Celebrities turn circus freaks for NBC
Former ’N Sync-er Joey Fatone has landed another hosting gig with NBC. He’ll be at the ringmaster of NBC’s updated version of Circus of the Stars, called Celebrity Circus. It’s basically the same idea as the ’80s show, where celebrities will attempt to master the high wire, trapeze, yada yada yada. Except it has the modern reality show must-have: a row of judges who will critique their performances.
Here are the “celebrities” who have agreed to participate:
- Christopher Knight, aka ’Peter Brady’
- Rachel Hunter, model
- Antonio Sabato Jr.,
- Blu Cantrell, singer
- Janet Evans, Olympic swimmer
- Jason “Wee Man” Acuna, of Jackass fame
Wow. That’s a really boring list. I don’t like or dislike any of them enough to care about whether they fall from the high wire or get eaten by a lion.
The 90-minute season premiere (and, I’ll bet, season finale) is on June 11 at 9:30 pm. ABC had also planned to do a similar circus-style celebrity competition, but scrapped those plans because of NBC’s similar show.
Shocking news: ABC actually doesn’t want to do a reality show
Looks like there’s only room for one reality show about TV celebrities walking a tightrope and juggling bowling pins.
ABC has actually changed its mind and will not produce a remake of Circus of the Stars. They decided that because NBC was already doing a celebs-under-the-big-top show (called Celebrity Circus), they didn’t want to do one too. Instead, to fill the time slot, the network plans to do another celebrity reality series that features Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie, and Britney Spears competing to see who can be the first to get impregnated by Dustin Diamond.
(OK, I just made that up.)
This is really sad news for TV fans. I was really looking forward to seeing Elisabeth Hasselbeck swallowing swords and Jorge Garcia swinging on a trapeze and Charles Gibson dressed as a clown, squirting water on the audience. And I think denying viewers the pleasure of seeing William Shatner trying to tame a wild tiger is really a shame.
Oh no: ABC is bringing back Circus of the Stars
NBC has brought back American Gladiators to good ratings, and now ABC wants to bring back a show from TVs past. The network is bringing back Circus of the Stars, the specials that had TV stars walking highwires, training tigers, swinging on a trapeze, and juggling. And NBC isn’t staying out of the celebrity circus game. In fact, they have a new show coming up that’s actually titled Celebrity Circus.
Eh. This isn’t the 80s celebrity competition show I want to see come back. How about one of the networks (or all, they can rotate) bringing back Battle of the Network Stars? That might be fun strike viewing. And no, I’m not talking about that lame, horrifying Battle of the Reality TV Stars from a few years back. I want to see Jon Stewart steering a kayak, Matthew Fox throwing a football, but mostly I want to see the blond chick from Chuck in a wet bathing suit.
As for Circus of the Stars, I think the only thing that might make me tune in is the possibility of seeing Dr. Phil eaten by a lion.
Catherine Bach Biography
This curvaceous brunette is best-known for her role as the feisty sister of “good ol’ boys” John Schneider and Tom Wopat on the popular CBS comedy-drama “The Dukes of Hazzard” (1979-85). Bach moved to California at 16 to study acting (at USC, and with coaches Milton Katselas and Anna Strasberg). She first came to the notice of TV viewers in the telefilms “Strange New World” and the “Matt Helm” pilot (both ABC, 1975). Her roles were small, and even smaller was her next billed part in “Murder in Peyton Place” (NBC, 1977).
But “The Dukes of Hazzard” came to her rescue, and from 1979-1985, Bach cavorted in cutoffs and tank-tops, the idol of male viewers in this mindless and popular rural comedy. The athletic and outgoing Bach also graced such ongoing TV specials as “The Battle of the Network Stars”, “Celebrity Challenge of the Sexes”, “Circus of the Stars” and “World’s Greatest Stunts”, as well as one-time shots on “The Nashville Palace” (ABC, 1980), “The Magic of David Copperfield” (CBS, 1981), and “Willie Nelson’s Picnic” (syndicated, 1987). She also provided the voice of Daisy in an animated version of the series, “The Dukes” (CBS, 1983).
Buoyed by her popularity but tied to the backwoods image, Bach appeared in two TV-movies: as a photojournalist up against “White Water Rebels” (CBS, 1983), and as “the other woman” in the PBS comedy “Drive, She Said” (1987). From 1992-1994, Bach returned to series TV as a businesswoman who moves to Africa with her teenaged son in “African Skies” (Family Channel). She agreed to reprise Daisy in “Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion” (CBS, 1997).
Bach’s forays into theatrical releases have not been as high-profile. She had small roles in Michael Cimino’s action comedy “Thunderbolt and Lightfoot” and the drama “The Midnight Man” (both 1974) as well as Robert Aldrich’s thriller “Hustle” (1975), co-starring Burt Reynolds. She reteamed with Reynolds for “Cannonball Run II” (1983) and had her first starring role in the low-budget actioner “Driving Force” (1989). Since then it’s been large roles in small films: another actioner, “Street Justice” and the horror flick “Criminal Act” (both 1989); the biker road comedy “Masters of Menace” (1991); and the martial arts film “Rage & Honor” (1992). Former co-star Burt Reynolds gave Bach a theatrical showcase in the drama “Extremities” (1986), at his Florida dinner theater.
- Also Credited As:
Catherine Bachman - Born:
on 03/01/54 in Faith, South Dakota - Job Titles:
Actor
Family
- Brother: Phillip Bachman. born 1955
- Daughter: Sophia Isa-Bella Lopez. born c. January 1996
- Father: Bernard Bachman. divorced from Bach’s mother in 1960
- Mother: Norma Kucera. divorced from Bach’s father in 1960
Significant Others
- Husband: David Shaw. steps-n of Angela Lansbury; divorced 1982
- Husband: Peter Lopez. married in 1990
Milestones
- 1970 Moved to California to take drama courses
- 1974 Feature acting debut, “The Midnight Man”
- 1975 TV-movie acting debut, “Matt Helm”
- 1979 Starred as Daisy Duke on the popular CBS action series, “The Dukes of Hazzard”
- 1983 Provided voice of Daisy in the animated series “The Dukes”
- 1986 Starred onstage in “Extremities” (Jupiter, FL)
- 1989 First starring film role, in “Driving Force”
- 1994 Testified before Congress on behalf of the Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Act
- 1997 Reprised role of Daisy Duke in “Dukes of Hazard: Reunion”
- Raised in South Dakota
- Starred in series “African Skies” (Family Channel)