‘Timber Creek Lodge’ makes Bravo debut
People don’t watch Bravo reality shows for the sociology. Perhaps they should. “Timber Creek Lodge” (9 p.m.) becomes the latest to explore the upstairs-downstairs relationships between clients and staff. “Lodge” is set at an ultra-expensive ski resort in British Columbia.
Part of the fun, if not education, of watching a series like “Downton Abbey” or “Upstairs Downstairs” was exploring the clear distinctions between social strata. While it would be untrue to say that there are no class distinctions at “Timber Creek Lodge,” one could easily say that everybody is lacking in class.
Reality television asserts itself as the great leveler here. Everybody is on camera, ready to perform. Even the cleaning staff seems deluded into the notion that they have “arrived” merely by living, toiling and scrubbing in proximity to other people’s money.
Jenna, an untrained housekeeper, describes herself as “basically homeless,” a fact that may evoke momentary sympathy. Then she reveals that she was a former professional cheerleader for the Dallas Mavericks who lost her job for “fraternizing” with the players. There’s a character born for reality TV.
“Timber Creek Lodge” is a posh and expensive resort with every amenity known to the pampered. There isn’t a book in sight.
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