Connect with us

Utah

Brian Higgins: In 2025, there will be even more reality TV shows about Utah

Published

on

Brian Higgins: In 2025, there will be even more reality TV shows about Utah


This is part of a series of forward-looking predictions for 2025. Read more.

When I was asked to write about my predictions for 2025, a number of important topics ran through my head. The post-election political landscape. The increasing presence of artificial intelligence in our lives and what it means for the future of work. The health of the Great Salt Lake, Bear Lake, the Colorado River or any number of important waterways in Utah and the West. But setting out to answer those questions would leave another, more important question unanswered.

So I will answer that question: Yes, they will make more trashy reality TV shows about Utah in 2025.

How could they not? Hulu’s “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” is one of 2024′s most talked-about shows. Meanwhile, Bravo’s “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” is as popular as ever, and its spinoff “The Trial of Jen Shah” had great ratings on C-SPAN. It’s clear from these shows that America wants to know more about Utah. Or at least the fabulously wealthy, mostly white, occasionally religious women of Utah.

Advertisement

This isn’t going to change in 2025. In fact, I predict there will only be more interest in the Beehive State. And rather than being an annoyance, this will actually be a great opportunity to showcase what life is like for Utahns who exist outside of the realms of dramatic cocktail parties, lavish getaways, soft-swinging affairs and high-profile financial crimes. We’ll all get our shot at reality fame next year.

The networks will be strategic about it, of course. They’ll ease people into it with the tried and true “wives” theme. “Keeping Up With Utah Jazz Wives” will premiere first. Imagine the drama of watching Jazz couples shop for houses in 29 different cities during the trade deadline or trying to find an outfit that matches those highlighter-yellow jerseys. A show like this would also offer a refreshing twist on the genre, since the average NBA player is about 100x more dramatic than any housewife.

After that, we’ll slowly move away from the upper class. It’s time for “The Real Ski Bum Condo-Wives of Salt Lake City.” This is drama. This is intrigue. If you thought the showdowns on “RHOSLC” were intense, wait until you see how Aspen from Cottonwood Heights reacts when her husband, River, buys a third pair of powder skis with the rent check. Throwing a glass of wine in someone’s face is interesting; throwing a can of Pabst Blue Ribbon in their face is cinema.

At this point, America will have full-blown Utah fever. It’s time to let the men shine. “The Secret Lives of Mormon Husbands” is Hulu’s next smash hit. The male version will be a bit different, though. Unlike “Mormon Wives” and “RHOSLC,” which follow the women throughout their daily lives, “Husbands” will be a “Hard Knocks”-style sports documentary following a full season of church ball.

No one will be able to resist the highs and lows of recreational basketball in suburban Utah. It’ll blow “Hard Knocks” out of the water. Sure, when a passionate, hard-working kid from a D2 school narrowly misses out on his NFL dreams, that’s sad. But when Jeff from Layton tells his wife and kids that he missed the game-tying free throw in overtime? Devastating.

Advertisement

This show will also help America move away from its mystical fascination with Mormons. For whatever reason, it seems the viewing public thinks LDS members live very different lives than their own, whether they be devoted members or “Bad Mormons,” like “RHOSLC’s” Heather Gay. But if viewers want a glimpse at some Utahns who truly live unique lives, they’ll go crazy for “The Real Desert Kangaroo Rats of Moab.”

The catty critters didn’t come here to make friends; they came here to strut their stuff, speak their minds and survive on a diet of grass seeds and mesquite beans in desert scrub, open grasslands and creosote flats. Sir David Attenborough will narrate and say things like, “Here in the desert, water is scarce. But there’s plenty of tea and — like the temperatures — it’s piping hot.”

We haven’t even touched on dating shows, and Utah is the perfect venue for some of America’s biggest love-centric trash TV. Have the producers of “The Golden Bachelor” even heard of Park City? These are the fittest 70-somethings in the world, people. Forget pickleball; this will be the first season with an ultramarathon group date.

Netflix’s “Love Is Blind,” the show where contestants fall in love through a wall and get married six weeks later, should also take a visit here. Fans of the show deserve to see a family that’s almost entirely unfazed by the idea of getting married that fast.

It’s going to be a big year for Utah, and I think there will be room for everyone to cash in. And if you think that you, yes you, aren’t interesting enough for your own show, just remember the golden rule of reality TV: No idea is too stupid.

Advertisement

(Photo courtesy of Brian Higgins) Brian Higgins

Brian Higgins is a writer and comedian in Salt Lake City.

The Salt Lake Tribune is committed to creating a space where Utahns can share ideas, perspectives and solutions that move our state forward. We rely on your insight to do this. Find out how to share your opinion here, and email us at voices@sltrib.com.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Utah

Atlanta plays Utah, aims to stop road losing streak

Published

on

Atlanta plays Utah, aims to stop road losing streak


Associated Press

Atlanta Hawks (18-18, seventh in the Eastern Conference) vs. Utah Jazz (9-25, 14th in the Western Conference)

Salt Lake City; Tuesday, 9 p.m. EST

Advertisement

BOTTOM LINE: Atlanta will aim to break its three-game road skid when the Hawks face Utah.

The Jazz have gone 2-12 at home. Utah allows the most points in the Western Conference, giving up 118.4 points and is allowing opponents to shoot 47.8%.

The Hawks are 8-11 on the road. Atlanta is eighth in the league with 12.1 offensive rebounds per game led by Clint Capela averaging 3.3.

The Jazz are shooting 46.1% from the field this season, 1.5 percentage points lower than the 47.6% the Hawks allow to opponents. The Hawks average 117.1 points per game, 1.3 fewer than the 118.4 the Jazz allow.

TOP PERFORMERS: John Collins is averaging 17.9 points and 8.3 rebounds for the Jazz.

Advertisement

Jalen Johnson is averaging 19.8 points, 10.1 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.5 steals for the Hawks.

LAST 10 GAMES: Jazz: 4-6, averaging 114.7 points, 47.6 rebounds, 25.3 assists, 7.2 steals and 4.9 blocks per game while shooting 46.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 116.0 points per game.

Hawks: 4-6, averaging 118.1 points, 43.3 rebounds, 29.3 assists, 11.2 steals and 5.1 blocks per game while shooting 47.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 121.4 points.

INJURIES: Jazz: Keyonte George: out (heel), John Collins: out (personal), Jordan Clarkson: day to day (plantar ), Taylor Hendricks: out for season (fibula), Lauri Markkanen: out (back).

Hawks: Kobe Bufkin: out for season (shoulder), Larry Nance Jr.: out (hand), Bogdan Bogdanovic: day to day (leg), Jalen Johnson: out (shoulder), Cody Zeller: day to day (personal).

Advertisement

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.




Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Utah

Missing woman found dead in Utah; police looking for her 'violent' ex-boyfriend – East Idaho News

Published

on

Missing woman found dead in Utah; police looking for her 'violent' ex-boyfriend – East Idaho News


SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (KSL.com) — Unified police on Saturday located the body of a missing woman in a remote location in Tooele County. The woman was murdered, police say, and now they are looking for her “violent ex-boyfriend” in connection with her death.

On Thursday, the family of Talia Benward reported to Unified police that she was missing.

“As the investigation developed and evidence was gathered, it became evident Talia Benward was either being held against her will by a violent ex-boyfriend or was deceased,” Unified police said in a statement Sunday.

Beginning in the early morning hours on Saturday, police searched a remote area of Tooele County where they thought she could be. The large area is “covered with tall brush and cedar trees” and was being conducted in “nearly total darkness and frigid snowy conditions.”

Advertisement

Benward’s body was located at 5:20 a.m. Saturday with the assistance of the Salt Lake City and Weber County K-9 teams, police said.

“Preliminarily, it appears the victim may have suffered from blunt force trauma and trauma to her neck area,” the statement says.

The Unified Police Department is treating Benward’s death as a homicide and is asking for the public’s help in locating Nestor Rocha-Aguayo, 24, of West Valley City, who they say is a person of interest. Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 801-840-4000.

“We do believe he is still in Salt Lake County and are asking individuals to not confront him but to call police,” the statement says.

=htmlentities(get_the_title())?>%0D%0A%0D%0A=get_permalink()?>%0D%0A%0D%0A=htmlentities(‘For more stories like this one, be sure to visit https://www.eastidahonews.com/ for all of the latest news, community events and more.’)?>&subject=Check%20out%20this%20story%20from%20EastIdahoNews” class=”fa-stack jDialog”>

Advertisement





Source link

Continue Reading

Utah

Deseret News archives: Snow in Utah’s Dixie? It has happened through the years

Published

on

Deseret News archives: Snow in Utah’s Dixie? It has happened through the years


A look back at local, national and world events through Deseret News archives.

On Jan. 5, 1974, a major winter storm moved across southern Utah, dropping more than a foot of snow on Kanab and St. George and causing numerous traffic accidents.

Nationally, year-round daylight saving time had begun in the U.S. on a trial basis as a fuel-saving measure in response to the OPEC oil embargo.

But Californians, southern Nevadans and residents of Utah’s Dixie — where the sun always shined was dealing with a soggy storm track. The rarely seen snowstorms, snarled traffic all along I-15. Victorville, California, reported 21 inches of fluffy snow on Jan. 4.

Advertisement

In St. George, a storm had hit on New Year’s Day, then on Jan. 4-5, the snow hit the Arizona Strip, Washington and Kane counties and beyond.

According to the Deseret News, ”a population explosion of snowmen and snowball fights” were reported. The same Deseret News article reported many St. George residents walked to church rather than risk the drive on icy roads.

Storms in that area of the state — usually the Beehive State’s winter playground — are rare but not unheard of. Similar storms in 1894, 1919, 1993, 2006, 2007 and 2008 found their way into the record books.

But on Jan. 5, 10 inches fell in St. George.

Here are some articles from Deseret News archives about snow in southern Utah, why snowbirds love to fly to St. George and Utah’s weather history:

Advertisement

“Snow hits Utah from Ogden to St. George”

“Rare coating of snow in Dixie creates travel troubles”

“‘83 floods top Utah’s ‘disaster’ list: Tornado, avalanche, cold also rank high for century

“Snowbirds flocking to St. George”

Snow blankets palm trees and redrock in St. George on Thursday, Dec.18, 2008, after storms moved across the area. The storm closed schools, delayed flights and caused problems on the roads.

“Rare snowstorm traps I-15 motorists overnight on Arizona Strip”

Advertisement

“Snow in Utah’s Dixie”

“The snow is a gift that I don’t really want anymore”

The front page of the Deseret News Metro section on Jan. 7, 1974, recapping a weekend of snow accumulation in Utah’s Dixie, including 10 inches of snow that fell on Dec. 5.



Source link

Continue Reading

Trending