Do you long for that Jackass type of reality show? Are you in more of a documentary mood or do you just miss seeing John Krazinski on TV? If you said yes to any of the above, Media Manda has answered your prayers with August’s TV trends. Keep reading to see what’s in store next month!
By Amanda Thornton (aka Media Manda)
Unscripted Series to Watch for the Month
I Am Paul Walker – Paramount Network, premieres August 9
Celebrating the life of this beloved actor and humanitarian, the original documentary I Am Paul Walker chronicles the charismatic and massively popular movie star whose life was tragically cut short in a car accident that devastated his fans, family, and friends. Walker’s family opens up for the first time to share untold stories and never-before-seen family footage in the film.
REVIEW: This special looks just as good as all the other in the I Am series on Paramount Network. I love that they work with the families of the subjects of these specials and gather family footage to weave together a compelling story about a person’s life with footage people on the outside would have never seen.
Castaways – ABC, premieres August 7
Castaways is a revolutionary series testing the human need for companionship under extreme circumstances as each individual learns there are other castaways out there but are unaware of how many, their locations or when they will be rescued. This visually stunning, new reality series follows 12 diverse individuals as they’re dropped alone throughout various islets in Indonesia and challenged to survive among washed-up luggage, scattered resources and abandoned structures.
REVIEW: Not to be confused with Survivor, Alone, Naked and Afraid or any of the other shows that where a group of people are dropped off in the middle of nowhere. This looks like one of those broadcast network summer reality series that people can just watch mindlessly until the fall series of the network return from hiatus. Can’t wait to see all the drama that goes down!
Too Stupid To Die – MTV, premieres August 21
Human Sling Shots. Pubic Hair Tug of War. Rat Traps to the face. Those are just a few stunts capturing the attention of from legends like Tony Hawke, Steve O, Johnny Knoxville. All wondering the same question – WHAT WILL ZACH HOLMES DO NEXT? In the rich tradition of Jackass and Punk’d, Too Stupid To Die follows YouTube sensation Zach Holmes and his twisted, yet close-knit group of friends as they lovingly shock, slap, and zap the shit out of each other – all in the name of stunting.
REVIEW: This series was originally announced to premiere in June, but was obviously pushed back for some reason. MTV looks like they’re trying to recapture the magic from the Jackass days with this new series. These guys have been posting their stunt shenanigans to YouTube for years. Recently, MTV has been trying to go back to it’s “roots” of the network with old hits rebooted and copycat series green-lit. We’ll see if these characters in Too Stupid To Die are as interesting as the icons from the late MTV series Jackass.
Mind Your Business with Mahisha– OWN, premieres August 11
Fifteen years ago, Mahisha Dellinger, founder of Curls, turned her modest hair care company into a multimillion-dollar business. Now, she faces a whole new challenge: helping struggling female entrepreneurs take their small businesses to the next level. Using tough love and know-how, Mahisha will test their passion and their pluck—and demand that these women give it their all to follow their dreams.
REVIEW: Drama, drama, drama (and some business advice)! That’s what this new OWN series promises viewers judging by the trailer. Overall, this show does look interesting to witness all of the drama that goes on in these companies and how they overcome their business problems with the help of Mahisha’s expertise.
Scripted Series to Watch for the Month
Jack Ryan – Amazon, premieres August 31
Up-and-coming CIA analyst Jack Ryan is thrust into a dangerous field assignment for the first time; he uncovers a pattern in terrorist communication that launches him into the middle of a dangerous gambit with a new breed of terrorism.
REVIEW: Based on the John Clancy novels, this series is being heavily promoted by Amazon to try and lure more subscribers to their streaming service and they definitely put a lot of money in it. Although some people will still unwittingly associate John Krasinski with his character Jim Halpert from fan favorite series, The Office, he’s become quite the action character lately. All in all, this show looks like a fun action-packed series to check out.