SHOOTING STARS: ‘Ultimate Fighter’ makes itself at home in Las Vegas
Whether you’re a lover or a fighter, there’s no place like Vegas.
We’ll get to the lovers in a moment.
As for the fighters, Spike’s “The Ultimate Fighter” continues production on its 12th season, which is scheduled to complete shooting in mid-July.
Much of this season’s action takes place in the show’s new training center, which made its debut last season, featuring “some incredible improvements,” according to Brian Diamond, Spike’s senior vice president of sports and specials.
The improvements included replacing some doors — because, in the past five seasons, “Ultimate Fighter” coaches Forest Griffin, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Tito Ortiz “all took out a door,” Diamond notes.
Those displays suggest the power of personality that helps fuel the show’s popularity, he adds.
“The reality of getting to know these guys”— not just 12th-season coaches Georges St-Pierre (pictured) and Josh Koscheck but the contenders competing for the “Ultimate Fighter” title — allows viewers to “build up an allegiance” and root for their favorites, according to Diamond.
“One feeds into the other,” he says. After all, “You need peanut butter and chocolate to make Reese’s peanut butter cups.”
‘Bride’ time: From fighters we shift to lovers ... specifically, the lovebirds participating in the BBC 3 series “Don’t Tell the Bride,” in which the couple receives a dream wedding — organized by the groom, who surprises his bride with the arrangements he’s made. Something tells us that, in this case, the bride is bound to be pleasantly surprised — at least by today’s scheduled stops at The Venetian, which include the casino floor and the obligatory gondola ride.
Also on the reality romance beat, ABC’s “Bachelor Pad” — an all-star “Bachelor”/”Bachelorette” reunion featuring 20 now-single veterans of the original shows — has made its inevitable Vegas visit, filming at a private residence.
Science signs: Just as BBC 3’s “Don’t Tell the Bride” prepares to end an eight-day shoot, BBC’s “Wonders of the Universe” arrives for almost a month of production in Southern Nevada. And on Thursday, Germany’s VOX television channel is scheduled to wrap a two-week shoot for a two-hour documentary devoted to “one of the world’s greatest challenges,” according to journalist Holger Hufen, “living in a desert situation and how to cope with the scarce resources of water.”
‘Wheel’ deal: The syndicated “Wheel of Fortune” returns to Las Vegas in mid-July to tape six weeks of shows at The Venetian and Palazzo.
Taping dates will be July 13-14, 16-17 and 19-20. If you’re interested in being part of the audience, free tickets are available online at www.mynews3.com. As always, stay tuned to Shooting Stars for more details on “Wheel’s” upcoming return to Las Vegas.
Competition countdown: The countdown’s under way for the 48 Hour Film Project, which returns to Las Vegas in July.
Early bird registration ends today for the 10th annual competition, in which filmmaking teams spend the weekend of July 23-25 making a short film; local entries will screen July 28 and 29 at Century’s Suncoast 16 multiplex. Las Vegas is one of more than 80 cities around the world to host a 48 Hour Film Project contest.
Registration and other information is available online at www.48hourfilm.com/lasvegas/.
Desperately seeking documentarian: “Ultimate Fighter” reflects the growing popularity of mixed martial arts, but it’s far from the only MMA game in town. Las Vegas-based Tuff-N-Uff Productions, for example, will present a tournament Friday at The Orleans featuring 16 female fighters. And Tuff-N-Uff president Barry Meyer thinks there’s an interesting documentary to be made about the female MMA fighters; if you’re a filmmaker interested in making it, contact Meyer at info@tuffnuff.net.
