WITH the reality show bandwagon in high gear, it’s easy to miss which contenders got “Punk’d,“ sent to the doghouse or voted off the island/house/boat.
Until now.
Each week, the folks behind VH1’s “Reality Wrap-Up” (10 p.m. Fridays) sift through the broken dreams and lowlights of those exhibitionists who populate reality TV, find the best 15 or so clips and lightly poke fun of them – in a loving, snarky kind of way.
It’s reminiscent of E!’s “Talk Soup,“ in which clips were culled from that day’s talk shows (and lovingly mocked).
“We tape every reality show known to man,” says Carey Zeiser, “Reality Wrap-Up” producer. “We do all the big network shows, but we also do things that are really obscure, like a show on the Oxygen network or Animal Planet or TLC.”
“Wrap-Up,” hosted by actor David Hussey (who once appeared in an episode of “Becker”), was created by Mimi James (the force behind the ill-fated “Liza & David” this past April).
“Wrap-Up” is constantly in production. Each weeknight and all weekend long, its writers watch reality TV and write short scripts that go along with each clip.
On Thursday, the staff meets to pick the best clips and map out the structure of Friday’s show.
Zeiser says that the staff has a special place in their hearts for SCI FI Channel’s “Scare Tactics,” a goofy hidden camera show hosted by “Beverly Hills 90210” brat Shannen Doherty, in which pranks include convincing victims that they’re getting abducted by aliens.
“It’s just one of those hidden-camera shows that is so absurd and so hilarious,” says Zeiser. “Some of the pranks they do are a little mean, but they’re really funny.”