Today’s TV shows consist of reality shows, dramas, comedies, and an abundance of competitions. Shows regarding competitors can easily become hits, but they can just as easily fail. Singing competitions are proven to be very popular, shows such as American Idol, The Voice, and X Factor have proven to be nation-wide hits over the years. With a plethora of popular TV competitions, there is an equal amount of shows that never make it past the first season. After the failure of last year’s Skating with the Stars, ABC is trying to promote a new competition to television — diving. This idea is not unique to ABC however, last January, FOX premiered Stars in Danger: The High Dive. This show show featured an equally lackluster cast; including Jersey Shore’s JWOWW and NFL player, Terrell Owens. Although FOX beat it’s rival to the punch, the show has already gone off the air. ABC hopes to avoid the same fate.

The new show Splash stars a variety of characters. Most of the “D-list” celebrities are past their prime and looking for new exposure. The cast contains a wide range of characters, from reknowned legends to one hit wonders. Olympic divers Greg Louganis and David Boudia are coaching the ten person cast. ABC Family actor Joey Lawrence and ESPN’s Clarissa Thompson host the upcoming show. The show has already received publicity, for Chelsea Lately sidekick Chuy Bravo left the show due to a broken foot.

Tuesday’s premier lacked excitement, when the most dramatic scene was watching cast members attempt to pull 400-pound Louie Anderson out of the pool. With cleverly-placed commercial breaks, ABC was able to build some sort of anticipation by breaking before every contestant left the board. Extreme skier Rory Bushfield uses his talents effectively, for he received the highest score of the night – a 8.00. Katherine and Keisha faced elimination but Keisha Pulliam was the first contestent ejected from the competition. Splash returns next Tuesday at 8 PM.

THE CAST: 

 ENTERTAINERS:

•  Louie Anderson: Emmy-award winning comedian Anderson was a popular comedian in the 80’s and 90’s, but he is not a common household name for today’s generation. Perhaps an infamous bellyflop will change his popularity among the younger generations.
• Drake Bell: A former child star famous for his role on Nickelodeon’s Drake and Josh, Drake has disappeared from the social scene for the most part, but he is still a well-known actor for children who watched him in the early 2000’s.
• Kendra Wilkinson: A former Playboy bunny and a current reality star, Wilkinson is no stranger to the television scene. Having already performed on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars, Wilkinson will be a familiar face to ABC viewers.
• Nicole Eggert: Eggert is a face that is more recognizeable to the older crowds, she starred as lifeguard Summer Quinn on the popular show Baywatch. She has been out of the spotlight for a while, only appearing in small TV movies over the past decade.
• Keisha Knight Pulliam: Another former child star, Pulliam’s claim to fame was starring as Rudy Huxtable on the popular series, The Cosby Show. After taking a hiatus from acting, Keisha is currently working on the TBS sitcom The House of Payne. 
• Katherine Webb: Miss Alabama 2012, Webb will attract men to the show. She is more famous for receiving an apology from ESPN, after gaining attention for cheering on her boyfriend at the BCS National Championships.

THE ATHLETES: 

• Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: A 7’2” NBA Hall of Famer, Kareem will likely have difficulty performing dives. One of the oldest contestants on the show as well, Kareem, having been diagnosed with Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia. Kareem is arguably one of the most successful contestants on the show.
• Rory Bushfield: Bushfield is an extreme skier, whose experience with twists and flips will add to his diving prowess. He will be more popular on the show for his looks, than for his previous talents.
•  Ndamukong Suh: Defensive tackle for the Detroit Lions, Suh’s strength and agility could possibly make him a great diver.
•  Brandi Chastain: Brandi will replace Chuy Bravo on the show about halfway through the season. Chastain is a three-time Olympic medalist, playing on the US women’s soccer team.