Beauty and the Geek
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Beauty and the Geek | |
|---|---|
| Image:Beautyandthegeek.JPG | |
| Format | Reality |
| Starring | Brian McFayden Mike Richards |
| Opening theme | Pet Shop Boys - Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money) |
| Country of origin | Image:Flag of the United States.svg United States |
| No. of seasons | 4 |
| No. of episodes | 38 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Ashton Kutcher Jason Goldberg Nick Santora |
| Running time | 42 minutes (60 with commercials) |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | The WB (2005-2006) The CW (2007-present) |
| Original run | June 1, 2005 – present |
| External links | |
| Official website | |
| IMDb profile | |
| TV.com summary | |
Beauty and the Geek is a show on the CW. It has been advertised as "The Ultimate Social Experiment" and is produced by Ashton Kutcher, Jason Goldberg and Nick Santora.
The premise of the show consists of a group of "beauties" (young women who are sexy) and a group of "geeks" (young men who have relied primarily on intellect and are socially inept) that are paired up to compete as couples for a shared $250,000 and other prizes. This season the producers modified the formula to include an extra team consisting of a male "beauty" and a female "geek". Each beauty lives together in a room with her geek during the course of the competition. There are challenges shown each episode, one testing the beauties on a primarily academic subject, and another that has the geeks competing in a more popular/social realm. The winners of the challenges select a total of two teams to compete against each other in a pure "quiz show" type question and answer session, with the team getting the fewest number of questions correct being eliminated.
By the end of the competition, many of the contestants say that they have learned much about interacting with people from a different social group (and positive lessons about the character of people from that group), positive things about themselves and their own character, and often something about human nature in general.
The theme song, "Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)" by the Pet Shop Boys (originally released in 1985), is used also on the British and Belgian-Dutch versions. Commercial promos for the show featured a different theme song, "The Geeks Get the Girls" by American Hi-Fi.
Following the second season, the American version moved to The CW Television Network, the new network formed when both The WB and UPN ceased operations in September 2006. The two-hour season premiere for the third season aired Wednesday, January 3, 2007 at 8:00 p.m. EST on The CW. The fourth season premiered on September 18, making BATG the first series to premiere for the CW for the 2007-08 television season. BATG has been renewed for a fifth season.
Contents |
[edit] Season 1
[edit] Cast
| The Beauties | The Geeks |
|---|---|
| Cheryl Elliott "Cocktail Waitress" | Eric Chase "Computer Programmer" |
| Erika Rumsey "Life-Sized Barbie Doll" | Joe Hanson "Has never been on a date" |
| Krystal Tini "NBA Dancer" | Brad Hooker "Mensa Member" |
| Lauren Bergfeld "Lingerie Model" | Bill Lambing "Vice President, 'Dukes of Hazzard' Fan Club" |
| Scarlet Garcia "Beer Spokesmodel" | Shawn Bakken "Assistant Boy Scout Master" |
| Mindi Emanuel "Sorority Girl" | Richard Rubin "Has kissed three girls" |
| Caitilin Stoller "Aspiring Fashion Expert" | Chuck Munyon "Medical Student: Functional Neurology" |
[edit] Challenges
| Week | Beauty Challenge (Winner) | Geek Challenge (Winner) | Eliminated | Survived Elimination |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fifth Grade Knowledge (Mindi) | Dancing Competition (Richard) | Cheryl & Eric | Erika & Joe |
| 2 | Car Repair (Caitilin) | Massage (Chuck) | Erika & Joe | Krystal & Brad |
| 3 | Rocket Science (Caitilin) | Women's Fashion (Shawn) | Krystal & Brad | Mindi & Richard |
| 4 | Math (Lauren) | Get Girls' Phone Numbers (Chuck) | Lauren & Bill | Mindi & Richard |
| 5 | | Scarlet & Shawn | Mindi & Richard | |
| 6 | | Mindi & Richard | Caitilin & Chuck | |
| Winners | | |||
[edit] Season 2
[edit] Cast
| The Beauties | The Geeks | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Amanda Horan "Hairstylist" | Brandon Blankenship "Assistant Neurobiologist" | Amanda's original partner: Chris Brandon's original partner: Tristin (changed after Week 1) |
| Brittany Knott "Tanning Salon Administrator" | Joe Block "Speed Chess Champion" | |
| Cher Tenbush "Beer Spokesmodel" | Josh Herman "Museum Critic" | |
| Danielle Gonzalez "Cocktail Waitress" | Karl Hench "Dungeon Master" | |
| Jennipher Johnson "Camp Counselor" | Ankur Mehta "MIT Graduate" | |
| Sarah Coleman "Dental Assistant" | Wes Wilson "Tracks Monkeys With Lasers" | |
| Thais Soares "Model" | Tyson Mao "Rubik's Cube Record Holder" | |
| Tristin Clow-Thomsen "Cocktail Waitress/Shot Girl" | Chris Saroki "Has Only Kissed One Girl" | Tristin's original partner: Brandon Chris's original partner: Amanda (changed after Week 1) |
[edit] Challenges
| Week | Beauty Challenge (Winner) | Geek Challenge (Winner) | Eliminated | Survived Elimination |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Quiz (Amanda & Chris) | No eliminations | ||
| 2 | Public Speaking (Cher) | Karaoke (Tyson) | Amanda & Brandon | Tristin & Chris |
| 3 | Assemble a computer and burn a song (Cher) | Interior Decorating (Joe) | Thais & Tyson | Tristin & Chris |
| 4 | Makeover for the Geeks | Speed dating (Wes) | Tristin & Chris | Cher & Josh |
| 5 | Strip poker (Brittany) | Party planning (Josh) | Danielle & Karl | Ankur & Jennipher |
| 6 | Frumpy flirting (Jennipher) | Fashion photography (Joe) | Sarah & Wes | Cher & Josh |
| 7 | Navigation (Cher) | Shopping (Josh) | Jennipher & Ankur | Brittany & Joe |
| 8 | How their partners think (Cher & Josh) | Brittany & Joe | Cher & Josh | |
| Winners | Cher & Josh | |||
[edit] Season 3
[edit] Cast
| The Beauties | The Geeks |
|---|---|
| Nadia Underwood "Sorority Girl" | Mario Muscar "Owns 25,000 Comics" |
| Cecille Gahr "Bikini Model" | Nate Dern "Singer: Star Wars Band" |
| Jenny Lee Berns "U.F.C. Ring Girl" | Niels Hoven "Had A Perfect S.A.T. Score" |
| Megan Hauserman "Playboy Model" | Alan "Scooter" Zackheim "Harvard Graduate" |
| Erin Gipson "Voice Teacher" | Andrew "Drew" Sawa "Trekker" |
| Andrea Ciliberti "Beauty Pageant Queen" | Matt Herman "M.I.T. Graduate" |
| Sheree Swanson "Former Hooters Waitress" | Piao Sam "Has Only Kissed One Girl" |
| Tori Elmore "Model" | Sanjay Shah "Virgin" |
[edit] Challenges
| Week | Beauty Challenge (Winner) | Geek Challenge (Winner) | Eliminated | Survived Elimination |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (Part 1) | Library Search (Cecille) | Social Challenge (Nate) | No eliminations | |
| 1 (Part 2) | News Interview (Sheree) | Stand-up Comedy (Nate) | Tori & Sanjay | Erin & Drew |
| 2 | Museum Tour Guiding (Nadia) | Model Quiz (Mario) | Sheree & Piao | Andrea & Matt |
| 3 | Geek Makeover & Charity Auction (Jennylee & Niels) | Andrea & Matt | Cecille & Nate | |
| 4 | Beach Escape Challenge (Cecille) | Fitness Instructor (Scooter) | Erin & Drew | Jennylee & Niels |
| 5 | Building a Doghouse (Megan) | Collecting Phone Numbers (Nate) | Nadia & Mario | Jennylee & Niels |
| 6 | Ranch Duties Challenge (Megan & Scooter) | Jennylee & Niels | Cecille & Nate | |
| 7 | Who Changed the Most (decided by previously eliminated contestants) (Megan & Scooter) | Cecille & Nate | Megan & Scooter | |
| Winners | Megan & Scooter | |||
All previously eliminated contestants were brought back to spend one more night in the mansion and to assess which of the final two teams had undergone the most personal change. Their votes on this question would determine the winner of the $250,000 grand prize. The majority of the contestants were torn between wanting Nate to win, and his partner, Cecille, to lose. Nate, believing that winning would only reinforce Cecille's behavior, asked contestants to vote against him. This led to Megan and Scooter winning 7 to 2.
[edit] Season 4
This season featured several changes and was by far the most controversial one. One male beauty is paired with one female geek, but the rest of the pairs remained the same way (i.e. a male geek and a female beauty). The season was also extended from 8/9 episodes to 13, featuring a recap on week 7 and the cast growing from eight pairs to ten. This also the first season to have a pair voted out (Natalie and John on week 8) instead of eliminated through a quiz which sparked some controversy[1][2][3] much like Sam's vast experience in the showbusiness[4] despite the fact that many other beauties had some previous acting experience as well.
[edit] Cast
| The Beauties | The Geeks |
|---|---|
| Amanda Hanshaw[5] "Aspiring Playboy Model" | Tony "Medical student" |
| Erin Schneider[6] "Beautician" | Jesse "Lives with parents" |
| Hollie Winnard[7] "Professional Betty Boop" | Josh "Rubberband Club President" |
| Jasmine Moore[8][9] "Babysitter" | David Olsen[10] "LARPer" |
| Jennifer Carter "Cigar Model" | William "Server, Online gamer" |
| Katie Roberson "Sorority Girl" | Luke "Robotics Engineer" |
| Natalie Reeves "Ultimate Hooters Girl" | John "Perfect 5.0 at MIT" |
| Rebecca Nichols "Cocktail Waitress" | Will "Software Engineer" |
| Shalandra "Shay" Cham[11] "Beauty Pageant Queen" | Joshua Green[11][12] "Astrophysicist" |
| Sam Horrigan "Club Promoter" | Nicole Morgan[13] "Musicologist" |
[edit] Challenges
| Week | Beauty Challenge (Winner) | Geek Challenge (Winner) | Eliminated | Survived Elimination |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Intellectual Skills Analysis (lowest score wins) (Shay) | Social Skills Analysis (lowest score wins) (Joshua) | No eliminations | |
| 2 | Debating (Sam) | Rap Off (Will) | Amanda & Tony | Natalie & John |
| 3 | Anatomy Body Paint (Rebecca) | Romantic Picnic Basket (Will) | Hollie & Josh | Erin & Jesse |
| 4 | Rocket Building (Sam) | Massage Skills (Jesse) | Rebecca & Will | Jen & William |
| 5 | Teaching 3rd Graders (Shay) | Prom King or Queen (John) | Katie & Luke | Sam & Nicole |
| 6 | Comic-Con Superhero Challenge (Sam & Nicole) | Erin & Jesse | Natalie & John | |
| 8 | Mayan Glyph Memorization (Sam) | Salsa Dancing (David) | Natalie & John | Shay & Joshua / Jen & William |
| 9 | Zoology/Insect Challenge (Sam) | Flair Bartending Challenge (David) | Shay & Joshua | Jen & William |
| 10 | Wine Challenge (Jasmine & David) | Jen & William | Sam & Nicole | |
| 11 | America decides the winner | Sam & Nicole | Jasmine & David | |
| Winners | Jasmine and David | |||
In week eight, there was no elimination room finale; instead, the two challenge-winning teams selected a team to eliminate directly.
In the final episode on 12/4/2007, Jasmine and David won $250,000 on live television. For the first time the show's winner was decided by America's votes, four months after the taping of the first 12 episodes[14].
[edit] Season 5
A casting call went out for the fifth season of Beauty and the Geek.[15]. Season 5 will premiere on March 11, 2008 taking over the timeslot of Reaper [16]
[edit] Ratings
- Seasonal rankings (based on average total estimated viewers per episode) of Beauty and the Geek on The WB and The CW:
| Season | Timeslot | Season Premiere | TV Season | Rank # | Viewers (in millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Wednesday 9/8C | June 1, 2005 | Summer 2005 | ||
| 2nd | Thursday 9/8C | 2005-2006 | 123 | 4.2 | |
| 3rd | Wednesday 8/7C | January 3, 2007 | 2006-2007 | 127 | 4.0 |
| 4th | Tuesday 8/7C | September 18, 2007 | 2007-2008 | 94 | 3.3 |
| 5th | Tuesday 8/7C | March 11, 2008 | 2007-2008 |
[edit] International versions
A Finnish version of the show, Kaunotar ja nörtti (The Beauty and The Nerd) started at September 4, 2005 on MTV3. The show was filmed in Estonia. The Bulgarian version of the show started at October 3, 2005 on bTV. On February 7, 2006 a British version of the show debuted on E4. Although there is no host, voiceovers are provided by David Mitchell. A Norwegian version will start on Norwegian TV3 in March 2006. It has been given the name Prinsessen og Professoren (The Princess and the Professor). In Denmark, the original American show is aired with Danish subtitles. An Italian version started on Italia 1 in September 2006, called La pupa e il secchione (The Doll and the Nerd), hitting ratings records for the channel. An Estonian version also started on Estonian TV3 in September 2006 called Kaunitar ja geenius (The Beauty and the Genius) and a Colombian version also debuted on Canal Caracol in May 2006, called La Bella y el Nerdo (The Beauty and The Nerd).
The Portuguese version started March 2007 and it's called A Bela e o Mestre (The Beauty and the Master). The "master" word was used because there is no word in Portuguese that has the same meaning as geek. A Russian version has aired on REN TV. The German version called Das Model und der Freak (The Model and the Freak) running on ProSieben hasn't got much to do with the original format despite the name (two "freaky" contestants get a makeover by two models in each episode).
A new version of the show is now set to debut on TF1 in France under the title Bimbo et Intello, however recent reports claim it will not be aired anytime soon[17], and other one in Mexico under the title La Bella y el Nerd which is being transmitted by TV Azteca now.[18] The first episode of Turkish Show TV's Güzel ve Dahi (The Beauty and The Genius) was aired on July 7 2007.[19]But after some public pressure against showing unintelligent contestant girls, the producers had to cancel the show.[citation needed]
In Belgium and the Netherlands, a Dutch version of the show is produced by VTM and RTL 5. The first season aired late 2006 and a second season started early September 2007. The Spanish version, broadcasted by Telecinco was called Nadie es Perfecto (No-one is Perfect), and it was a failure.
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ http://lounge.cwtv.com/showthread.php?t=152684
- ^ http://lounge.cwtv.com/showthread.php?t=152806
- ^ http://lounge.cwtv.com/showthread.php?t=152743
- ^ http://lounge.cwtv.com/showthread.php?t=151895
- ^ Amanda Hanshaw (Season 4) on OneModelPlace.com, Amanda Hanshaw (Season 4) on ModelMayhem.com, Amanda Hanshaw (Season 4) on MySpace (private), Amanda Hanshaw (Season 4) on NSFWModels.com
- ^ Erin Schneider (Season 4) on MySpace (private)
- ^ [Hollie Winnard (season 4) on Myspace (private)
- ^ Jasmine Moore (Season 4) on Myspace (private)
- ^ Reality TV World: "David Olsen and Jasmine Moore win The CW's 'Beauty and the Geek'", By Christopher Rocchio, December 5, 2007
- ^ TV star helps Somerville kids beat the drums
- ^ a b Last name per Reality TV World: "INTERVIEW: Joshua Green talks about 'Beauty and the Geek'" Nov. 15, 2007
- ^ Joshua Green (Season 4) on astro.princeton.edu, Joshua Green (Season 4) on MySpace, Joshua Green (Season 4) on LiveJournal
- ^ Nicole Morgan on MySpace
- ^ Beauty and the Geek episode 13
- ^ http://cwtv.com/thecw/BATG-Season5Casting
- ^ http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=7531
- ^ http://www.leblogtvnews.com/article-14171579.html
- ^ http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117963152.html?categoryid=14&cs=1
- ^ http://www.milliyet.com.tr/2007/07/13/son/sonsiy02.asp
[edit] References
- Official Site on The CW
- Beauty and the Geek Fansite Including Season 4 Gallery
- Beauty and the Geek UK
[edit] External links
- Beauty and the Geek 4 on Myspace
- La Bella y el Nerd (México)
- Some news about Beauty and the Geek FR (in french)
- A Bela e o Mestre (Portuguese)
- Beauty en de Nerd Dutch-Flemish
- Sam Horrigan on IMDB
- Hollie Winnard on IMDB,es:Beauty and the geek
it:La pupa e il secchione nl:Beauty & de Nerd pt:A Bela e o Mestre sv:Beauty and the Geek
Categories: All articles with unsourced statements | Articles with unsourced statements since December 2007 | 2005 television series debuts | 2000s American television series | American reality television series | Dating and relationship reality television series | WB network shows | CW network shows | Citytv network shows
