Louisiana film industry supporters have spent much of the current session trying to negotiate changes to the state's incentives that might save taxpayer dollars without losing potential productions to other states. This morning, backers have a new worry: New language added to House Bill 696 seems to say that so-called reality TV shows would not be eligible for the incentive program. The passage at issue states: "(20): For state-certified productions … costs that are indirectly related to filming shall not qualify for tax credits. Such indirect costs shall include, but not be limited to, artist compensation for festival or concert appearances or costs associated with the usual activities of a reality show or documentary" [italics added]. While some people worry about the image of the state portrayed in certain shows, largely unscripted programs starring more-or-less real people such as Duck Dynasty are some of the most popular Louisiana-based productions. The...
For anyone who has ever watched the ABC television series Wipeout and boasted, "Oh, I could do that," the opportunity to prove it has arrived. Cajun Lagoon—the Capital Region's newest amusement park—offers what's called aqua challenge courses. Essentially obstacle courses made of inflatables, there's the Wibit Sports Park for the truly brave, and the Aqua Circuit with shallow-water activities such as the Hurdle, the Wiggle Bridge and the Wibit Hand. The 13-acre park near Watson is slated to open May 4. Owners Chuck and Melissa Ray and their parents, Chuck and Lori Taylor, are veterans of the business; they've been operating a party rental firm, Amusements of Denham Springs, for nearly a decade. The business owners have been building Cajun Lagoon for about a year to meet customer demand for a family-friendly entertainment venue. "For a long time, we've had people calling, wanting us to host parties with the waterslides and stuff," Melissa Ray says. "So I started...
It's not unusual for WAFB to dominate local news ratings. But the most recent Nielsen book, which reflects what local viewers were watching in February, gives the CBS affiliate one of its strongest showings ever—including a whopping 48 share during the first hour of its morning newscast, three times as much as competitor WBRZ-TV. A share point reflects the percentage of television sets in use during a given time tuned into a particular show. Perhaps more significantly, WAFB's numbers in all time slots are up or flat over the previous year, which is no small feat in a media world where online and mobile devices are increasingly cutting into audience share.
After 42 years in the entertainment industry and more than 15 years interviewing music legends, producer Johnny Palazzotto has put together a TV series showcasing the stories of an impressively diverse group of Louisiana musicians. Featuring Grammy award-winners like zydeco star Terrance Simien, New Orleans' soul queen Irma Thomas and Baton Rouge-raised rock 'n' roll legend Johnny Rivers, Louisiana's Rhythm Nation gives viewers a glimpse into the lives of artists from a broad array of backgrounds and genres.
In a highly unusual move, the Nielsen Co., which measures TV station market share, has reissued the November ratings book for Baton Rouge because of an error made in editing the handwritten diaries in which participant viewers record their viewing habits. While the revised book gives ABC-affiliate WBRZ slightly higher share and ratings points during certain key time slots, it does not change the overall result of the book, which maintains CBS-affiliate WAFB's position as local market leader. “WAFB-TV Channel 9 remains the most-watched television station in Baton Rouge with a 2-to-1 viewership lead over its nearest competitor in most key viewing periods,” says WAFB General Manager Sandy Breland. “We are pleased but not surprised by the updated data from Nielsen.” WBRZ General Manager Rocky Daboval requested that Nielsen reissue the book, after station executives examined sample diaries in December and found numerous irregularities that called into question the...
The Governor's Wife, a new reality series following former Gov. Edwin Edwards and his wife, Trina, has been postponed until summer, says a spokeswoman for the network. Originally slated to debut Feb. 27 on A&E Network, another Louisiana-set series, the popular Duck Dynasty, will take its place and return for a third season on the 27th. Edwards' reality show—which reportedly details the 85-year-old's attempts to conceive a child with his 34-year-old wife and the drama that ensues between Trina and Edwards' daughters from a previous marriage—has filmed in multiple locations across Baton Rouge and Louisiana. A&E spokeswoman Lauren Bienvenue says an official premiere date for The Governor's Wife has not yet been determined. —Jeff Roedel
Former LSU quarterbacks Ryan Perrilloux and Josh Booty are tossing the ball around again in front of the cameras, but it's not pigskin. The MLB Network is getting into the reality TV game with a concept called The Next Knuckler, featuring one of baseball's knuckleball kings, former Major League Baseball All-Star and World Series champion Tim Wakefield. Perrilloux and Booty are among five former NCAA quarterbacks to whom Wakefield will attempt to teach the pitch. Booty's younger brother, former USC quarterback John David Booty, is also on the show, as well as Georgia's David Greene and 1984 Heisman Trophy winner Doug Flutie. Of the five, whoever learns best to throw the knuckleball—which is considered the toughest pitch to throw in baseball—will win an invitation to the Arizona Diamondbacks' spring training camp. The show is the first-ever reality series produced by MLB and will be hosted by Wakefield and baseball analyst Kevin Millar. The show will premiere on MLB...
WBRZ-TV General Manager Rocky Daboval tells Daily Report the Nielsen Company will reissue the November ratings book for the Baton Rouge television market because of numerous discrepancies in the diaries participants used to record their viewing habits for the month. Nielsen executives informed Daboval late Wednesday they will issue a new set of ratings for the local market Feb. 15, he says. WBRZ executives examined sample diaries at Nielsen headquarters in Florida after the crucial ratings period had ended because of persistent concerns about the accuracy of the diaries, which are prone to human error. "Based on an abnormal amount of discrepancies that were discovered in examining the diaries, we asked Nielsen to reevaluate the data … and they have said they will reissue the book," he says. Nielsen executives did not return calls for comment. Sandy Breland, general manager of WAFB-TV, which consistently leads local news ratings, says her station has no details on why the...
A federal judge today agreed to cut short former Louisiana Gov. Edwin Edwards' court supervision following his release from prison. Edwards was sentenced to three years of supervised release. His supervision lasted about 18 months before U.S. District Judge Brian Jackson agreed to end it early. Jackson says Edwards fully complied with all of the terms of his supervision. Prosecutors and probation officials didn't object to Edwards' request for an early end to it. Edwards served eight years in federal prison and six months of home detention after he was convicted in 2000 for his role in a riverboat casino licensing scandal. A reality television show about the 85-year-old Edwards and his third wife, 34-year-old Trina Scott Edwards, is scheduled to debut later this month on A&E.
In the days leading up to the NFL playoffs on Sunday, Jan. 6, local fans were sweating whether they would actually be able to watch the games live on television. The CBS playoffs game would have been blacked out on local screens had a contract dispute not been settled between Cox and WAFB-TV parent company Raycom about 36 hours before kickoff.
Cox cable subscribers in Baton Rouge, New Orleans and Lafayette will soon be able to see and hear the stories behind the music come to life with many of the unique and indigenous artists from around the state as well as frequent visitors to Louisiana from throughout the Deep South. Local producer and director Johnny Palazotto is bringing the new documentary-style series Louisiana's Rhythm Nation to Cox 4 starting in March. The show will feature interviews and performances from icons such as Irma Thomas, Johnny Rivers and Henry Gray to acclaimed younger artists like Theresa Andersson, Chris Thomas King and more. "It is exciting to have been able to sit with these artists and hear their stories," Palazotto says. "I don't think this has been done before, at least to my knowledge. Hearing their stories is priceless." Louisiana's Rhythm Nation will air 14 episodes in its first season and feature two artists per episode. For more details, visit the show's website
The Emmy-winning PBS series Antiques Roadshow will appraise the prized family heirlooms, tchotchkes and thrift store finds of Baton Rougeans this summer. The Capital City is one of eight cities selected for the show's 18th season, and local leaders have been trying for nearly as many years to bring the show—plus its 10 million viewers a week—to town. "That's 10 million viewers who have an interest in antiques, who have a propensity to travel—all of them will see Baton Rouge," says Visit Baton Rouge President/CEO Paul Arrigo. LPB CEO Beth Courtney notes that new developments downtown have helped Baton Rouge meet the strict requirements for host cities of the show, such as the number of available hotel rooms nearby and the capacity of the event center. According to WGBH, which produces the show, about 28% of guests travel more than 100 miles to attend tapings and about 42% stay in local hotels. WGBH says the show will spend about $200,000 while in Baton Rouge.
It was only a matter of time—in fact, 225 magazine sort of predicted this. After hinting back in 2011 that he and then-fiancée Trina Grimes Scott were shopping around for a reality show, former Gov. Edwin Edwards and his wife are now set to star in a docu-series that premieres next month on A&E. According to Entertainment Weekly, The Governor's Wife will focus on 34-year-old Trina's life with 85-year-old Edwards, including her adjustment to his busy social schedule, interacting with her 60-something stepdaughters as well as her own teenage sons—and whatever other juicy drama ensues in this TV-ready family. After finishing an eight-year stint in federal prison in January 2011, Edwards capitalized on his widespread popularity among Louisianans with a book tour and...
Jeb Quaid has made his mark on TV before. The Baton Rouge native played Ted Ferguson in the Bud Light Daredevil commercials from a few years ago (daring himself in one clip to stay two full minutes past 5 p.m., on a Friday!).
Wednesday was not a good day for the –ies at Silver Dollar Pawn. For starters, their very first guest, Dennis, brings in three cases of “legal white lightning,” legal “pharmaceutical” liquor from the prohibition. The alcohol belonged to his great-grandfather, and he hopes to cash it in for a savings bond for his six-year-old daughter, like a present from her great-grandfather. That sounds about right. After acting excited about the acquisition and going into way too much exposition on the history of prohibition and the high quality of these bottles, Jimmie ultimately turns it down. His lame excuse? He doesn't have a liquor license and he's afraid of cheating the federal government. That's right. Jimmie's the world's only honest pawn broker.
After multiple celebrity sightings Thursday and Kevin Kimball of TJ Ribs posting to Facebook that his restaurant made a late night delivery to Mariah Carey—the pop star ordered fried green tomatoes, red beans and baby back ribs—225 can confirm that American Idol is in Baton Rouge shooting promotional videos with Three (One) O, a production company, as well as official auditions that could end up airing as part of Season 12 of the hit Fox series.
There was no new episode of Cajun Pawn Stars this week, but that doesn't mean we don't have a backlog of episodes to sift through. Which I did. (Newsflash: Johnnie is NOT Jimmie's son, but rather is much younger brother.) Rather than get really depressed about the desperation of some of these people or how many guns exchange hands, I thought I'd look on the bright side—surely there is one.
The A&E reality show Cajun Justice may not be returning after the season finale airs next week. The show, which follows the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff's Office, is airing its final episode of the season Aug. 16. The show was taped when Vernon Bourgeois was sheriff. Bourgeois did not seek a second term and was replaced by former longtime sheriff Jerry Larpenter, who says he doesn't want to see the show return. Larpenter tells The (Houma) Courier that the show was "ridiculous and disrespectful." He says he spoke with producers before taking office last month but has not talked to them since. Larpenter served as sheriff for 22 years, but didn't seek re-election in 2007, choosing instead to run for parish president. Though he lost that race, voters re-elected him to the sheriff's post last year. Read the full story here.
You know how sometimes the Kardashians talk about how busy they are filming their reality shows, but their shows are just supposed to be about their real lives, so how much busier could they really be? And then you realize the whole thing is just a contrivance anyway because are they really all that wacky enough to rent their mom a chimp named Suzyto satisfy her desire for another baby?
Liz and Kristi—On the one hand, they tagged out, and they did it all without a man's help. On the other, they only had 200 or so tags to fill in the first place, and aren't we past the point of giving women a handicap when competing with men? Verdict: Gator Bait
Our next stop down the timey wimey wormhole (gator hole?) is "Man Down." Now, there are a few possible explanations of this episode's title: 1.) Tommy's reclining at “Fat Cat's” resort, 2.) a misdirected foreshadowing of RJ's dwindling endurance as he races to become king, 3.) Troy's continued quest to outshine RJ in every realm by filling tags for the deceased Mr. Julius so his family won't starve, or 4.) the last episode for the since-dearly-departed Mitchell Guist. I'm going to go with the last one, even though no mention is made of his passing in the episode itself.
New research co-authored by a Pennington Biomedical Research Center director shows a correlation between sedentary behavior and life expectancy that you may have already picked up on. Essentially, the research shows reducing the time you spend on your duff and in front of the television may lead to a longer life. Specifically, cutting down your TV time to less than two hours a day may extend your life by 1.4 years, the findings show. Also, restricting the amount of time you spend seated each day to less than three hours can tack on as many as two years to the average adult American's life. The new findings, co-authored by Peter Katzmarzyk, associate executive director for population science at Pennington Biomedical Research Center, are published in the online journal BMJ Open. "This study elevates the importance of sedentary behavior as a risk factor for premature mortality. The risks associated with sedentary behavior appear to be on par with the risks associated with smoking...
The Atchafalaya Basin offers an array of tourism opportunities and outdoor activities, including swamp tours, and state and local tourism officials are capitalizing on Louisiana's recent TV fame by attracting more visitors to the area. "There is no question there is an uptick in interest across the country in the Atchafalaya Basin because of these reality shows, including Swamp People," Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne, who is in charge of promoting tourism in Louisiana, tells The (Lafayette) Advertiser. "There is an interest and fascination in the beauty of the Atchafalaya Basin and the characters they show on TV." Ben Berthelot, executive director of the Lafayette Convention and Visitors Commission, agrees with Dardenne's assessment. "In speaking to some of our members and attractions, they have seen an increase in the buzz and curiosity because of things like Swamp People," Berthelot says. "They feel like it's becoming more popular than it was, specifically anything with...
Bill may threaten Louisiana reality shows
Louisiana film industry supporters have spent much of the current session trying to negotiate changes to the state's incentives that might save taxpayer dollars without losing potential productions to other states. This morning, backers have a new worry: New language added to House Bill 696 seems to say that so-called reality TV shows would not be eligible for the incentive program. The passage at issue states: "(20): For state-certified productions … costs that are indirectly related to filming shall not qualify for tax credits. Such indirect costs shall include, but not be limited to, artist compensation for festival or concert appearances or costs associated with the usual activities of a reality show or documentary" [italics added]. While some people worry about the image of the state portrayed in certain shows, largely unscripted programs starring more-or-less real people such as Duck Dynasty are some of the most popular Louisiana-based productions. The...
'Wipeout'-style water park coming to Watson area
For anyone who has ever watched the ABC television series Wipeout and boasted, "Oh, I could do that," the opportunity to prove it has arrived. Cajun Lagoon—the Capital Region's newest amusement park—offers what's called aqua challenge courses. Essentially obstacle courses made of inflatables, there's the Wibit Sports Park for the truly brave, and the Aqua Circuit with shallow-water activities such as the Hurdle, the Wiggle Bridge and the Wibit Hand. The 13-acre park near Watson is slated to open May 4. Owners Chuck and Melissa Ray and their parents, Chuck and Lori Taylor, are veterans of the business; they've been operating a party rental firm, Amusements of Denham Springs, for nearly a decade. The business owners have been building Cajun Lagoon for about a year to meet customer demand for a family-friendly entertainment venue. "For a long time, we've had people calling, wanting us to host parties with the waterslides and stuff," Melissa Ray says. "So I started...
"I like it, but I don't?"
I found the most accurate review of Girls in the comments section on The A.V. Club.
Ratings rout
It's not unusual for WAFB to dominate local news ratings. But the most recent Nielsen book, which reflects what local viewers were watching in February, gives the CBS affiliate one of its strongest showings ever—including a whopping 48 share during the first hour of its morning newscast, three times as much as competitor WBRZ-TV. A share point reflects the percentage of television sets in use during a given time tuned into a particular show. Perhaps more significantly, WAFB's numbers in all time slots are up or flat over the previous year, which is no small feat in a media world where online and mobile devices are increasingly cutting into audience share.
Songs and Stories
After 42 years in the entertainment industry and more than 15 years interviewing music legends, producer Johnny Palazzotto has put together a TV series showcasing the stories of an impressively diverse group of Louisiana musicians. Featuring Grammy award-winners like zydeco star Terrance Simien, New Orleans' soul queen Irma Thomas and Baton Rouge-raised rock 'n' roll legend Johnny Rivers, Louisiana's Rhythm Nation gives viewers a glimpse into the lives of artists from a broad array of backgrounds and genres.
Dear diary
In a highly unusual move, the Nielsen Co., which measures TV station market share, has reissued the November ratings book for Baton Rouge because of an error made in editing the handwritten diaries in which participant viewers record their viewing habits. While the revised book gives ABC-affiliate WBRZ slightly higher share and ratings points during certain key time slots, it does not change the overall result of the book, which maintains CBS-affiliate WAFB's position as local market leader. “WAFB-TV Channel 9 remains the most-watched television station in Baton Rouge with a 2-to-1 viewership lead over its nearest competitor in most key viewing periods,” says WAFB General Manager Sandy Breland. “We are pleased but not surprised by the updated data from Nielsen.” WBRZ General Manager Rocky Daboval requested that Nielsen reissue the book, after station executives examined sample diaries in December and found numerous irregularities that called into question the...
'Duck Dynasty' pre-empts Edwards' reality show
The Governor's Wife, a new reality series following former Gov. Edwin Edwards and his wife, Trina, has been postponed until summer, says a spokeswoman for the network. Originally slated to debut Feb. 27 on A&E Network, another Louisiana-set series, the popular Duck Dynasty, will take its place and return for a third season on the 27th. Edwards' reality show—which reportedly details the 85-year-old's attempts to conceive a child with his 34-year-old wife and the drama that ensues between Trina and Edwards' daughters from a previous marriage—has filmed in multiple locations across Baton Rouge and Louisiana. A&E spokeswoman Lauren Bienvenue says an official premiere date for The Governor's Wife has not yet been determined. —Jeff Roedel
Perrilloux, Booty brothers turn to knuckleball in new reality show
Former LSU quarterbacks Ryan Perrilloux and Josh Booty are tossing the ball around again in front of the cameras, but it's not pigskin. The MLB Network is getting into the reality TV game with a concept called The Next Knuckler, featuring one of baseball's knuckleball kings, former Major League Baseball All-Star and World Series champion Tim Wakefield. Perrilloux and Booty are among five former NCAA quarterbacks to whom Wakefield will attempt to teach the pitch. Booty's younger brother, former USC quarterback John David Booty, is also on the show, as well as Georgia's David Greene and 1984 Heisman Trophy winner Doug Flutie. Of the five, whoever learns best to throw the knuckleball—which is considered the toughest pitch to throw in baseball—will win an invitation to the Arizona Diamondbacks' spring training camp. The show is the first-ever reality series produced by MLB and will be hosted by Wakefield and baseball analyst Kevin Millar. The show will premiere on MLB...
Nielsen to redo November TV ratings for Baton Rouge market
WBRZ-TV General Manager Rocky Daboval tells Daily Report the Nielsen Company will reissue the November ratings book for the Baton Rouge television market because of numerous discrepancies in the diaries participants used to record their viewing habits for the month. Nielsen executives informed Daboval late Wednesday they will issue a new set of ratings for the local market Feb. 15, he says. WBRZ executives examined sample diaries at Nielsen headquarters in Florida after the crucial ratings period had ended because of persistent concerns about the accuracy of the diaries, which are prone to human error. "Based on an abnormal amount of discrepancies that were discovered in examining the diaries, we asked Nielsen to reevaluate the data … and they have said they will reissue the book," he says. Nielsen executives did not return calls for comment. Sandy Breland, general manager of WAFB-TV, which consistently leads local news ratings, says her station has no details on why the...
Judge cuts short Edwin Edwards' court supervision
A federal judge today agreed to cut short former Louisiana Gov. Edwin Edwards' court supervision following his release from prison. Edwards was sentenced to three years of supervised release. His supervision lasted about 18 months before U.S. District Judge Brian Jackson agreed to end it early. Jackson says Edwards fully complied with all of the terms of his supervision. Prosecutors and probation officials didn't object to Edwards' request for an early end to it. Edwards served eight years in federal prison and six months of home detention after he was convicted in 2000 for his role in a riverboat casino licensing scandal. A reality television show about the 85-year-old Edwards and his third wife, 34-year-old Trina Scott Edwards, is scheduled to debut later this month on A&E.
The TV sausage factory
In the days leading up to the NFL playoffs on Sunday, Jan. 6, local fans were sweating whether they would actually be able to watch the games live on television. The CBS playoffs game would have been blacked out on local screens had a contract dispute not been settled between Cox and WAFB-TV parent company Raycom about 36 hours before kickoff.
'Rhythm' coming to Cox 4
Cox cable subscribers in Baton Rouge, New Orleans and Lafayette will soon be able to see and hear the stories behind the music come to life with many of the unique and indigenous artists from around the state as well as frequent visitors to Louisiana from throughout the Deep South. Local producer and director Johnny Palazotto is bringing the new documentary-style series Louisiana's Rhythm Nation to Cox 4 starting in March. The show will feature interviews and performances from icons such as Irma Thomas, Johnny Rivers and Henry Gray to acclaimed younger artists like Theresa Andersson, Chris Thomas King and more. "It is exciting to have been able to sit with these artists and hear their stories," Palazotto says. "I don't think this has been done before, at least to my knowledge. Hearing their stories is priceless." Louisiana's Rhythm Nation will air 14 episodes in its first season and feature two artists per episode. For more details, visit the show's website
'Antiques Roadshow' to make a stop in Baton Rouge
The Emmy-winning PBS series Antiques Roadshow will appraise the prized family heirlooms, tchotchkes and thrift store finds of Baton Rougeans this summer. The Capital City is one of eight cities selected for the show's 18th season, and local leaders have been trying for nearly as many years to bring the show—plus its 10 million viewers a week—to town. "That's 10 million viewers who have an interest in antiques, who have a propensity to travel—all of them will see Baton Rouge," says Visit Baton Rouge President/CEO Paul Arrigo. LPB CEO Beth Courtney notes that new developments downtown have helped Baton Rouge meet the strict requirements for host cities of the show, such as the number of available hotel rooms nearby and the capacity of the event center. According to WGBH, which produces the show, about 28% of guests travel more than 100 miles to attend tapings and about 42% stay in local hotels. WGBH says the show will spend about $200,000 while in Baton Rouge.
Edwin and Trina Edwards to star in new reality TV show
It was only a matter of time—in fact, 225 magazine sort of predicted this. After hinting back in 2011 that he and then-fiancée Trina Grimes Scott were shopping around for a reality show, former Gov. Edwin Edwards and his wife are now set to star in a docu-series that premieres next month on A&E. According to Entertainment Weekly, The Governor's Wife will focus on 34-year-old Trina's life with 85-year-old Edwards, including her adjustment to his busy social schedule, interacting with her 60-something stepdaughters as well as her own teenage sons—and whatever other juicy drama ensues in this TV-ready family. After finishing an eight-year stint in federal prison in January 2011, Edwards capitalized on his widespread popularity among Louisianans with a book tour and...
Commercial appeal
Jeb Quaid has made his mark on TV before. The Baton Rouge native played Ted Ferguson in the Bud Light Daredevil commercials from a few years ago (daring himself in one clip to stay two full minutes past 5 p.m., on a Friday!).
Tanking it
Wednesday was not a good day for the –ies at Silver Dollar Pawn. For starters, their very first guest, Dennis, brings in three cases of “legal white lightning,” legal “pharmaceutical” liquor from the prohibition. The alcohol belonged to his great-grandfather, and he hopes to cash it in for a savings bond for his six-year-old daughter, like a present from her great-grandfather. That sounds about right. After acting excited about the acquisition and going into way too much exposition on the history of prohibition and the high quality of these bottles, Jimmie ultimately turns it down. His lame excuse? He doesn't have a liquor license and he's afraid of cheating the federal government. That's right. Jimmie's the world's only honest pawn broker.
Idol arrives in Baton Rouge
After multiple celebrity sightings Thursday and Kevin Kimball of TJ Ribs posting to Facebook that his restaurant made a late night delivery to Mariah Carey—the pop star ordered fried green tomatoes, red beans and baby back ribs—225 can confirm that American Idol is in Baton Rouge shooting promotional videos with Three (One) O, a production company, as well as official auditions that could end up airing as part of Season 12 of the hit Fox series.
For Whom the Bell Tolls
Cajun Pawn Stars is back for its third season! I know what you're thinking, “Three seasons in nine months?” Just go with it.
Cutting the fat
Baton Rouge filmmaker John Darling Haynes had a unique focus group for his new project: Blue, age 8, and Jackson, then only 3.
The Dark Knight
There was no new episode of Cajun Pawn Stars this week, but that doesn't mean we don't have a backlog of episodes to sift through. Which I did. (Newsflash: Johnnie is NOT Jimmie's son, but rather is much younger brother.) Rather than get really depressed about the desperation of some of these people or how many guns exchange hands, I thought I'd look on the bright side—surely there is one.
'Cajun Justice' reality show may be short-lived
The A&E reality show Cajun Justice may not be returning after the season finale airs next week. The show, which follows the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff's Office, is airing its final episode of the season Aug. 16. The show was taped when Vernon Bourgeois was sheriff. Bourgeois did not seek a second term and was replaced by former longtime sheriff Jerry Larpenter, who says he doesn't want to see the show return. Larpenter tells The (Houma) Courier that the show was "ridiculous and disrespectful." He says he spoke with producers before taking office last month but has not talked to them since. Larpenter served as sheriff for 22 years, but didn't seek re-election in 2007, choosing instead to run for parish president. Though he lost that race, voters re-elected him to the sheriff's post last year. Read the full story here.
Keeping up with the Kajun Pawn Stars
You know how sometimes the Kardashians talk about how busy they are filming their reality shows, but their shows are just supposed to be about their real lives, so how much busier could they really be? And then you realize the whole thing is just a contrivance anyway because are they really all that wacky enough to rent their mom a chimp named Suzyto satisfy her desire for another baby?
Swamp People Season Wrap
Liz and Kristi—On the one hand, they tagged out, and they did it all without a man's help. On the other, they only had 200 or so tags to fill in the first place, and aren't we past the point of giving women a handicap when competing with men? Verdict: Gator Bait
Farewell, Mitchell
Our next stop down the timey wimey wormhole (gator hole?) is "Man Down." Now, there are a few possible explanations of this episode's title: 1.) Tommy's reclining at “Fat Cat's” resort, 2.) a misdirected foreshadowing of RJ's dwindling endurance as he races to become king, 3.) Troy's continued quest to outshine RJ in every realm by filling tags for the deceased Mr. Julius so his family won't starve, or 4.) the last episode for the since-dearly-departed Mitchell Guist. I'm going to go with the last one, even though no mention is made of his passing in the episode itself.
Research: Limiting hours spent sitting, watching TV can lengthen life
New research co-authored by a Pennington Biomedical Research Center director shows a correlation between sedentary behavior and life expectancy that you may have already picked up on. Essentially, the research shows reducing the time you spend on your duff and in front of the television may lead to a longer life. Specifically, cutting down your TV time to less than two hours a day may extend your life by 1.4 years, the findings show. Also, restricting the amount of time you spend seated each day to less than three hours can tack on as many as two years to the average adult American's life. The new findings, co-authored by Peter Katzmarzyk, associate executive director for population science at Pennington Biomedical Research Center, are published in the online journal BMJ Open. "This study elevates the importance of sedentary behavior as a risk factor for premature mortality. The risks associated with sedentary behavior appear to be on par with the risks associated with smoking...
Reality shows boosting tourism in Atchafalaya Basin
The Atchafalaya Basin offers an array of tourism opportunities and outdoor activities, including swamp tours, and state and local tourism officials are capitalizing on Louisiana's recent TV fame by attracting more visitors to the area. "There is no question there is an uptick in interest across the country in the Atchafalaya Basin because of these reality shows, including Swamp People," Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne, who is in charge of promoting tourism in Louisiana, tells The (Lafayette) Advertiser. "There is an interest and fascination in the beauty of the Atchafalaya Basin and the characters they show on TV." Ben Berthelot, executive director of the Lafayette Convention and Visitors Commission, agrees with Dardenne's assessment. "In speaking to some of our members and attractions, they have seen an increase in the buzz and curiosity because of things like Swamp People," Berthelot says. "They feel like it's becoming more popular than it was, specifically anything with...