The A-List: New York
Encyclopedia
The A-List: New York is an American reality television
series from the LGBT
-interest network Logo
. The series, frequently described as a Real Housewives-style show, follows the lives of six gay and bisexual men in New York City. The series was originally announced under the title Kept but the title was changed in pre-production. The series debuted on October 4, 2010, to mixed critical reviews.
It is produced by Chelsea, Manhattan
-based True Entertainment, which also produces Real Housewives of Atlanta. True Entertainment is a subsidiary of Endemol
. Advertising for the series calls it "Housewives ... With Balls!"
On January 18, 2011, Logo announced a second season for the series. Season two began airing on July 25, 2011 and consists of 12 one hour episodes. The entire original cast returned along with one new cast member. The season picks up several months after where the first season left off.
Although not billed as a cast member, Nickulas's assistant TJ Kelly appears in every episode. Kelly was nominated as "Best New Indulgence" at the 2011 NewNowNext Awards
.
The season also tracks the efforts of several of the cast to advance their professional careers. Reichen works to further his acting career, expand his jewelry design business and begin a recording career. Rodiney seeks work in the modeling industry and Austin, a former model, struggles to get back into shape to resume his career. Mike has his first solo photography exhibition.
. Mike is living with his life partner Martin, who is also his business partner and agent.
was sharply critical, calling the cast "vapid and materialistic" and characterizing the series as being "about stupid people doing stupid things". Entertainment Weekly
and Salon.com
touched upon the possible cultural significance of the series. EW reflected on the outrage that some in the LGBT community have expressed about the image of gay men the series projects, answering that criticism by noting that other reality series including the Real Housewives franchise are not viewed with the expectation that its participants are representative of the class as a whole. Salon, while suggesting that the series is a source of "constant indignation" to viewers, nonetheless finds The A-List: New York to be "riveting" television and "a surprisingly thought-provoking reminder of how much representations of gay men on TV have changed and how gay identity is turning into a kind of consumer bracket rather than an act of self-expression".
premiered on October 10, 2011. Casting calls were also issued for a Los Angeles
edition, but no cast or scheduling information has been forthcoming.
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
series from the LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
-interest network Logo
Logo (TV channel)
Logo is an American digital cable television channel owned by Viacom's MTV Networks division. Launched in June 2005, the channel's programs are geared towards the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community...
. The series, frequently described as a Real Housewives-style show, follows the lives of six gay and bisexual men in New York City. The series was originally announced under the title Kept but the title was changed in pre-production. The series debuted on October 4, 2010, to mixed critical reviews.
It is produced by Chelsea, Manhattan
Chelsea, Manhattan
Chelsea is a neighborhood on the West Side of the borough of Manhattan in New York City. The district's boundaries are roughly 14th Street to the south, 30th Street to the north, the western boundary of the Ladies' Mile Historic District – which lies between the Avenue of the Americas and...
-based True Entertainment, which also produces Real Housewives of Atlanta. True Entertainment is a subsidiary of Endemol
Endemol
Endemol is an international television production and distribution company based in the Netherlands, with subsidiaries and joint ventures in 23 countries, including the United Kingdom, the United States, France, Mexico, Spain, Italy, Germany, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Dominican Republic, Poland,...
. Advertising for the series calls it "Housewives ... With Balls!"
On January 18, 2011, Logo announced a second season for the series. Season two began airing on July 25, 2011 and consists of 12 one hour episodes. The entire original cast returned along with one new cast member. The season picks up several months after where the first season left off.
Cast
- Reichen LehmkuhlReichen LehmkuhlReichen Lehmkuhl, , is an American former reality show winner, model, and occasional actor...
: known for winning the 4th season of The Amazing RaceThe Amazing Race 4The Amazing Race 4 is the fourth installment of the reality television show on US television The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 4 featured 12 teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world...
with former husband Chip ArndtChip ArndtChip Arndt is an American gay activist, best known as a winner of The Amazing Race 4 in 2003 with former partner Reichen Lehmkuhl. The team was the first out gay couple to win a reality television competition...
and for his relationship with singer Lance BassLance BassJames Lance Bass , best known as Lance Bass, is an American pop singer, dancer, actor, film and television producer, and author. He grew up in Mississippi and rose to fame as the bass singer for the American pop boy band 'N Sync. 'N Sync's success led Bass to work in film and television...
, Lehmkuhl is a model, author, actor, activist, jewelry designer and former Air Force pilot. - Rodiney Santiago: a model from Brazil, Santiago is, at the beginning of the series, Lehmkuhl's boyfriend. Santiago is bisexual and his relationship with Lehmkuhl is his second with a man.
- Mike RuizMike RuizMike Ruiz is a Canadian-born photographer, director, TV personality and former model and actor.- Early life :Ruiz, who is of French Canadian and Spanish ancestry, was born in Montreal in 1964, but raised in Repentigny, Quebec, Canada. After modeling for a decade he moved to Los Angeles to study...
: Ruiz is a film director and fashion photographer whose work has appeared in InterviewInterview (magazine)Interview is an American magazine which has the nickname The Crystal Ball Of Pop. It was founded in late 1969 by artist Andy Warhol. The magazine features intimate conversations between some of the world's biggest celebrities, artists, musicians, and creative thinkers...
and Vanity FairVanity Fair (magazine)Vanity Fair is a magazine of pop culture, fashion, and current affairs published by Condé Nast. The present Vanity Fair has been published since 1983 and there have been editions for four European countries as well as the U.S. edition. This revived the title which had ceased publication in 1935...
. He has appeared on other reality series including America's Next Top ModelAmerica's Next Top ModelAmerica's Next Top Model is a reality television show in which a number of women compete for the title of America's Next Top Model and a chance to start their career in the modeling industry....
and RuPaul's Drag RaceRuPaul's Drag RaceRuPaul's Drag Race is an American reality television series produced by World of Wonder for Logo. RuPaul plays host, mentor and inspiration for this series, which details RuPaul's search for "America's next drag superstar."...
. - Austin Armacost: a model, Armacost dated designer Marc JacobsMarc JacobsMarc Jacobs is an American fashion designer. He is the head designer for Marc Jacobs, as well as Marc by Marc Jacobs, a diffusion line, with more than 200 retail stores in 60 countries. He has been the creative director of the French design house Louis Vuitton since 1997...
for a short time. - Derek Lloyd Saathoff: a former model turned casting agent.
- Ryan Nickulas: hair stylist and owner of his own salon.
- Nyasha Zimucha: Zimucha, a former Miss Africa USA, is a recording artist and entrepenuer. She joined the cast in season two.
Although not billed as a cast member, Nickulas's assistant TJ Kelly appears in every episode. Kelly was nominated as "Best New Indulgence" at the 2011 NewNowNext Awards
NewNowNext Awards
The first NewNowNext-Awards were held in 2008 by the gay and lesbian-themed network Logo.- 2008 :The nominees were announced by Cazwell and Amanda Lepore. Hosts were Candis Cayne and Colman Domingo...
.
Cast History
| Cast | Season 1 | Season 2 | Season 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reichen Lehmkuhl | TBA | ||
| Rodiney Santiago | TBA | ||
| Austin Armacost | TBA | ||
| Derek Lloyd Saathoff | TBA | ||
| Ryan Nickulas | TBA | ||
| Mike Ruiz | |||
| Nyasha Zimucha | TBA | ||
| TJ Kelly | recurring | recurring | TBA |
Season one
Season one follows the ups and downs in the romantic relationship between Reichen and Rodiney and the personal interactions between Austin and other members of the cast. After being initially supportive of Reichen and Rodiney's relationship and viewing Austin as a disruption, Derek, Ryan and TJ have an abrupt change of heart and become close with Austin.The season also tracks the efforts of several of the cast to advance their professional careers. Reichen works to further his acting career, expand his jewelry design business and begin a recording career. Rodiney seeks work in the modeling industry and Austin, a former model, struggles to get back into shape to resume his career. Mike has his first solo photography exhibition.
Episodes
| Title | Original airdate |
|---|---|
| "Codeword Delicious" | October 4, 2010 |
| "Hanging With the Big Boys" | October 11, 2010 |
| "Love Bares All" | October 18, 2010 |
| "A Hot Messy Pride" | October 25, 2010 |
| "All Fired Up" | November 1, 2010 |
| "Texting and Tears" | November 8, 2010 |
| "Going Down in Flames" | November 15, 2010 |
| "Mainetervention" | November 22, 2010 |
| "To the Sky" | November 29, 2010 |
| "Reunion" | December 6, 2010 |
Season two
Season two opens at the beginning of the Summer 2011 season. Reichen has been embarrassed by naked pictures of himself posted on the Internet. He and Rodiney have broken up. Austin and Jake are nearing their first anniversary. Derek has quit his job and started a tanning company, and also has a new potential boyfriend, DuncanDuncan Roy
Duncan Roy , is an English film director and producer, script writer, art director and television personality.-Early life:...
. Mike is living with his life partner Martin, who is also his business partner and agent.
Episodes
| Title | Original airdate |
|---|---|
| "Dirty Exposure" | July 25, 2011 |
| "Porn and Prejudice" | August 1, 2011 |
| "Bestie Break-up" | August 8, 2011 |
| "Unholy Alliances" | August 15, 2011 |
| "Cattiness on the Catwalk" | August 22, 2011 |
| "Wig Parties and Threesomes" | August 29, 2011 |
| "Hamptons Hellraising" | September 12, 2011 |
| "Lies, Hypocrisy and Marriage Equality" | September 19, 2011 |
| "Tense-sexual Party" | September 26, 2011 |
| "Ultimate Betrayal at the Boardwalk" | October 3, 2011 |
| "Reunion Part I" | October 10, 2011 |
| "Reunion Part II" | October 17, 2011 |
Critical reception
Reviews for The A-List: New York have been mixed. The New York Daily News found that the cast could be "tiresome" but held out hope for some quality drama. The A.V. ClubThe A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
was sharply critical, calling the cast "vapid and materialistic" and characterizing the series as being "about stupid people doing stupid things". Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
and Salon.com
Salon.com
Salon.com, part of Salon Media Group , often just called Salon, is an online liberal magazine, with content updated each weekday. Salon was founded by David Talbot and launched on November 20, 1995. It was the internet's first online-only commercial publication. The magazine focuses on U.S...
touched upon the possible cultural significance of the series. EW reflected on the outrage that some in the LGBT community have expressed about the image of gay men the series projects, answering that criticism by noting that other reality series including the Real Housewives franchise are not viewed with the expectation that its participants are representative of the class as a whole. Salon, while suggesting that the series is a source of "constant indignation" to viewers, nonetheless finds The A-List: New York to be "riveting" television and "a surprisingly thought-provoking reminder of how much representations of gay men on TV have changed and how gay identity is turning into a kind of consumer bracket rather than an act of self-expression".
Franchise
On April 18, 2011, Logo announced that it was expanding the "A-List" franchise. The A-List: DallasThe A-List: Dallas
The A-List: Dallas is an American reality television series airing on Logo. The series, the second entry in Logo's The A-List franchise after The A-List: New York, follows the lives of several gay men and one woman as they traverse the gay scene of Dallas, Texas...
premiered on October 10, 2011. Casting calls were also issued for a Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
edition, but no cast or scheduling information has been forthcoming.