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Can you explain the new WB show, Studio 7?

Published Friday, July 23, 2004 by seanlmccarthy | E-mail this post

Think The Real World meets Remote Control, only without the melodrama of the former or the humor of the latter, which produced the comedic breakthroughs for both Colin Quinn and Adam Sandler. Hearing the pretentious host and seeing the unrefined production values of Studio 7 on tonight's debut, I honestly thought this was a prank show like Joe Schmo. Turns out the prank is on the audience.
Here is the premise: Take seven "college-age contestants," put them in a NYC apartment for a week, allow them to study and memorize the questions, then tape the hilarious antics that follow. Ooh boy! Winner gets $77,000. Everyone else gets nothing, except as one contestant says, "I got my haircut in a salon and I got these cool clothes!" All you need to know: the catchphrase in the theme song is a plaintive "help me!" And this from 18-year-old Jesse of Missoula, Mont., in the debut: "Oh my God. I'm still in the game. That's so crazy." Yes, Jesse, that is so crazy. The show repeats on Sundays.