Battle of the Network Stars Award - Reality Competition

The Battle of the Network Stars Award for Best Reality Competition Series
2009: American Idol (FOX)
2010: Survivor (CBS)
2011: Survivor (CBS)
2012: Survivor (CBS)
2013: Big Brother (CBS)
2014: Survivor (CBS)
2015: Survivor (CBS)
2016: Survivor (CBS)
2017: Survivor (CBS)

2018 Results

5. Bachelor in Paradise (ABC) 4 points
4th by Loose, Marsh

4. Top Chef (Bravo) 10 points
1st by Marsh

3. The Challenge (MTV) 12 points
1st by Loose

2. Survivor (CBS) 15 points
1st by T-time, Tippy

1. Big Brother (CBS) 16 points
1st by Jack, Larry, Jaydon

Winners' Breakdown
1st: Jack, Larry, Jaydon
3rd: Loose, Marsh
No Votes: T-time, Tyson, Brady, Bonz, Lenny, Cecil, Rizzo, Tippy

Battle of the Network Stars Award - Reality Competition

The Battle of the Network Stars Award for Best Reality Competition Series
2009: American Idol (FOX)
2010: Survivor (CBS)
2011: Survivor (CBS)
2012: Survivor (CBS)
2013: Big Brother (CBS)
2014: Survivor (CBS)
2015: Survivor (CBS)
2016: Survivor (CBS)

2017 Results

10. Coupled (ABC) 0 points

9. Dating Naked (VH1) 1 point
5th by Jaydon

8. Iron Chef Gauntlet (Food Network) 1 point
5th by Loose

7. The Voice (NBC) 3 points
1st by Tyson

6. The Great Food Truck Race (Food Network) 3 points
2nd by Tippy

5. Bachelor in Paradise (ABC) 8 points
3rd by Tippy

4. The Challenge (MTV) 10 points
2nd by Tyson

3. Top Chef (Bravo) 11 points
2nd by Larry, Marsh

2. Big Brother (CBS) 16 points
2nd by Loose, Jack, T-time, Jaydon

1. Survivor (CBS) 29 points
1st by Loose, Jack, T-time, Larry, Jaydon, Marsh, Tippy

This is the third straight win for Survivor in the category and the sixth overall.

Winners' Breakdown
1st: Loose, Jack, T-time, Larry, Jaydon, Marsh, Tippy
3rd: Tyson
No Votes: Bonz, Brady, Lenny, Cecil, Rizzo

Battle of the Network Stars Award - Reality Competition

The Battle of the Network Stars Award for Best Reality Competition Series
2009: American Idol (FOX)
2010: Survivor (CBS)
2011: Survivor (CBS)
2012: Survivor (CBS)
2013: Big Brother (CBS)
2014: Survivor (CBS)
2015: Survivor (CBS)

2016 Results

9. Food Network Star (Food Network) 0 points

8. Dating Naked (VH1) 2 points
4th by Jaydon

7. The Great Food Truck Race (Food Network) 3 points
2nd by Tippy

6. American Idol (FOX) 5 points
2nd by Tyson

5. Bachelor in Paradise (ABC) 5 points
4th by Loose, Larry

4. Top Chef (Bravo) 7 points
2nd by Marsh

3. The Challenge (MTV) 13 points
2nd by Jaydon

2. Big Brother (CBS) 17 points
1st by Larry

1. Survivor (CBS) 31 points
1st by Loose, Jack, T-time, Jaydon, Tyson, Marsh, Tippy

This is the sixth win in the last seven years in this category for Survivor.  The CBS reality competition has now won 19 overall Poolies, but this is the first year that Survivor did not win an individual contestant award.

Winners' Breakdown
1st: Loose, Jack, T-time, Jaydon, Tyson, Marsh, Tippy
2nd: Larry
No Vote: Bonz, Brady, Lenny, Cecil, Rizzo

Battle of the Network Stars Award - Reality Competition

The Battle of the Network Stars Award for Best Reality Competition Series
2009: American Idol (FOX)
2010: Survivor (CBS)
2011: Survivor (CBS)
2012: Survivor (CBS)
2013: Big Brother (CBS)
2014: Survivor (CBS)

2015 Results

10. The Voice (NBC) 3 points
2nd by Tyson

9. The Great Food Truck Race (Food Network) 3 points
3rd by Tippy

8. Utopia (FOX) 4 points
3rd by Larry

7. American Idol (FOX) 5 points
3rd by Jack

6. Bachelor in Paradise (ABC) 7 points
2nd by Lenny

5. Top Chef (Bravo) 9 points
1st by Lenny

4. The Amazing Race (CBS) 11 points
1st by Tyson

3. The Challenge (MTV) 14 points
1st by Jaydon, Rizzo, Marsh

2. Big Brother (CBS) 17 points
1st by Jack, Larry

and the Poolie goes to...

1. Survivor (CBS) 25 points
1st by Loose, T-time, Mags, Tippy

This marks Survivor's fifth win for best reality competition series and its 18th victory at the Poolies overall. It is one of just five series to have won multiple "best series" awards at the Poolies, joining Breaking Bad (3), It's Always Sunny (3), Friday Night Lights (3) and The Office (2).

Winner's Breakdown
1st: Loose, T-time, Mags, Tippy
2nd: Jack, Jaydon
3rd: Tyson, Marsh
4th: Larry
No Vote: Cecil, Rizzo, Bonz, Brady, Lenny

Battle of the Network Stars Award - Reality Series

Named For: The Battle of the Network Stars (ABC)
Awarded To: The best reality competition series of the season
2009: American Idol (FOX)
2010: Survivor (CBS)
2011: Survivor (CBS)
2012: Survivor (CBS)
2013: Big Brother (CBS)

Here are this year's honorees...

10th - America's Best Cook (Food Network) 0 points

9th - Food Network Star (Food Network) 0 points

8th - The Great Food Truck Race (Food Network) 2 points
5th by T-time; 5th by me

7th - The Sing Off (NBC) 5 points
3rd by T-time

6th - Top Chef (Bravo) 5 points
2nd by Marsh

5th - The Voice (NBC) 6 points
1st by Ty

4th - American Idol (FOX) 11 points
2nd by Jack, Ty; 2nd by me

3rd - Big Brother (CBS) 12 points
3rd by T-time, Jack, Jaydon; 3rd by me

2nd - The Challenge (MTV) 15 points
1st by Jaydon, Rizzo, Bonz; 4th by me

and the Poolie goes to...

Survivor (CBS) 23 points
1st by T-time, Jack, Marsh; 1st by me

This is Survivor's fourth win in the category, which ties the reality competition series for the most Poolies ever by anyone in any category.

Battle of the Network Stars Award - Reality Series

Named For: The Battle of the Network Stars (ABC)
Awarded To: The best reality competition series of the season
2009 Winner: American Idol (FOX)
2010 Winner: Survivor (CBS)
2011 Winner: Survivor (CBS)
2012 Winner: Survivor (CBS)

And here are this year's honorees...

10th. Next Iron Chef (Food) 0 points

9th. Great Food Truck Race (Food) 2 points
4th by T-time

8th. Bachelor Pad (ABC) 3 points
3rd by me

7th. The Amazing Race (CBS) 4 points
3rd by Tyson

6th. American Idol (FOX) 6 points
2nd by Tyson

5th. Top Chef (Bravo) 7 points
3rd by Jaydon, Lenny; 5th by me

4th. Joe Schmo Show (Spike) 9 points
3rd by T-time, Jack; 4th by me

3rd. The Voice (NBC) 10 points
1st by Tyson, Lenny

2nd. Survivor (CBS) 18 points
1st by Jaydon; 2nd by me

and the Poolie goes to...

1st. Big Brother (CBS) 21 points
1st by T-time, Jack; 1st by me

The Battle of the Network Stars Award- Reality Series

Named For: The Battle of the Network Stars (ABC) 1976-88
Awarded To: The best reality competition series of the season
2009 Winner: American Idol (FOX)
2010 Winner: Survivor (CBS)
2011 Winner: Survivor (CBS)

10. Next Iron Chef (Food Network) 0 points

9. Bachelor Pad (ABC) 1 point
5th by Me

8. The Amazing Race (CBS) 3 points
3rd by Jaydon

7. The Sing Off (NBC) 4 points
1st by T-time

6. The Voice (NBC) 10 points
1st by Tyson, 2nd by Me

5. Top Chef (Bravo) 12 points
1st by Jaydon, 4th by Me

4. Big Brother (CBS) 14 points
2nd by Cecil and Jack, 3rd by Me

3. American Idol (FOX) 15 points
1st by Rizzo, Larry, and Jack

2. The Challenge (MTV) 18 points
1st by Cecil

and the Poolie goes to...

1. Survivor (CBS) 22 points
1st by Mags, 1st by Me

This is Survivor's fourth nomination and third straight win for the best reality competition series of the season.

Something needs to happen.  Something needs to change if Survivor can win three straight Poolies this late in its run, especially since the two seasons it put forth this year weren't all that great.  What does it say about the state of reality competition television when something like that can happen?  Granted, those seasons with Russell and Boston Rob in recent history were pretty great.  Was there anyone enjoyable in this spring's installment other than Troyzan?  Not really?  Is it just Probst?  Is he THAT cocky and arrogant that he makes the show great no matter who they cast?  I'm not sure, but I know that it was once again the best reality competition to watch on television.  Big Brother was hurt by a terrible cast, Idol has run old, and Top Chef has become too gimmicky.  I don't know what fellow Poolie voters are thinking with The Challenge.  I watched one episode of that and wanted to blow my brains out.  I guess the fact of the matter is that Survivor is steady.  You can count on it to give you a certain level of entertainment year in and year out.  When that cast is filled with great characters you have a fantastic season.  When it's not, you still have a good one.  That's what we were left with here...a couple of good seasons that ended in a third straight Poolie.

by Dan Forcella

The Battle of the Network Stars Award- Reality Competition

Named For: Battle of the Network Stars (ABC) 1976-88
Awarded To: The best reality competition series
2009 Winner: American Idol (FOX)
2010 Winner: Survivor (CBS)

Place. Series (Network) Points (My Vote)

10. CMT's Next Superstar (CMT) 0 points

9. Bachelor Pad (ABC) 0 points

8. The Voice (NBC) 0 points

7. The Ultimate Catch (VH1) 2 points

6. The Amazing Race (CBS) 5 points

5. The Sing Off (NBC) 8 points (4th)

4. Top Chef (Bravo) 10 points (3rd)

3. American Idol (FOX) 12 points (5th)

2. Big Brother (CBS) 20 points (1st)

and the Poolie goes to...

1. Survivor (CBS) 27 points (2nd)

This is Survivor's third Poolie nomination for best reality competition series, and the show's second straight win of the Battle of the Network Stars Award.

It was a good season for Survivor this spring.  Redemption Island was so good that it more than made up for the lack luster Survivor Nicaragua that came out this fall.  Do you guys remember that?  No me either, because Boston Rob, Agent Phil and the gang had me mystified from day one.  It was just a great cast of characters, with not only plenty to love, but plenty of contestants to hate.  I wanted to like Matt, because he was on my fantasy team and lived in my Music City, but he became the most fun to hate on throughout the season.  The idea of Redemption Island, while wasn't perfected, was a nice new wrinkle to the show.  At the end of the day though it was the excellence of Boston Rob and the ridiculousness of Phil the Former Federal Agent that won Survivor its second straight Poolie.

Spring Poolies Watch- Reality and Others

With only two months left in the Poolies season, it's time to take another look at how things are shaking out before the final ballots are released on June 1st. Here's your chance to agree or disagree with the chairman in order to give whatever show or character tickled your fancy this year a shot at glory. Next up are the reality awards along with a few others, let's take a look around the pool...

The Battle of the Network Stars Award For Best Reality Competition Series

Definites
Big Brother, Top Chef, Survivor, American Idol, The Amazing Race, and The Sing Off. Nothing to see here folks. Keep moving.

In For Now
Bachelor Pad, Ultimate Catch, America’s Got Talent, and The Bachelor. Sometimes I think about switching this award to only five nominees, but then I think about getting rid of one of the six above and realize that is not possible. With The Voice and X-Factor on the way, it seems even less possible.

The Terry Fator Award For Best Male Reality Competition Contestant

Definites
Enzo (Big Brother), Hayden (Big Brother), Richard Blais (Top Chef All-Stars), Morgan (Top Chef Desserts), and Phil Sheppard (Survivor Redemption Island). Morgan’s hatred of Zac, who you’ll find on the most hated list in a bit, was ultimately what made him a definite.

In For Now
Kevin (Top Chef), Lane (Big Brother), Jesse Kovacs (Bachelor Pad), Zev and Justin (Amazing Race 18), and Paul McDonald (American Idol). Unlike with the scripted series, there is a lot of time left for reality contestants to make their moves. No one is safe, but these five are even less safe.

Outside Looking In
Fabio (Survivor Nicaragua), Mike Isabella (Top Chef All-Stars), Boston Rob (Survivor Redemption Island), Flight Time and Big Easy (Amazing Race 18), David Good (Bachelor Pad), and Jet and Cord (Amazing Race 18).

The Kellie Pickler Award For Best Female Reality Competition Contestant

Definites
Britney (Big Brother), Tara (Ultimate Catch), Brenda (Survivor Nicaragua), and Natalie (Bachelor Pad). If you watched Big Brother, you’re voting Britney number one. If you didn’t, you should watch one episode, so that you will have reason to vote her number one.

In For Now
Lauren Alaina (American Idol), Mallory (Amazing Race 18), Danielle (Top Chef Just Desserts), Amanda (Top Chef), Haley Reinhart (American Idol), and Ashley Underwood (Survivor Redemption Island). As always, this is a tough category to fill out, which causes me to think about adding judges and hosts to the category. Then I always nix that idea.

Outside Looking In
Monet (Big Brother), Kelly (Top Chef), Peyton (Bachelor Pad), Nat and Kat (Amazing Race 17), and Andrea Boehlke (Survivor Redemption Island). I don’t like any of these people.

The Crazy James Zinkand Award For the Reality Competition Contestant You Love to Hate

Definites
Rachel (Big Brother), Ragan (Big Brother), Zac (Top Chef Just Desserts), Jane (Survivor Nicaragua), and Gia (Bachelor Pad). The reality awards are worth it if only for this category. There are so many contestants that I can’t stand, but these five definitely took the cake over the course of the year for me.

In For Now
Alex (Top Chef), Wes (Bachelor Pad), NaOnka (Survivor Nicaragua), Ralph (Survivor Redemption Island), and Jacob Lusk (American Idol). Lots to hate on the most recent seasons of Survivor and American Idol. Give these guys time and they’ll make their way to the top.

Outside Looking In
James Durbin (American Idol), Naima Adedapo (American Idol), Brook and Claire (Amazing Race 17), Carla Hall (Top Chef All Stars), Margie and Luke (Amazing Race 18), and Holly (Survivor Nicaragua). And there were more! Keep the hate coming.

The Johnny Carson Award For Best Late Night Host

In For Now
Jimmy Fallon
Joel McHale
Conan O'Brien
Daniel Tosh
Steven Colbert

Outside Looking In
Jon Stewart
David Letterman
Jay Leno

The Chris Farley Award For Best Sketch Performer

In For Now
Bill Hader
Fred Armisen
Kenan Thompson
Kristen Wiig
Jason Sudeikus

Outside Looking In
Jay Pharoah
Bobby Moynihan
Andy Samberg

The Flintstones Award For Best Animated Series

In For Now
Family Guy
South Park
The Ricky Gervais Show
The Simpsons
Archer

The Battle of the Network Stars Award- Best Reality Competition

Named For: Battle of the Network Stars (ABC) 1976-88
Awarded To: Best reality competition series from June 1, 2009 - May 31, 2010
Last Year's Winner: American Idol (FOX)

Place. Show (Network) Points (My Vote)

10. The Superstars (ABC) 0 points

9. America's Got Talent (NBC) 2 points

8. Dancing With the Stars (ABC) 3 points

7. Celebrity Apprentice (NBC) 4 points

6. The Sing-Off (NBC) 5 points

5. The Amazing Race (CBS) 14 points (4th)

4. Top Chef (Bravo) 17 points (5th)

3. American Idol (FOX) 17 points (3rd)

Runner-Up
2. Big Brother (CBS) 28 points (1st)

and the Poolie goes to...
1. Survivor (CBS) 29 points (2nd)

Here with his thoughts on Survivor is Poolie voter Mags...

Like any normal bro I’ve seen plenty of reality TV in my day. Especially when you consider the bunch of morons I live with. My roommates will watch anything. That is obvious when you look at the nominees in this category. Amazing Race: oh lets watch this grandpa and some idiot kid he knows fumble around Istanbul trying to find a tandem bike so they can ride to Poland backwards! Stupid. Dancing with the Stars: Let’s tune in to see a bunch of washed up fatties stumble their way around stage. American Idol: How about we force you to spend the first 20 episodes of every season listening to a bunch or dumb rednecks, overconfident CJs and slantmouths before we get to anyone who has half a chance in hell of producing a decent sound?

To me this category is a no brainer. Until someone comes up with a reality show where people actually kill each other, Survivor wins every time. When you throw stud Russell Hantz into the mix, it is far and away the winner. Russell has made the last two seasons some of Survivor’s best by making bold plays and absolutely dominating the competition. JT helped make this memorable by pulling the dumbest move ever (to the delight of James, the previous record holder). I am not going to get into the final result of this season, which is a freaking joke and should be thrown out. The Jury was a group of imbeciles. Congrats Survivor.

by Kyle Magnus

Poolies Watch- Battle of the Network Stars Award

The Battle of the Network Stars Award is given each year to the best reality competition series of the season. So far the nominees look very similar to last year's inaugural Poolie Awards. My top three at the halfway mark are the same as in 08-09. Survivor was improved this season, thank to the likes of Russell Hantz, and it should have another surge in it this spring as CBS airs the Heroes vs. Villains version of the island competition. Idol is set to start next week and if replacing Paula with Ellen didn't work, I can see last year's champ losing its crown.

Front Runners
American Idol
Big Brother
Survivor

The Sing-Off is one of only two new shows receiving nominations at this point. It was only on for four two-hour episodes, but they were four fantastic ones. I'm sure it won't make a run at the title this year, but if NBC brings it back for a longer season, I wouldn't be surprised to see it high atop the voting in 10-11. Top Chef continues to be a show that gets a lot of love, but I have failed to view. With not enough viewers on the Poolies Committee, I don't see it vying for the top spot.

Second Tier
The Amazing Race
America’s Got Talent
The Sing-Off
Top Chef

I've never watched The Apprentice, but know Jaydon enjoys it. There are also around that enjoy to watch people dance...Not me, but others. I tried So You Think last summer and couldn't get past the first two weeks. Superstars was simple enough to take in during the summer, but the production and Jon Saunders were pretty brutal.

Just Because
Celebrity Apprentice
So You Think You Can Dance
The Superstars