What's the difference between a Taylor series and Beauty and the Geek? Beauty and the Geek is finite. Geddit? Geddit?

With only four teams left in the game on Beauty and the Geek, this fifth season is scheduled to conclude on Tuesday, May 13. However, this episode will likely turn out to be the series finale. Sources close to the show's production staff confirm that the CW bigwigs have decided not to renew Beauty and the Geek for a sixth season.

CW executives say that they may reconsider bringing the show back if the producers can come up with a unique twist on the show's geeky guys/beautiful girls format. One possibility that they have discussed is incorporating an age-related element to the show

This season brought about some unwelcome new twists that were unpopular with both the castmembers as well as with audiences. Instead of creating teams consisting of one beauty and one geek, the show started out by pitting all of the beauties against the geeks. Audience displeasure with this new format was reflected in a significant drop in the ratings.

As much as this season's lame twists and oftentimes peevish cast made the show less entertaining than seasons past, I am definitely saddened by the news that Beauty and the Geek may be no more. It's probably no surprise to anyone that I too am a geek, with the coursework in quantum field theory and the love of classic Nintendo games to prove it.

Writers of scripted TV shows generally always get it wrong when they create nerdy characters. In recent times, Chuck Bartowski, the leading man in NBC's Chuck is probably the closest thing to a genuine nerd, but usually, writers tend to rely on some ridiculously over-exaggerated trait, like the Indian guy on The Big Bang Theory who is incapable of speaking to girls.

On Beauty and the Geek, however, you get the real deal, and you learn that nerds come in all shapes and sizes. You get the classic geek who programs computers and wears a pocket protector like Jim Babcok from the current season (who is now kind of a stud). You get live-action role-players like Dave Olsen, the winner of last season. You get the awkwardly hilarious Richard Rubin (season 1), and the too-cute-for-words Josh Bishop-Moser (season 4).

With a few exceptions, Beauty and the Geek is the kind of show that tends to attract genuinely nice people who are interested in expanding their horizons and sharing their experiences with their teammates. Beginning last fall with season 4 and continuing now, I've had the privilege of interviewing all of the eliminated contestants each week. Even though I only spoke to each of them for 10 or 15 minutes, tops, I enjoyed every minute of it. These people, beauties and geek both, really do provide something new and truly entertaining to the television landscape, and I'll definitely be sad if the show doesn't come back.



-Debbie Chang, BuddyTV Staff Writer
Source: Variety
(Image courtesy of the CW)