What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1499692
T4 WHATS UP! May 21 - 27, 2023 REAL TV BY CAROLINE COLLACUTT TV Media A 'Scandoval'-ous re- union: All things must end, it seems. Friendships, relation- ships, reality shows … nothing can last forever. But in true "Vanderpump" tradition, all that ends, ends with a bang. The explosive "Vanderpump Rules Reunion Special" com- mences for a 10th year – split into two non-stop, drama-filled installments – with "Part 1" pre- miering Wednesday, May 24, on Bravo. Each and every season of "Vanderpump" serves hot gos- sip and jaw-dropping moments, but it's safe to say that Season 10 truly takes the cake. Avid 'Vander-lovers' will know that February and March were show-stopping months for some of the show's regulars, and as the season wraps up, fans are desperate to know where the Toms (Schwartz and Sando- val), Raquel, Ariana and Katie all stand. To recap, "Vanderpump" re- turned with new episodes in February of this year, following the split between Tom Schwartz and Katie Maloney. When Schwartz and "Vanderpump" regular Raquel Leviss engaged in some public flirting, fans were hungry for more details — and as March rolled in, that's exactly what they got (and then some). News soon broke that Leviss and "Vanderpump's" other Tom, Tom Sandoval, had engaged in a months-long affair, resulting in the end of his nine- year relationship with Ariana Madix. Though Leviss and Sandoval issued public apologies (both to their partners and fans), reac- tions from the remaining "Van- derpump" cast have been kept mostly under wraps, saved for viewers to witness first hand. That being said, an unidentified source told US Weekly that the cast was "out of control" during the March taping. Hosted by Andy Cohen ("Watch What Happens Live"), the Season 10 reunion is set to be "a real reckoning" (per Co- hen) as it was filmed only days after news of Madix and Sando- val broke. Cohen continued, hinting at what unfolded during the soon-to-be-aired taping: "If you are looking to hear their story — you will. If you are looking for them to be confront- ed to their face about what they've done, in what I would say in an aggressive manner — you will get it." Cohen also filmed one-on-one interviews with Madix, Sandoval and Le- viss, and teased more potential content, claiming that extended versions of all interviews will be released after the special. Mermaid Madness: From the producers of "Queer Eye" – and, most recently, "The Se- crets of Hillsong" – comes a new, quirky, four-part docu- mentary series helmed by Os- car-winning director Cynthia Wade ("Freeheld," 2008). "Mer- People" takes a dive into the ex- pansive, whimsical world of professional "mermaiding" when it premieres Tuesday, May 23, on Netflix. Per Netflix's description, "MerPeople" takes viewers on "a journey of passion and perse- verance," welcoming world- wide audiences into "the whim- sical world of professional mer- maiding, where people's pas- sion for swimming in fins has exploded into a half-billion-dol- lar industry," showcasing every- thing from "dazzling small- town shows in Florida to the crowning of the King and Queen of the Seas in the Baha- mas." For those who don't know, "mermaiding," as it's been dubbed, is exactly what it sounds like: people (strong swimmers, at that) don mer- maid tails and other fun, aquatic accessories to perform at par- ties, events and aquariums – even children's swimming les- sons. They model, work in mov- ies and on television, keep so- cial media presences … Long 'tail' short, these performers live and breathe the mermaid life, cultivating a one-of-a-kind fantasy experience. It's hard to pinpoint who first coined the term, but the indus- try has grown significantly over the past decade, with some of the first well-known mermaids like Hannah Mermaid, Mahina Mermaid and Mermaid Linden all swimming towards notoriety as early as 2004. The docuseries focuses on current pros in the mermaiding industry, with the inaugural epi- sode 'shellebrating' some truly talented folks. Viewers will be introduced to "The Mertailor," a mermaid tail maker and aspir- ing entrepreneur, who is inter- ested in starting a "mermaid aquarium" and training center for future performers; former mermaids from the iconic Wee- ki Wachee Springs State Park in Spring Hill, Florida, which has been putting on mermaid shows for the past six decades; and Chè Monique, the founder of the Society of Fat Mermaids, both a welcoming community and a size-inclusive store, sell- ing merchandise and apparel for mermaid enthusiasts of all shapes and sizes. In an interview with Insider, Scout Productions' head of documentaries, Joel Chiodi, explained his goal in produc- ing shows like "MerPeople," hoping to both broaden peo- ple's minds and bring them to- gether in a fantastical way: "You're seeing nonbinary merms, Black women; it makes no political statement but it's like, 'Let's celebrate every- thing'" – professional mer- maids included. Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix of "Vanderpump Rules"