popular thinking

FUNNY BUT TRUE: Tonight on the Fox 25 News at 10, they profiled the Famiglietti family of Peabody, who I wrote about this morning in the Herald. What makes it so funny is that the family made news by appearing on not one, but two "reality" TV shows on Fox. You would've thought that the network would be savvy enough to be on top of that and promote the heck out of it before Monday night's show. But no. So...here was my story:

The Famigliettis of Peabody have stretched their proverbial 15 minutes of fame into three hours.
Richard and Diane Famiglietti and their four children appeared last year on Fox's Trading Spouses, then again Monday on Fox's Renovate My Family.
Their double dip into prime-time "reality'' TV earned them $50,000 the first time, then a new 3,600-square-foot home with all-season outdoor hockey rink and hot tub on the second go-round.
"We're still kind of flying high,'' Diane Famiglietti said yesterday. "It's been an incredible year. We don't know why, but we're not going to question it.''
Some viewers did just that overnight on the show's online message boards, wondering why one family would get two televised makeover opportunities. "What about all the other people out there that need help?'' wrote AngieRusso.
Others defended the Peabody family.
"Do you watch Trading Spouses?'' wrote bugmaster. "I saw the episode (Diane) was on and she was the reason I kept watching.''
Rocket Science Laboratories, which produces both shows, had no reservations casting the family again. "As we went deeper into their story, we just really felt they were deserving for Renovate, '' said production executive Matt Laviano.

Read the rest of my story: Family hour: Reality is, Fox-TV just loves this Peabody clan (Boston Herald)
Official FOX sites: Renovate My Family, Trading Spouses