"The Two Coreys" Vs. "Scott Baio"

For those of you who didn’t know, VH1 premieres new episodes of its Sunday night celebreality shows on Sunday afternoons. So I always catch “Scott Baio is 45…and Single” at 12:30 p.m., so I don’t have to choose between it and “The Two Coreys” on A&E at 10 p.m.

But in all honesty, it really isn’t much of a choice since “Baio” is fun and endearing, while “Coreys” is pretty much a trainwreck…

The secret to the success of a reality show like this is that you set up a situation and then watch the drama and humor that unfurls. There are plenty of set-up situations on “Coreys” but none of them ever amount to anything. For example, in last week’s episode, Corey Haim decided to get his driver’s license, but instead of watching him retake his test or having to go through driver’s ed, we just watched him sign a piece of paper. The situation turned out to be nothing more than an excuse for Corey Feldman to quote dialogue from one of their movies (“License to Drive,” of course).

In fact, they’re obsessed with their movies. In the second episode, after an event celebrating the 20th anniversary of “The Lost Boys,” Haim decides he, Feldman and Jamison Newlander (who played the other Frog brother in the movie) should write the sequel. But then Feldman tells Haim that Warner Bros. is already making a sequel and none of the original people are involved. Feldman admits they asked him to make a cameo, but he refused since Haim was not involved. Haim is devastated, not only because it’s “The Lost Boys,” but also because it shows the number of bridges he’s burned in Hollywood since they didn’t ask him. The moment comes off as pretty touching. But then, Haim leaves to take a walk and Feldman gets totally wrapped up in his wife’s “Maxim” photo shoot. It’s not until after the shoot is over that Feldman realizes that Haim is still gone. That’s when Haim re-enters with a wedding present for Feldman and Susie—a four-year late wedding present. Like I said, a situation that never amounted to anything. And what it did amount to didn’t make any sense.

And then there’s the issue of Feldman’s child. Corey and his wife, Susie, have a son who is never mentioned. My guess is that they didn’t want him involved in the reality show, which is good since his mom is out drinking with her friends while his dad is planning a birthday party at a strip club for his best friend.

The Coreys have admitted in interviews that most of the situations on the show are set up, but that what happens in those situations is real. However, it doesn’t come off that way as you can’t really believe anything that happens…

On the other hand, the drama on “Baio” comes off as totally genuine, probably because Scott is so endearing. And if the situations are set up, you get the feeling that Scott is not always in on the joke.

The theme of last week’s show was children as Doc Ali sent Scott to a preschool to spend the day with the kids. His reaction to the children trying to eat the glue and fingerpaint was completely adorable. As was his reaction to an ex-girlfriend that was in such a hurry to get away from him, she practically ran him over. And when a guy hit on his girlfriend’s daughter? Classic.

But the best moment of last week’s episode was when Scott and his friends went shopping at Costco for a present for his girlfriend’s daughter. They helped an elderly lady load a microwave into her cart as she told them all of the great features it had. So when Scott presented his present to Renee’s 17-year-old daughter, it was, of course, one of the microwaves.

And the music on the show is very well-chosen. The scene with the ex-girlfriend running away from him was scored with Genesis’ “No Son of Mine.” The show has also used Adam Ant’s “Room at the Top” and many other rarely heard gems…

Often when celebrities do these kind of shows, it comes off as a sad attempt at a last grasp at fame. And that is how it comes off with the Coreys. But for Baio, it comes off as a funny, charming show that could very well restart his career—or at least get him married…

“Scott Baio is 45…and Single” airs Sundays at 12:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. on VH1. “The Two Coreys” airs Sundays at 10 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. on A&E…