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Blog
‘Welcome To The Parker’ Debuts; Critics Unimpressed
August 2, 2007
The Parker Palm Springs made its television debut last week on the Bravo cable network, which is documenting the property for a reality show called “Welcome to the Parker.” The show, which airs at 10 p.m. EST on Thursdays (plus reruns at least once a day), is largely getting panned by critics.
TV Blend gives the show 1.5 stars out of 5, saying: “Aspiring to exude a behind-the-scenes authenticity, ‘Parker’ focuses too much on its obnoxious guests, mistakenly shifting point of views irregularly from that of a guest’s to that of an employee’s. From any point of view, though, ‘Welcome to the Parker’ doesn’t even work as the giant commercial for the hotel its creators intended it to be.” That’s some harsh criticism, and probably not exactly what the hotel had in mind when it signed up for the glow of the cameras.
However, it is the HotelChatter review that is really damning. Besides giving the show a lukewarm review, HotelChatter suspects the whole setup is a complete sham, even down to fake guests and hotel staffers hired specifically for the show. I tried to get some comment from someone at the Parker, but apparently the hotel has a standing policy not to deal with the trade press, which both unusual and, dare I say, disingenuous.
Alas, if HotelChatter’s suspicions of a fake are true, it won’t be the only hotel reality show operating under false pretenses. The Web site previously outed Oxygen network’s “Tori & Dean: Inn Love,” which purports to be about a bed and breakfast owned by actors Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott; in real life, though, the B&B is still owned by other people.
The first season of “Welcome to the Parker” is slated to have a six-episode run, and if early reviews of the first episode are any indication, don’t expect there to be a second season.
Lancaster Intelligencer Journal: ‘Parker’ a Bit of a Drag
Real Television: ‘Parker’ is Style, Not Substance
Posted by Adam Kirby on August 2, 2007 | Comments (0)