VH-1's "Celebrity Rehab" concluded last week. In the wacky world of reality shows, this was a show that dealt with stark reality.

VH-1 had shown little sensitivity when Joanie "Chyna Doll" Laurer spent time in the "Surreal Life" house on two occasions, gleefully exploiting her demons for public consumption. Therefore, I tuned into this show expecting another ratings-driven train-wreck.

After all, we watched as Brittney Spears was carted off to rehab with Dr. Phil chasing the ambulance. Dr. Phil may have had Brit's best interests in mind, but it came off as rather self-serving. Wouldn't treating the mega-star's mega-meltdown on the Dr. Phil Show score some mega ratings? You betcha

True, the celebrities on "Celebrity Rehab" were shown at their worst, but it was not done in an exploitative way. It wasn't pretty and it certainly wasn't glamorous.  It was real. Dr. Drew Pinsky, who provided the treatment, is a caring, low-key doctor who specializes in addictions, and his treatment team, who had "been there and done that," knew exactly what the patients were dealing with.  But these celebs had even kindly Dr. Drew throwing his hands up in frustration on occasion.

The season ended with a graduation ceremony for seven of the original nine celebrities who had checked in. Those who completed the treatment program were Chyna, former UFC champion Ricco Rodriguez, Brigitte Nielsen, porn star Mary Carey, Seth Binzer, Jessica Sierra, and Jaimee Foxworth.

While Daniel Baldwin had bailed out early with countless "excuses" for leaving, Jeff Conaway lasted nearly til the end before leaving to go home with his enabling and/or co-dependent girlfriend.

Over the weeks, viewers got to learn as much about the celebs as they probably learned about themselves. For example, Ricco's sweet smile masked his many issues, one of which is a mind-boggling gambling addiction.

Joanie/Chyna seemed to fly under the radar for most of the season. She was sober and quiet and reluctant to admit to any problems with substances. She was a very different Joanie than viewers had seen on "Surreal Life," where outrageous was the name of the game.  But at the graduation ceremony, she finally admitted that she just might be an addict, which was obviously a giant step for her.

The graduates had formed a strong bond and were given the golden opportunity to go to Sober Living for an additional three months of treatment. Some chose to go, but others felt they could battle their demons at home.

As much as I'd like to see them all make it, I know not all of them will. The lure of one's personal demons is a seductive one and it will take a lot of strength to "just say no."

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What's Next for Chyna?

After two stints in VH-1's "Surreal Life" Clown House, Chyna is reportedly headed to the real(ity) world of "Celebrity Circus" which will debut on NBC this June. It sounds like "Dancing With the Stars" only with a trapeze, as viewers will watch the performances and call in to vote. 

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"Made" on MTV

I have a few thoughts on TNA's Motor City Machine Guns who trained a wannbe pro wrestler on MTV's "Made." I tuned out early in this episode because training this kid looked hopeless. But I was curious to see how Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin did and tuned back in. Much to my surprise, Chris, the trainee, knew enough to participate in a tag match with Shelley and Sabin and looked decent doing it. Plus he had achieved his goals of impressing his brother and the wrestling team. If he had to peel a potato or two along the way to pay his dues, then so be it.

Shelley and Sabin did a remarkable job, not just with the wrestling moves, but with Chris's social life, as well, by making him step outside his comfort zone.

It just goes to show you that one doesn't have to approach training newbies a la Bob Holly. I was very impressed with the patience, kindness and respect shown by Shelley and Sabin as they trained someone new to the sport.

This was a definite plus for TNA in the realm of cross promotion.  It didn't hurt that it ended with a warm fuzzy moment for viewers.

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Thanks for reading and see ya next week.