Texarkana Gazette

Dwayne Johnson hosts Season 2 of ‘The Titan Games’ on NBC

- By Rachel Jones

Who will rise?: It’s every athlete’s dream to have their workout designed by the great Dwayne Johnson (“Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle,” 2017). Now it’s becoming a reality as “The Titan Games” Season 2 premieres on Monday, May 25, on NBC. This two-hour event tests every muscle and drains the last ounce of strength and endurance from each of the talented competitor­s.

The show is produced by Universal Television Alternativ­e Studio and Seven Bucks Production­s, along with A. Smith & Co., production companies that also produce “American Ninja Warrior.” Uniquely, all of the challenges and battles are planned out by Dwayne Johnson, whose impressive physique and fitness regime has inspired viewers everywhere. If Johnson is designing their tests, you know they’ll be pushed to the max.

Though many men and women enter the Titan arena, only a few emerge victorious. They are pitted against one another in intense battles to see who can move on to the next round. Those left standing at the end compete on Mount Olympus, the pinnacle of all challenges where four specific skills are put to the test: strength, speed, endurance and agility. Anyone who survives the battle is named a Titan of Olympus.

But that’s not all. At the end, when only the truly gifted remain, they get to compete against Johnson himself, titan against titan. Only one man and one woman will be left standing to be crowned the Titan Champions, and each will be given $100,000.

On Monday, May 25, the Titans rise again. Tune in for the season two premiere on NBC.

The art of movement: While vocal talent has dominated networks for years, viewers are clamoring for more of “World of Dance,” and the Season 4 premiere airs Tuesday, May 26, on NBC. The show is hosted by Scott Evans (“Access Hollywood”) and features three talented judges. The contestant­s are evaluated by dancer Derek Hough (“Dancing With the Stars”), dancer and vocalist Ne-Yo (“Battle Los Angeles,” 2011) and none other than legendary singer, dancer and actress, Jennifer Lopez (“Hustlers,” 2019).

Produced by Universal Television Alternativ­e Studio, the show originated as a one-time event, but it has now grown to be a wildly popular attraction for dancers around the globe, profession­al and amateur alike. While many other competitio­n shows draw viewers in with drama and animosity between contestant­s, “World of Dance” focuses on one thing: talent. The show begins by separating contestant­s into four groups according to age. But as the season goes on, the contestant­s compete across barriers of age, genre and even language. They go through five eliminatio­n rounds, culminatin­g in the World Final.

In the last season, the judges tightened up the requiremen­ts that need to be met in order to move on to the second round, so only the best are moving on this time around. As a result, the shows have been even more phenomenal, highlighti­ng the most insane talents. As Season 4 premieres, we wouldn’t be surprised to see the judges turning up the heat once again, the pressure is on for these dancers! Who will win the $1-million prize? Pick your favorite during the premiere of “World of Dance,” airing Tuesday, May 26, on NBC.

Bye-bye to bad hair: They’re out to stop some of the worst crimes — crimes of fashion. The new series, “To Catch a Beautician,” debuts Monday, May 25, on VH1. You can follow singer Tamar Braxton (“True to the Game 2: Gena’s Story,” 2020) as she searches out some of the most terrible hairdos alongside celebrity hairstylis­t Johnny Wright.

Disgruntle­d clients nominate hairstylis­ts who have given them the worst haircuts and styles, and in true reality TV fashion, Braxton and Wright serve those stylists with a surprise confrontat­ion about their disaster dos.

We can’t help but find some comparison­s to the well-loved duo of Stacy London and Clinton Kelly from TLC’s “What Not to Wear.” The show surprised unsuspecti­ng women with fashion faux pas and taught them how to dress for the real world. Hopefully, Braxton and Wright will share that same dynamic connection as they meet with these stylists who are lacking in style.

But that’s not all! The team also puts the stylists through a hairdressi­ng boot camp, teaching them profession­al tips and tricks to help them improve. Later, they have to prove that they’ve really learned from these incredible experts, as each gets the opportunit­y for redemption by styling the hair of the dissatisfi­ed client who nominated them. Now that’s a challenge!

 ??  ?? Dwayne Johnson hosts “The Titan Games”
Dwayne Johnson hosts “The Titan Games”

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