Chapter | one

Welcome to Reality

On the first day of filming for the second season of The Michael Essany Show, I was introduced to the new slate of producers hired by E! Entertainment Television. Incredibly, among the talented newcomers on our team was Colleen Haskell, the “girl next door” castaway from the first season of Survivor.

Genuinely dismayed by her overexposed reality TV debut, Colleen was hoping to maintain a formidable presence in the entertainment industry but in a less conspicuous role, behind the camera. Fortunately for me, this bright and wily veteran of unscripted programming landed first on my show.

Working with Colleen Haskell subsequently introduced me to an interesting paradox unique to the television medium. It’s a trend ...

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