Brighton native strips down for MTV's 'The Phone'

Mitch, a 22-year-old Brighton native currently studying Nutrition at Arizona State University, had to pose nude to distract an artist while his partner and Boston College student, Rameika, looked for the clue at the artist's loft in the latest Boston-set episode of MTV's "The Phone" airing on Tuesday, May 12.

In the fourth episode called "The Russians," the personal trainer hung out in a towel at a so-called Russian sauna, found the name of a piece of music at the Boston Public Library to use as a password for a Russian informant and helped his partner dodge green lasers to snag the show's top prize of $35,000.

Mitch ultimately shared his winnings with his 22-year-old teammate Rameika from Dorchester.

Last week, Marblehead's Katelyn Kennedy, a 22-year-old broadcast journalism graduate, shared the $20,000 prize money she won with teammate Chris Hanoian in the first Boston-set episode of MTV's "The Phone."

Click here for the latest on Justin Timberlake's "The Phone."

--Photos courtesy MTV

Marblehead native snags prize in MTV's 'The Phone'

Marblehead's Katelyn Kennedy, a 22-year-old broadcast journalism graduate, shared the $20,000 prize money she won with teammate Chris Hanoian in the Boston-set episode of MTV's "The Phone" airing on Tuesday, May 5.

Kennedy, currently living in NYC, kicked off the competition with a mafioso shoot 'em up set in Chelsea Square. Competitors Stephanie Hallett from Allston and Rob Wilson from Worcester started off strong, but had consistent issues finding the keys to their car at a impound joint in Somerville called Mike's Scrap & Metal. Apparently, a guy name Sam had issues picking up the pieces (which turned out to be a severed right thumb).

Hallett and Wilson ended up getting crushed for scrap metal.

Kennedy and Hanoian continued to the second round of the competition heading to an apartment facing the Boston Common. Kennedy spied from a room that looked a lot like Matt Damon's pad in "The Departed" on Tremont Street (with a view of the Massachusetts State House) while Hanoian searched for clues spewed by mafioso types circling Brewer Fountain.

The duo then jumped on the Blue Line T and headed to what was called Pier 17 in East Boston. There they worked together to stop an assassination attempt on two Boston police officers, with the top cop played by Quincy native Raymond Alongi.

In the nail-biting finale, Kennedy correctly answered the final trivia question and was handed a suitcase with $20,000. Instead of keeping the money to herself, she decided to share her winnings with Hanoian, an 18-year-old student from Seekonk.

There's a second Boston-set episode of MTV's "The Phone" slotted to air in the next few weeks.

Click here for the latest on Justin Timberlake's "The Phone."

--Photo courtesy MTV

Locals in Boston-set episode of MTV's 'The Phone'

MTV has released the names of the four local contestants featured in the Boston-set episode of Justin Timberlake's "The Phone" airing 10 p.m. on Tuesday, May 5. The foursome include Marblehead's Katelyn Kennedy, Seekonk's Chris Hanoian, Allston's Stephanie Hallett and Worcester's Rob Wilson.

In the Boston-shot sequence airing tonight, two teams are challenged to "take down the mob before an assassination takes place." The goal in the mob smack down is to save the life of a police officer.

The second Boston-based episode is scheduled to air on Tuesday, May 12.

Kennedy, a Marblehead native currently living in NYC, tells Loaded Gun Boston that she got a good workout participating in the MTV reality show. "I was one of the contestants in the show and they had Raymond chase me around the city and through the T," she remarks here, referring to actor Raymond Alongi who plays the role of a Boston police officer in the episode. "It was a great time!"

While several scenes were shot in Charlestown, East Boston and the South End, local photographer Ryan Miner says Chelsea is a prime location for one of the two Boston-set episodes in the six-part series. "One of the best scenes is going to be where a man jumps off a four-story building," Miner spills to Loaded Gun Boston. "My wife and her best friend were watching the filming and ended up being extras, when gun shots are being fired, they run down a sidewalk."

Alongi, a former student of the Actors Studio in Los Angeles and a Quincy High grad, says he had a blast working on "The Phone."

"The best thing was the phone call the next day from one of the producers telling me how much they enjoyed my performance," Alongi says. "That is huge for any actor. Recognition! We thrive on making every part believable."

Click here for the latest on Timberlake's "The Phone."

--Photo of "The Operator" Emmett J. Scanlan by Mark Mainz

Boston episode of MTV's 'The Phone' airs May 5

MTV's latest competition reality show, "The Phone" produced by Justin Timberlake, premiered with a bang and a terrifying crawl on Seattle's Space Needle during the series debut on Tuesday, April 21. Good news is that the Boston-set episode is slotted to hit MTV on 10 p.m. Tuesday, May 5.

Boston-area locals featured in the episode include Marblehead's Katelyn Kennedy, Seekonk's Chris Hanoian, Allston's Stephanie Hallett and Worcester's Rob Wilson.

As previously reported in Loaded Gun, crews from the "The Phone" shot scenes in Chelsea Square in Chelsea. Charlestown, South End and East Boston two months ago with John Fiore, a former mob boss from "The Sopranos," acting in one of the reality show's scenarios.

In the Boston-shot sequence, two teams are challenged to "take down the mob before an assassination takes place." The goal in the mob smack down is to save the life of a police officer.

Raymond Alongi, an acting veteran and a native of Quincy, plays the role of a Boston police officer in the episode.

"Yes, I had a blast doing the show," muses Alongi in a previous interview. "When you see it, you'll know what I mean by blast!"

According to NYC-based KKenn (Katelyn Kennedy), she had fun running around Boston in the mock-mafioso mission. "I was one of the contestants in the show and they had Raymond chase me around the city and through the T," she remarks here. "It was a great time!"

Photographer Ryan Miner says Chelsea is a prime location for the Boston-set episode of "The Phone." Miner explains, "One of the best scenes is going to be where a man jumps off a four-story building. That is the scene that was shot in Chelsea. My wife and her best friend were watching the filming and ended up being extras, when gun shots are being fired, they run down a sidewalk."

Click here for the latest on Timberlake's "The Phone."

--Photo by Mark Mainz courtesy MTV

Raymond Alongi featured in MTV's 'The Phone'

Raymond Alongi, an acting veteran and a native of Quincy, takes the cliché "there are never small parts, only small actors" to heart. The 48-year-old is a featured player in an upcoming action-packed episode of Justin Timberlake's "The Phone" hitting MTV on 10 p.m. Tuesday, May 5. The premiere is set in Seattle, however, Boston is expected to be featured in an upcoming episode.

"Yes, I had a blast doing the show," muses Alongi, who runs the Purple Eggplant Pizzeria in Halifax, MA with his wife Michelle when he's not pursuing acting gigs. "When you see it, you'll know what I mean by blast!"

As previously reported in Loaded Gun, crews from the new MTV reality series "The Phone" shot scenes in Charlestown, South End and East Boston two months ago with John Fiore, a former mob boss from "The Sopranos," acting in one of the reality show's scenarios.

In the Boston-shot sequence, two teams are challenged to "take down the mob before an assassination takes place." The goal in the mob smack down is to save the life of a police officer.

Alongi, a former student of the Actors Studio in Los Angeles and a Quincy High grad, plays the Boston officer in the scene.

"The best thing was the phone call the next day from one of the producers telling me how much they enjoyed my performance," Alongi spills to Loaded Gun Boston. "That is huge for any actor. Recognition! We thrive on making every part believable."

Based on a Dutch idea that juxtaposes "The Bourne Identity" with "The Amazing Race," the show kicks off with two strategically hidden cell phones ringing in opposites sides of a city. Several scenes were shot in Boston for the six episode, one-hour-long series. Winners snag a $50,000 prize.

Click here for the latest on Timberlake's "The Phone." Also, click here for the lowdown on Alongi.

Justin Timberlake's 'The Phone' showcases Boston

Crews from the new MTV reality series "The Phone" shot scenes in East Boston two months ago with John Fiore, a former mob boss from "The Sopranos," acting in one of the reality show's scenarios. The action-packed episode, hitting MTV on 10 p.m. Tuesday beginning April 21, features ... no surprise here ... a Boston mafioso. The premiere is set in Seattle, however, Boston is expected to be featured in an upcoming episode.

In the sneak peek above, two teams are challenged to "take down the mob before an assassination takes place." The goal in the mob smack down is to save the life of a police officer. Challenges in other cities like Seattle and NYC include stopping a mad bomber and infiltrating a drug cartel.

One scene, featured in the extended clip, involves a crash scene filmed in Charlestown. This is not to be confused with an additional crash scene that was orchestrated on Harrison Avenue in the South End which eventually leads contestants to the Boston Public Library.

Based on a Dutch idea that juxtaposes "The Bourne Identity" with "The Amazing Race," the show kicks off with two strategically hidden cell phones ringing in opposites sides of a city. Several scenes were shot in Boston for the six episode, one-hour-long series. Winners snag a $50,000 prize.

Back in August, a source spilled to Loaded Gun that there was an e-mail going out from casting folks to local theater groups asking for participants with a wicked thick Boston accent.

Click here for the latest on Timberlake's "The Phone."

Justin Timberlake's 'The Phone' rings the South End

Justin Timberlake, who back on Aug. 11 sent a crew of casting directors to the Boston Hard Rock Cafe, 22 Clinton Street, on the hunt for fresh meat with a wicked-thick accent, sent crews to film a crash scene on Harrison Avenue in the South End yesterday then followed contestants to the Boston Public Library for his new reality show "The Phone."

Producers of the new MTV reality series shot scenes in East Boston this week with John Fiore, a former mob boss from "The Sopranos." Several episodes of "The Phone" are slotted to be shot in Boston. At least one of the episodes features ... no surprise here ... a Boston mafioso.

As previously reported in Loaded Gun, Timberlake is making a return to MTV and this time it's not in a music video with Madonna.

Based on a Dutch idea that juxtaposes "The Bourne Identity" with "The Amazing Race," the show kicks off with two strategically hidden cell phones ringing in opposites sides of a city. MTV producers were looking for "outgoing and adventurous contestants" with a "dynamic personality and are ready to win."

Back in August, a source spilled to Loaded Gun that there was an e-mail going out from casting folks to local theatre groups asking for participants with a wicked thick Boston accent.

Click here for the latest on Timberlake's "The Phone."

Justin Timberlake's 'The Phone' rings Boston again

Justin Timberlake, who back on Aug. 11 sent a crew of casting directors to the Boston Hard Rock Cafe, 22 Clinton Street, on the hunt for fresh meat with a wicked-thick accent, plans to ring Boston again later in February to shoot a segment for his new reality show "The Phone."

Producers of the new MTV reality series plan to film at Fisher College, the business school located at 8 Beacon St. in the Back Bay area.

As previously reported in Loaded Gun, Timberlake is making a return to MTV and this time it's not in a music video with Madonna.

Based on a Dutch idea that juxtaposes "The Bourne Identity" with "The Amazing Race," the show kicks off with two strategically hidden cell phones ringing in opposites sides of a city. MTV producers were looking for "outgoing and adventurous contestants" with a "dynamic personality and are ready to win."

Back in August, a source spilled to Loaded Gun that there was an e-mail going out from casting folks to local theatre groups asking for participants with a wicked thick Boston accent.

Click here for the latest on Timberlake's "The Phone."

Bevy of locals make cut on MTV reality shows

Move over Mr. Boston. There's a crop of locals in line to take away some of your nose-picking "I Love New York" reality TV thunder.

MTV unveiled its Tila Tequila-inspired "A Double Shot At Love" with its blonde Ikki twins--Vikki and Rikki--and an unlikely trio of locals currently gracing the small screen vying for some twin action.

Paul (a soft-spoken computer engineer), James (a conservative salesman with a thick Boston accent currently living in NYC) and Elise (a super-competitive lesbian trainer) all made it past the first-round eliminations on the season premiere. Watch the trio on "A Double Shot At Love" airing 10 p.m. Tuesdays on MTV.

Last June, casting directors from executive producer Ryan Seacrest's camp were cruising Boston's Ned Devine's at Quincy Market in Faneuil Hall searching for some fresh meat for Brody Jenner's new MTV project "Bromance."

Luke Verge (pictured above), a self-described "designated party animal" and 24-year-old substitute elementary school teacher from Medford, as well as 24-year-old Mattapoisett resident Gary Vaughn made the cut. "Bromance" premieres 9 p.m. Monday, Dec. 29 on MTV.

Also, MTV recently announced its cast for "The Real World: Brooklyn" slotted for the boob tube Wednesday, Jan. 7 at 10 p.m. Scott, a 24-year-old "muscle head" from Salem, NH, rounds out the cast of eight (yes, this is the first season MTV deviates from its cast of seven strangers formula) with his "award-winning abs," which were featured in Men’s Health magazine.

Click here to learn more about my unhealthy obsession with reality TV.

'Bromance' star Brody Jenner hits Rev Rock Bar

Brody Jenner, known for his bad boy antics on "The Hills," will make a pit stop away from his new MTV reality show "Bromance" 9 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 11 at the Revolution Rock Bar located at 200 High Street.

Last June, casting directors from executive producer Ryan Seacrest's camp were cruising Boston's Ned Devine's at Quincy Market in Faneuil Hall searching for some fresh meat for Jenner's new MTV project. Bros selected to participate in the show were flown to Los Angeles, moved into a mansion and lived the celeb highlife with Brody and his D-list entourage.

Luke, a self-described "designated party animal" and substitute elementary school teacher from Medford, made the cut.

"Bromance" premieres 9 p.m. Monday, Dec. 29 on MTV. Meanwhile, click here to RSVP for $20 at the Revolution Rock Bar.

'Survivor: Gabon' features Boston lawyer Dan Kay

I must confess: My interest in "Survivor" has waned a bit over the years but I now have a reason to watch the upcoming season of "Survivor: Gabon."

Dan Kay, a 32-year-old Boston lawyer who is originally from Walpole, made the cast of 18 contestants on the new season premiering 8 p.m. Thursday Sept. 18 on CBS.

Here's his bio:

"Attractive, athletic, single and a lawyer, Dan is set to make a big impression on his competitors. Currently, he's training to compete in his first triathlon."

According to his profile, Kay has issues with trust.

"You have to have trust to win this game but you have to know who is untrustworthy, and that's probably the most difficult task," he adds.

Click here for the lowdown.

Boob Tube :: 'You're Fired' Catchphrases

Thanks to the pioneering work of the first season of “The Apprentice,” producers of the competitive reality TV genre try to mimic the success of the “you're fired!” tagline and search for a memorable way to kick off their loser of the week.

Reality rule No. 2: You need a snarky end-of-show slam. You know, the “auf wiedersehen!” catchphrase that's regurgitated in the press and those reunion shows right before the winner is announced.

I'm not sure if TV execs have ran out of bitchy phrases or they're just getting lazy but the recent crop of reality show wannabes like "Glam God with Vivica A. Fox" are cracking me up with their one-liners. Here are my all-time faves:

*America's Next Top Model
"You must pack your bags and go home"

*America's Toughest Jobs
"Sorry, you're just not tough enough"

*From G's to Gents
"Please remove your jacket. Your membership has been denied."

*Glam God with Vivica A. Fox
“Keep reaching for the stars ... because you're not ready to style them”

*HGTV's Design Star
“Your show has been cancelled”

*I Want To Work For Diddy
"You're not ready to work for Diddy"

*Make Me a Supermodel
“We cannot make you a supermodel”

*MILF Island parody on 30 Rock
"We no longer want to hit that"

*Paris Hilton's My New BFF
"TTYN (talk to you never)"

*Project Runway
“You're out”

*Shear Genius
“That was your last cut”

*Step It Up and Dance
“The show is over. It's time for your last dance”

*Stylista
"You're not the right fit."

*Survivor
"The tribe has spoken"

*The Apprentice: Martha Stewart
“You just don't fit in”

*Top Chef
“Please pack your knives and go”

*Top Design
“See you later decorator”

Timberlake rings Boston for new MTV show

Justin Timberlake is making a return to MTV in the fall and this time it’s not in a music video.

The network, FremantleMedia (creators of "American Idol") and executive producer Timberlake are holding a casting call from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 16 at the Boston Hard Rock Café, 22 Clinton Street.

The crew is casting for a new game show based on a Dutch idea that juxtaposes "The Bourne Identity" with "The Amazing Race."

Called "The Phone," the show kicks off with two strategically hidden cell phones ringing in opposites sides of a city. MTV producers are searching for "outgoing and adventurous contestants" with a "dynamic personality and are ready to win."

Click here for more info.

UPDATE: A source says there's an e-mail going out from casting folks to local theatre groups asking for participants with a Boston accent. Thanks for the wicked pissah tip.

Brody Jenner is looking for a "Bromance"

Executive producer Ryan Seacrest and MTV are on the hunt in Boston tomorrow for a man-on-man "Bromance" with "The Hills" hottie Brody Jenner.

Bros selected to participate on MTV's upcoming reality show "Bromance" will be flown to Los Angeles, move into a mansion and live the celeb highlife with Brody and his D-list entourage.

Wanna be Jenner's BFF? MTV is holding an open casting call for guys 21-plus from 10-11:30 p.m. Saturday, June 28 at Ned Devine's, Quincy Market in Faneuil Hall.

Click here for the lowdown.

Is MTV’s ‘The Paper’ fact or fiction?

After laughing through the premiere episode of MTV’s "The Paper" this week, a few red flags were raised while watching what seems like one of the network’s not-so-real reality shows like "Laguna Beach" and "The Hills."

Back in 2007, MTV held an open casting call looking for video submissions from students willing to give the inside scoop from their newspaper office, including their responsibilities at the paper, what interests them about the news as well as important stuff like who they’re dating.

As a former editor-in-chief from Florida, I hate to admit that I identified with Amanda Lorber’s supposed real-life caricature of a high school overachiever. When she says, "Journalists are the most important part of the world. They really are," I cracked up because, well, that could’ve been a quote pulled from my journal back in the day.

However, is this show for real? While you can find the editor’s cheeky column online here, Lorber comes across in "The Paper" more like an Andrea Zuckerman archetype from "Beverly Hills 90210" and less like a real high school editor.

After checking out the Cypress Bay High School Web site in Weston, Fla. they list The Circuit on their homepage. In fact, you can read articles from the paper’s archives here where they confirm all of the staffers featured in the MTV reality show, including Lorber.

My question: Where are the archives of The Circuit prior to Sept. 2007? According to the premiere episode, Lorber was the copy editor during the '06-'07 school year before MTV started filming but the paper's online archive doesn't reflect this backstory. (Note: After posting this blog, the old site is accessible here.)

According to an article in Broadcasting & Cable, The Circuit "won several local journalism accolades including awards from the Florida Scholastic Press Association and the Sun-Sentinel’s 'best overall' award in 2004 and 2005."

While the history of the paper checks out, it still seems a little fishy to me. The whole thing gets creepier after reading comments from the staff here where they state over and over that "The Paper" is no "Laguna Beach" and that it's 100 percent real. Um, OK.

Cypress Bay is a real high school. In fact, it’s one of the largest schools in the country. But I wouldn’t be surprised if MTV did some creative casting by shipping in a few students from across the country to manufacture some made-for-TV drama for "The Paper."

Meanwhile, get the inside scoop on the show here. "The Paper" airs 10:30 p.m. Mondays on MTV.

UPDATE: Compared to last week’s premiere, tonight's episode came across a bit more "real" except for Lorber’s disillusioned soliloquies and "Eye of the Tiger" sing-along. The editor talks about how she had a crush on Alex, the managing editor, back in Hebrew school which gives some backstory.

However, "The Paper" still comes across eerily contrived and, well, scripted.

UPDATE 2: Amanda Lorber from "The Paper" is off to NYU, but she’s not looking to capitalize on her MTV fame. Lorber tells NYU's Washington Square News, “I want to have a fresh start, and I want to be kind of a normal student, not that girl who was on an MTV reality show.” (Washington Square News)

Onslaught of recycled reality stars

There must be slim pickings in the topsy-turvy world of unscripted programming. With the continued onslaught of reality TV shows hitting the small screen, I’ve had a lot of déjà vu lately. Here’s my list of recycled reality stars:

*Vinci Alonso, the 26-year-old bad boy model from MTV’s "8th & Ocean," is starring in the new reality show "VH1’s Viva Hollywood."

*Megan Hauserman, a former contestant on the Season 3 of "Beauty and the Geek," recently vied for the affections of Poison's Bret Michaels on VH1’s "Rock of Love 2."

*Before Boston’s Status Quo made it into the finals of MTV’s "Randy Jackson Presents America’s Best Dance Crew," dancers E-Knock and Jamal auditioned for Fox’s "So You Think You Can Dance."

*Bethany Frankel, currently making waves on Bravo’s "The Real Housewives of New York City," was a finalist on the ill-fated Martha Stewart edition of "The Apprentice."

*Theo Van, former contestant on MTV’s "Road Rules" and comic on NBC’s "Last Comic Standing," is now on the prom committee of ABC Family’s "America’s Prom Queen."

*Blake McGrath, a finalist on the first season of NBC’s "So You Think You Can Dance," was also a featured dancer on Jennifer Lopez’s reality show "DanceLife."

*Alison Irwin, the bad girl from "Big Brother 4" and "Big Brother All Stars," also competed on "The Amazing Race 5."

*Adrianne Curry, the winner of "America's Next Top Model: Cycle 1," appeared on "The Surreal Life," "My Fair Brady" and "My Fair Brady ... Maybe Brady."

*Toccara Jones, the fab plus-size model from "America's Next Top Model: Cycle 3," is now kicking butt on the "Celebrity Fit Club: Boot Camp" and has appeared on VH1 "Celebrity Paranormal Project."