BMN Superfan season 3: Better late than never

Last fall, I was supposed to post summaries of the third season of my "reality" competition series, BMN Superfan.  However, I did not know exactly how to make this series different from the previous two, and I also had a hard time figuring out how to find a whole new batch of contestants.

Only now have I found ideas for both.  As for the setting, it's the Barefoot Family Farm in the two weeks or so surrounding their landmark show in the New Jerusalem, when everyone is gone and a whole bunch of other people have to come in and take care of the place.  The idea is for one or two competitions a day to take place in and around the farm work.  (Coincidentally, the first episode was to debut on Sep. 7, 2014, two weeks after the "special two-night event" in and around the family show.)

As for the cast, my fascination with personal names prevailed.  All 16 contestants have the same names as celebrities, either an original name before the celeb became famous, a slight misspelling of the name, or a different gender:

• Phil Brooks, 39, Medford, MA - Occupational therapist; real name of pro wrestler CM Punk
• Aubrey Chapman, 32, Roseville, CA - Christian radio host/producer; original name of, and of different gender than, Drake
• Sarah Colley, 21, Cookeville, TN - College student/published poet; original name of Minnie Pearl
• Shannon Doherty, 29, Honolulu, HI - Director of special events at a resort hotel; one letter off from actress Shannen Doherty
• Vicky Hogan, 36, Creve Coeur, MO - Baker; real name of heiress Anna Nicole Smith
• Julie Inkster, 35, Bremerton, WA - Tattoo and makeup artist; one letter off from pro golfer Juli Inkster
• Curtis Jackson, 30, Anderson, SC - Car salesman; real name of 50 Cent
• Patsy McClenny, 66, Grapevine, TX - Great-grandmother/distance runner; real name of actress Morgan Fairchild
• Maurice Micklewhite, 51, Croydon, London - Retired schoolteacher; original name of Michael Caine
• Alecia A. Moore, 25, Ontario, CA - Freelance sportscaster, girlfriend of Blinky Blink; real name of Pink (pictured at right); also was on season 2
• Keiji Mutoh, 43, Vancouver - Chiropractor; original name of pro wrestler The Great Muta/Super Black Ninja
• Jamie Oliver, 33, Highlands Ranch, CO - Youth sports coach; same name as, but different gender than, celebrity chef
• Michael Ray Richardson, 27, Chicago - Musical director at a church; one letter off from retired pro basketball player Micheal Ray R.
• Walker Smith Jr., 38, Lilburn, GA - Police officer and community service director; real name of "Sugar" Ray Robinson, boxing star of the 1950s
• Ryan Starr, 24, Bergenfield, NJ - Pro skateboarder; same name as, but different gender than, an American Idol contestant who was on the inaugural season
• Rob Van Winkle, 29, Las Vegas - Pro wrestler; real name of Vanilla Ice

However, casting so many people caused a problem: Since the house - and this season - have only 13 contestants each - three of them have to go home without ever entering the house.  How will that happen?  Read on for the summary of the first episode.


Host Shandi Finnessey welcomes the 16 contestants to Raleigh-Durham International Airport.  She announces that this season will take place on the Barefoot Family Farm, where they will help in the farm chores while the 13 permanent residents are in New Jerusalem for their big show.  At various times during their stay, they will compete in various challenges and be eliminated until one remains; the winner will then receive the equivalent retail value of select items in the family's "memory wall" (Patsy explains that the memory wall are the most prized possessions that the family members brought with them to Heaven).  Then she drops the hammer: Not all of those present will make it to the farm, or for that matter onto the original show cast!  "You need to pass one final audition first," Shandi warns.  Everyone is left guessing what that is as they are taken to a go-kart track in Cary, NC.  Here, Shandi unveils the item on the memory wall related to the challenge: the show car Buddy Wayne received for Christmas on the last episode of season 1 of Gone Barefoot.  (Its value is over $35,000, the first contribution to the eventual grand-prize jackpot.)

In this kart racing challenge, the contestants are placed in four heats of four each, two men and two women.  The winners of each heat will receive a die-cast car from its driver, Sprint Cup rookie Austin Dillon, while the last-place finishers go into one more heat, with only the winner moving on into the house.  Results follow:

• Heat 1 - 1. Curtis; 2. Rob; 3. Alecia; 4. Patsy
• Heat 2 - 1. Ryan; 2. Julie; 3. Keiji; 4. Sarah
• Heat 3 - 1. Jamie; 2. Vicky; 3. Phil; 4. Maurice
• Heat 4 - 1. Michael; 2. Aubrey; 3. Shannon; 4. Walker

In the last-chance heat, Maurice "channels his inner Lewis Hamilton" (in his words) to win the race and the last remaining spot on the official cast.  That sends both the oldest and youngest contestant (Patsy and Sarah, respectively), as well as Walker, home.


I'll post the next episode tomorrow, and the rest as soon as I can plot the season.