"The Fashion Show: Ultimate Collection"
Tuesday 10pm, Bravo
Bravo’s “Project Runway” knock-off had a lackluster first season, and required significant retooling for this second attempt. Big changes have been made, some good, some…interesting. The major issue with the first season was host/judge Kelly Rowland, who, while very fashionable, had zero business judging a fashion competition, and nothing to say at panel. She’s out, replaced by supermodel/style icon/living goddess Iman. In fact, the only holdover from Season 1 is designer Isaac Mizrahi, who returns as a mentor/judge. The other big change is in the format, as the 12 designers will be split into two fashion “houses” that will compete against one another to put on a live fashion show each week, responsible for everything from the clothes to the styling to the set and lights. That seems unnecessarily complicated to me, but whatever. After the disastrous finale of “Project Runway”’s most recent season, this couldn’t come at a better time.
“Nick Swardson’s Pretend Time”
Tuesday 10pm, Comedy Central
Comedy Central’s newest sketch show springs from the deeply troubled mind of Nick Swardson, who you might recognize from his many bit parts in Adam Sandler comedies (he’s part of the Happy Madison crew), or from his hilarious recurring role as Terry Bernardino, the rollerskate-wearing gay hustler on “Reno 911!” Swardson’s bits are wildly inventive, almost wholly inappropriate, and, like almost all TV skits, last longer than they should. But it is still undoubtedly creative and worth checking out, if only for the WTF moments.
“Sarah Palin’s Alaska”
Sunday 9pm, Discovery
I’m sure you all remember Sarah Palin, 2008 vice-presidential candidate, former governor of Alaska and current darling of the Tea Party set. To say that Palin is a divisive political figure would be the height of understatement. For as much as people loathe her (for, say, using faux-folksiness to cover for her gross ignorance, or for bailing on her elected position so she could cash in on books and public appearances and this TV show), there is another, very vocal group that practically worships her. So it’s a safe bet on Discovery’s part to give her a nature-documentary series about the “final frontier” of Alaska (can’t wait for the episode in which she hunts via helicopter!). Even if it pisses off a good chunk of Discovery’s core audience, it’ll pull in a whole lot of her acolytes.
