I am – Hercules!!


“Anchorwoman” is a five-episode Fox reality series about sexy former swimsuit model, “Price Is Right” girl and WWE wrestling personality Lauren Jones, whose lack of journalistic experience doesn’t keep her from getting hired as a news anchor at a ratings-starved Tyler, Texas, CBS affiliate.

The first half-hour episode (Fox is airing two half-hours tonight), which strays closer to “Trading Spouses” territory than the domain of “The Simple Life,” gets most of its traction out of hot young rival anchorwoman Annalisa Petralia, who, entertainingly, appears to be enormously threatened by the idea that someone like Jones could so effortlessly replace her.

Will Jones somehow prove adept at reading from a prompter? More importantly, how will the egos of her self-important TV co-workers handle Jones’ success? I can say with some confidence that I’ll be planted in front of the that second half-hour tonight to find out.

But what matters Herc’s opinion?

Entertainment Weekly gives it a “B-minus” and says:

… the results have a certain Waiting for Guffman charm …

The Los Angeles Times says:

… the dumb blond who maybe ain't so dumb was cliché when Judy Holliday did it back in the 1940s, and Jones ain't no Judy Holliday. Jones is not part of the joke, she is the joke, because she is blond, busty and wears short skirts. Which is somehow supposed to be funny. … The goal of "Anchorwoman" is to remind us that sex appeal remains powerful and seductive, and that it works even on local television. Sigh. That's not exactly breaking news.

The Chicago Tribune says:

… slight, sad, tacky spectacle … It’s hard find the energy to worry about whether Jones will displace Petralia — or the station’s mascot, Stormy the weather dog — especially given that Fox’s owner, Rupert Murdoch, has purchased one of the crown jewels of American journalism, The Wall Street Journal. If Stormy the weather dog shows up in the pages of the Journal, then it’s time to get worried.

The Washington Post says:

"Anchorwoman" is the sort of trailer-park television you wouldn't mark your calendar to watch each week, but if you channel-surfed across it, you couldn't help but watch.… Annalisa Petralia, the none-too-amused demoted KYTX anchor, says on the show. "Is that what we're telling our viewers? That I'm a swimsuit model, too?" …

The Boston Globe says:

… intentionally built to stir up a lather -- about the desperation of TV news stations, the role of women in TV journalism, and the triumph of eye candy over substance. …

The Boston Herald says:

… unexpectedly hilarious … Petralia inadvertently creates some of the funniest moments, as she tries to maintain a stoic composure while keeping Jones at a distance, the way you might a co-worker with bad body odor. She bitches about Jones behind her back while trying to maintain her balance on a pedestal of feminism and journalistic integrity. As she stews, you just know that this Steel Magnolia would love to strangle her competition. Someone dark and twisted edited this reality show. I think I want to marry them.

The Toronto Star says:

… Does Anchorwoman make a mockery of broadcast news? No. Broadcast news does an excellent job making a mockery of itself. Does this hiring violate journalistic ethics? Again, no. The station announced this ridiculous experiment in advance. Let us also remember that Jones was only there for 30 days; not so much a "hiring" as a made-for-TV internship. And a final note to those inclined to make value judgments: KYTX employs one Stormy the Weather Dog. …

Variety says:

… this comedy-reality concept is rather quaint, beginning from the supposition that most local news isn't a joke already and that newsies would be aghast at the thought of employing a model to juice ratings. … given the obvious manipulation involved, it's hard to take "Anchorwoman" seriously, which isn't the same thing as saying it's funny.

The Hollywood Reporter says:

… It's so good that, with only a few tweaks here and a little better dialogue there, it could rival "The Office" as a faux documentary. If this show works -- and it should -- Fox ought to consider doing it as an elimination contest, like "American Anchorwoman." When other TV GMs see the potential for ratings growth by further degradation of their news departments, anchor chairs will open up everywhere.

8 p.m. Wednesday. Fox.

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