Billy Ray Cyrus and Son in Syfy Reality Show
One can't help but wonder if Billy Ray wishes he had a lot more kids waiting in the wings. With Miley in Paris filming her next movie (Somebody give that girl some acting lessons!), Billy Ray now turns to tattooed 21-year-old son Trace, former singer and guitarist for the band Metro Station, to help him stay in front of the cameras.
Solo Talent Display
Perhaps I'm being unkind. After all, Billy Ray did have a couple of jobs on his own last year. He displayed his, uh, dancing skills on Dancing With the Stars, and he co-hosted Country American Idol. Oh, sorry. That show is actually entitled Nashville Star, isn't it?
As if his dancing performance wasn't surreal enough, he's going to go in search of The Truth about the unknown with his son Trace. Yep. Every week you can see Billy Ray and Trace swap conspiracy theories and discuss paranormal activity, courtesy of Syfy and Peacock Productions.
Type Casting?
Actually, considering the people who usually claim, in the supermarket tabloids, to have seen aliens, this good ol' boy and his son may be perfectly cast for UFO: Unbelievably Freakin' Obvious. Apparently, so the show's PR department claims, Cyrus has always been interested in the unknown. (Cue Twilight Zone theme music.)
In a press release, Cyrus said: "The existence of paranormal phenomena is something I've always wanted to explore further." And, "I hope this series can shine a light on some of the activities we have questioned, and the mysteries that have long inspired us."
Perceived Audience
One can only guess at the target audience they hope to reach in this show that will feature Billy Ray and Trace Cyrus traveling across the country in their attempt to learn the truth about the oddities that are such rich fodder for made-for-TV movies and documentaries. After all, who can forget the ground-breaking docudrama, Syfy's Chupacabra?
From political controversies to the weird, these two will cover it all in their search for the truth, which, as we all know from Fox Mulder, "is out there."
Joan Reeves is published in book-length fiction and in periodicals, in print and online all over the web, under her own name, various pseudonyms, and as a ghost.