The Assistant (TV series)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Assistant was a reality television show that parodied The Apprentice, Survivor, American Idol, Fear Factor, and other reality game shows. Its eight episodes originally aired on MTV. It featured comedian Andy Dick's search for a new personal assistant. The beginning of the first episode parodied The Bachelor, with the twelve contestants arriving in limousines, and Dick waiting outside to greet them with his maid and butler. A "rose ceremony" immediately followed, and one contestant was eliminated.

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Dick assigned the Hollywood hopefuls to some absurd tasks such as pretending to be him in an interview with a Japanese television station, bringing him coffee by traversing on a beam over a swimming pool, breaking up with his girlfriend, and attempting to get him a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Contestants were usually "clipped" in elimination ceremonies parodying those on other reality series. Like some other programs, The Assistant also included double elimination episodes and brought back fired candidates. Driving home Dick's message that they were starting from the bottom, candidates slept on cots in Dick's garage. He also woke them with a flashing, siren-generating alarm, was prone to tantrums, and griped that "This reality show is ruining my life!"

Though the show was satire, the twelve contestants were real and the winner, Melissa, was awarded several prizes including a job at MTV. The runner-up was Mark, who had been fired, but was brought back in the seventh episode. The show was not renewed after its first season.