Pop Culture Bracketology: Television, Reality/Variety/Talk Region

With March Madness upon us, WEEKEND has gone a little bracket crazy. Over the next month, our staff will debate, discuss and argue their way through three 64-team pop culture-centric brackets to determine the best TV series on the air, the best active film director and the best music act of the moment. We will now post the pairings and starting next Monday, March 15, we'll begin weeding out the pretenders and celebrating the contenders. Posts will be updated accordingly.

For our television bracket, we are trying to figure out the best series on the air right now. The four regions are as follows: Drama, Comedy, Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Action and Reality/Variety/Talk. Below are the pairings in the Reality/Variety/Talk Region. Other pairings can be found in the right sidebar.


1. "American Idol" (FOX) vs.
16. "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (NBC)

Oddly enough, the one that is supposed to be funny isn't, but features good music. And vice versa.

8. "The Biggest Loser" (NBC) vs.
9. "Big Brother" (CBS)

One makes its contestants feel better about themselves and the other makes us feel better about ourselves because we're not dumb enough to be on it.

5. "Saturday Night Live" (NBC) vs.
12. "Top Chef" (Bravo)

Two NBCU products that have surely seen their best days.

4. "The Amazing Race" (CBS) vs.
13. "Project Runway" (Lifetime)

Could Heidi and Tim last on "Race?"

6. "The Late Show with David Letterman" (CBS) vs.
11. "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" (ABC)

If only Letterman took his shirt off and mentioned Sears more often.

3. "The Daily Show" (Comedy Central) vs.
14. "Hell’s Kitchen" (FOX)

Critical hosts, hilarious events, idiots. Yeah, these two shows are nearly identical.

7. "The Bachelor" (ABC) vs.
10. "The Colbert Report" (Comedy Central)

Which one is less real?

2. "Survivor" (CBS) vs.
15. "America’s Next Top Model" (CW)

Jeff Probst wouldn't last a minute on the "Top Model" panel of judges. Because he's not insane.