Home Page Blog

What does it take to knock So You Think You Can Dance out of the top spot on BuddyTV's Fan Popularity Rankings the week before the winner is announced? How about a moderately-rated reality dating show starring a professional tennis player. This week's FPR is full of equally stunning surprises, including two new shows, and some list stalwarts shockingly knocked out of the top 10.



Reigning atop the FPR is Age of Love. The show's finale may have received mediocre ratings, but BuddyTV fans went wild, sending the show out in style. Our endless coverage, including an exclusive interview with runner-up Jennifer Braff, helped keep fans talking long after Mark Philippoussis unsurprisingly chose 25-year-old Amanda Salinas over the 48-year-old Jennifer.

But never fear, dance aficionados, So You Think You Can Dance stays perched at number two on the FPR, and with this final week featuring no less than 5 hours of televised dancing and results, nothing will be able to stop this juggernaut from wrapping up its summertime FPR dominance back in the number one spot.

America's Next Top Model's worldwide appeal keeps it at number three, as does anticipation for the new season, which premieres in about one month. Big Brother 8 sits fourth on the list, eagerly awaiting the departure of So You Think You Can Dance so it can claim its rightful throne as king of the summer reality shows. With non-stop yelling, fighting and name-calling, the houseguests are finally starting to feel the effects of being trapped in the house.

Rock of Love and Hannah Montana are situated at five and six, a model of BuddyTV readers' eclectic tastes. On the one hand, a bunch of former strippers all trying to make out with a washed up rock star. On the other, the hottest tween sensation holding steady on the FPR once again.

After taking a month away from the FPR top 10, Grey's Anatomy returned with a vengeance to claim the seventh spot. The rapidly approaching Emmy awards, season 4, and the controversial “Gizzie” relationship keep fans coming back for more. Placed at number nine on the list is the old standard The Bachelor, which finally announced it's latest slab of man meat – Texas bar owner Brad Womack. For the first time, many southern women are opposed to the policies of President George W. Bush – they all want to mess with Texas.

For some fresh blood, the eighth and tenth spots on the FPR go to surprising new shows. The Real World pops in at number eight, propelled by the start of its 19th season in Sydney, Australia. BuddyTV readers were instantly hooked on the sexual misadventures of Cohutta, Dunbar, Shauvon, and other strangers obviously chosen solely for their weird names. Note to our readers: if you want to be on The Real World, legally change your name to Pepperidge. It works as both a male and female name.

In the ten spot is surprise TLC sensation Miami Ink. If this seems odd to you, it's because it is. The success of this show owes everything to one Kat Von D. and her new spin-off, LA Ink. But now that BuddyTV has created a separate LA Ink show page, will it replace Miami Ink on the FPR list next week?

Also worth noting is the conspicuous absence on the top 10 of strongholds like Lost and Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next Doll. Perhaps BuddyTV readers finally realized both shows will not be airing new episodes for almost six months.


-John Kubicek, BuddyTV Senior Writer