest season EVER!" Like OK, we get it!

But it was true. The average contestant size is up quite a bit, and in particular, several of the women are much larger than previous contestants -- this is the first time they've had female contestants topping 300 pounds. It was also a "big" season in that there were 22 contestants at the start of the episode, which should have been my clue that a big twist was in the works. I didn't catch on until they started promoting it during the commercial breaks.

So this season, there were 11 pairs at the start, some family, some friends. One team -- cousins Blaine and Dane -- won immunity in the first challenge, and another -- father and son Ron and Mike won immunity in the weigh-in. The remaining nine teams had to choose a member to go home, but with yet another catch: After 30 days, the ousted contestants whose partners remain in the game will get to return to the ranch. Dra-ma!

And speaking of drama, the producers couldn't have asked for a more dramatic start than 63-year-old Jerry passing out and going to the hospital before the contestants even started their first official workout. He was OK and cleared to return, but it was certainly frightening. ...

Continue reading "'Biggest Loser' off to a big start" »

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 2:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)
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I haven't been able to keep up with The Biggest Loser because of the crazy Idol-Dancing With the Stars schedule.

But I hear a woman was the big winner for the first time last night. Read more here.

Did you see? How was the finale?

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 8:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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What did you think of the twist on The Biggest Loser?

If you missed it, the premiere started with 18 contestants and then only 12 were chosen to train with Bob and Kim, and the other six people were left totally dejected. Then trainer Jillian Michaels from Season 1 rolled up on a motorcycle and told them they would be the black team and would train for two weeks separate from the red and blue teams, after which they would surprise the other teams and rejoin the game.

It seems that Bob and Kim don't know about this twist, either, so it should be interesting when everyone is reunited on the next episode, Tuesday at 8 p.m. on NBC.

Also, the show has a new host, soap star Alison Sweeney. She's a tad stiff thus far, but she seems happy to be there, and that's worth something, right? 

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 9:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: The Biggest Loser