The X-Files star David Duchovny admits to watching Melrose Place all the time. Musician-slash-actor Harry Connick Jr. secretly loves watching Jerry Springer. For Grammy Award winning singer Aimee Mann, it’s E! True Hollywood Story. There are just some TV shows that are too cheesy, too baduy or too shallow, and are basically just bad TV, but you just can’t help but indulge. Here are some of the train wrecks you know you can’t resist, even when you claim otherwise.

By Tia Barretto



The Hills. A quasi-reality show on MTV that follows the lives of several young people in California, living the dream and complaining about it-who wants to see that? Apparently, a lot of people do. It also helps that all the girls in the show are pretty, and all the boys are equally hot. It’s basically about nothing, but the drama keeps people glued to the TV. And those mascara tracks when they cry? Definitely real.



TMZ on TV. Gossip is everywhere. Online magazines, blogs, tabloids, and even TV shows. TMZ on TV is not your regular entertainment news show. It picks up where TMZ.com leaves off, offering snarky, heartless and occasionally mean-spirited takes on celebrities. TMZ has become an addiction for many gossipmongers because knowing what Britney’s next single is is not enough; we need to know where she had dinner too!



American Idol. In the years that have passed, Ryan Seacrest, Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson, and Paula Abdul have become household names. Every week, American Idol has become a family tradition, even in the Philippines, where people can’t even vote for their favorite finalists. It may be the music that draws us, the drama of reality TV, or even the massive popularity of singing contests in general, but American Idol has continued to capture the attention of Filipinos of all ages, time and again.



America’s Next Top Model. No matter how much we can’t stand Tyra Banks, this reality show’s executive producer and judge, we are glued to the TV when ANTM is on. Contestants on the show are always fun to watch. The transformations from clumsy, plain, girls-next-door to sexy, made-for-runway models is magic before our very eyes. Plus, one thing we can count on is that the girls are always gorgeous and excitingly catty. What more can we ask for? Voting Tyra off the show, quite possibly.



Gossip Girl. Everyone has heard of the Upper East Siders who galavant about Manhattan in their designer clothes, causing scandal after scandal that is subsequently heralded to anyone who cares. Every girl relates to Serena, but unabashedly wants to be Blair. All the boys-and you know that they, too, are watching-want to be Nate but with the sex appeal of Chuck. It might be the scandals, it might be the pretty faces, or it might just be the beautiful clothes, but every week everyone tunes in to see what’s happening in the world so bad, it’s awesome. You know you love it. XOXO.

What’s your TV guilty pleasure? Heroes? Grey’s Anatomy? Time to fess up!