‘Masters of Illusion’ sees return of Grandinetti
West Mifflin native Michael Grandinetti will make another series of appearances on “Masters of Illusion” when season four begins at 8 p.m. June 30 on The CW.
Mr. Grandinetti’s 20th illusion on the show features a woman separated via a 40-inch buzz saw. Among his other effects this season: a “mind-reading mouse” that will connect with a member of the audience, “melting” through an industrial fan, and levitating a dancer.
Also on reality TV
• “MasterChef” (8 p.m. Wednesdays) returned for season eight, but the fates of two would-be White Apron awardees were not revealed. Eleven of the 20 spots were awarded, with nine remaining. That leaves Monday’s episode to possibly feature dancer Caitlin Jones, a McMurray native, and New York nurse Heather Dombrosky, who has family in Pittsburgh.
So far, cheftestants had to break down a chicken and fry it up in 30 minutes, others had to fillet a salmon, make cupcakes, sear a duck breast. The matchups were entertaining, especially that of two pastors.
Detroit’s Yachecia Holston and Shawn Niles of Yakima, Wash., were goodnatured competitors, with Ms. Holston yelling at one point, “You’re going home, in Jesus’ name!”
During the judges’ tasting, Mr. Niles remarked to host Gordon Ramsay that he tells people his “top two influences are God and Gordon.”
• Pittsburgh native Barry McLaughlin will appear on GSN’s “Idiotest” at 10:30 p.m. Thursday, trying to win $10,000. The game involves players matching wits over visual brainteaser challenges; he played with his wife, Jade.
Mr. McLaughlin grew up in McCandless and attended North Allegheny High School, then UCLA for college. He stayed in the Los Angeles area to work in film and advertising and is now an entrepreneur.
One of the inventions he has worked on is “Game Night in a Can,” which began as a Kickstarter project and is sold through Amazon.
Mr. McLaughlin is a veteran of game shows; he once won the Showcase Showdown on “The Price Is Right.”
• How appropriate that this year’s finale of “The Amazing Race” aired on a Throwback Thursday.
When Brooke Camhi and Scott Flanary reached the last pit stop along the Chicago shores of Lake Michigan, it was a testament to Mr. Flanary’s patience, persistence and ability to overcome a near-crippling fear of heights.
Ms. Camhi, well, she just whined a lot.
Their triumph was reminiscent of season three, in 2002, when Zach Behr pretty much dragged his “can’t do” partner, Flo Pesenti, around the world. At one point, Ms. Pesenti outright quit (if memory serves, something to do with piloting a small, stand-up craft?) yet he persuaded her to keep going.
Rumor had it that she gave most of their combined winnings to Mr. Behr, but that just wasn’t true. No one could blame Mr. Flanary, however, if he felt deserving of more than half of the $1 million prize this time around.
• When season 14 of Fox’s “So You Think You Can Dance” tippy taps its way back to the screen at 8 p.m. June 12, veteran judges Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy will be joined by Vanessa Hudgens.