December 25, 2024
Column

Court TV becomes Tru TV

The new year is about to bring us a slew of new reality shows and one major network change. Court TV is fittingly changing its name to Tru TV and advertising the switch as “actuality, not reality.”

Traditional court coverage will continue during the day with new shows later in the afternoon and at night, such as “Outlaw Chasers,” which gets up close with tornadoes, and another one about female bounty hunters in Miami.

The idea is that reality TV isn’t reality at all (as I’ve said before), and their network will feature real-life “actuality.” I think they’re onto something.

Bravo and Lifetime also are starting off the New Year with something new by playing matchmaker.

In Manhattan, clients go through dating boot camp and rehabilitation with dating coach and relationship expert Matt Titus.

Some clients are more love-challenged than others and remind me of Drew Barrymore in the movie “Never Been Kissed.” You feel their pain and want to help them in their quest for love.

Check it out at 9:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 4, on Lifetime.

On the West Coast, Patti Stanger steps it up a notch with her list of wealthy male clients. She takes on the guys with the big bucks and gives them complete makeovers to help them with their dating skills. The men receive help from interior designers to turn their bachelor pads into a welcoming place for women and have personal shoppers attend to their style needs, while date coaches and therapists take care of any internal issues.

The dating plots can get heated, but Stanger is a pretty interesting character all on her own. She is a third-generation matchmaker who opened her own business in 2000 after serving as director of marketing for Great Expectations, the oldest dating service in the country.

“The Millionaire Matchmaker” premieres at 11 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 22, on Bravo.


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