Oh, gurl. Do you want to buy a TV show?
It seems Logo has decided not to buy the planned reality show about Alyssa Edwards, a.k.a. Justin Johnson, that was (and still is) filled with promise of glory. The show, titled Beyond Belief, follows Johnson at home in Texas with his Honey Boo-Boo-ish family, and at work at the Dance Moms-nightmare dance company that he owns. Add a dusting of glitter and a big scoop of complete mess, and a reality show is born! If there’s a network that will take it.
Johnson appeared as Alyssa Edwards on the fifth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race on Logo, although he made it only to sixth place. Jinkx Monsoon won that season — and she deserved it, she is brilliant — but Miss Alyssa was arguably the star of her season, thanks to her clever one-liners and her knack for absorbing all the energy in the room like a Bedazzled black hole.
Drag Race production company World of Wonder got all sticky with excitement when Johnson told stories about the competitive dance studio he owns, which is apparently filled with little diva-girls and bitchy moms who yell at each other a lot. That’s entertainment! So they dreamed up this spin-off show, hoping to cash in on the proven audience that watches the awful beast of a woman who terrorizes America on Dance Moms.
World of Wonder pitched the show to Logo and filmed a pilot, but for some reason it didn’t get the green light. So they’ve put a teaser online for the masses to rally behind via the power of social networking, should you wish to watch for yourself. The show looks cute, mainly because Johnson is endearingly nuts, which is always fun to watch. Perhaps Logo passed because the network has no money since Drag Race is the only show keeping them alive Beyond Belief is too blatantly a copy of shows already on the air. Plus, in the YouTube clip the dialogue is a bit awkward and the drama is woefully staged. Although that hasn’t stopped the Kardashians from taking over the E! network. Whatever, these things can be fixed. Beyond Belief looks fun. Logo can’t be trusted with these judgements. They thought The A-List was a good show. Attention, Logo: It. Was. Not.
Hopefully they’ll change their collective mind and give Beyond Belief a shot. Recycled ideas or not, it would find an audience. Anything would be better than the endless reruns of Living Single they’re airing now. Or just enjoy this clip for what it is, because it may be the last we see of The Alyssa Edwards show. Hollywood sure is a bitch. And so is Coco Montrese.
Cam
It’s probably too gay for Logo since they would much rather show episodes of 16 and Pregnant.
Oh, and since Queerty would never run this article…Orthodox Rabbi attacks Duck Dynasty and FOX for claiming that homophobia is religion.
http://mediamatters.org/blog/2014/02/04/orthodox-rabbi-on-fox-news-bashing-gays-is-not/197926
hooliganb
I don’t know how much of a hit this show would be, but it would certainly preform better than any non-Drag Race show that Logo has going on right now.
The fact that Willam doesn’t have a show on Logo is a testament to how they need some serious help.
redcarpet
I’d watch the shit out of this show.
And Willam needs a show. She needs like a talk show or sketch comedy show to showcase her humor. Something like Chelsea Lately maybe?
queertyreader
Not a big loss. I never thought Alyssa was very interesting or nice.
ZaneStuart
@Cam: Click the “Tip To Share” button. This is an interesting piece. I’m surprised Fox allowed it to air.
Cam
@ZaneStuart:
Thank you Zane! They haven’t seemed overly responsive to things like that in the past, but maybe because they are busy with all the gay stories out there.
As for those of you talking about a show for Willam….frankly, I would love to see a show where Willam just goes around and does his “Vacant Air-head, but really I’m smart” routine.
I still crack up whenever I think of …maybe Phi Phi Screaming at him, and Willam just saying quietly “Your tone is very pointed” LOL! I would LOVE to see Willam interviewing fans of Duck Dynasty down in Alabama or something like that.
boring
I don’t think you can call Alyssa’s one-liners “clever,” they’re more “so rock stupid they become utterly transcending.”
I was really looking forward to marathoning an entire Alyssa show, too. Hell, if it were a 13 episode run of just her making faces in the mirror, I’d be all over that.
boring
Also the fact I had to pay credit card bills instead of seeing the Drag Race show tonight is what I consider a crime against humanity.
I would hug Willam all. Day.
stranded
I mean if its on Logo then it probably wouldn’t have been any good. But if it’s filmed already, why not just air it, or make it a web series.
n_QuYringmind
I rarely write comments but since having known Miss Edwards for over a decade I can say this with assurance: Beyond Belief is a true statement on numerous levels. 1. Dancer – Extremely talented. 2. Book learnin’ & quick witted repartee – Only for reading other people and not very well done at that. 3. Friendship quotient – As long as you are useful, you are golden 4. Integrity – never heard of it! 1 star, and that would be generous
prcDS24
You’re all entitled to your comments, but I’ll reserve judgment until the show happens & maybe it will.