Los Angeles Times: "The Amazing Race: A Kafkaesque Evening in Prague"

Looking to discuss last night's episode of CBS' The Amazing Race?

Head over to the Los Angeles Times/Show Tracker site where you can read my take on this week's episode, entitled "The Amazing Race: A Kafkaesque Evening in Prague," about the penultimate leg of this season's race, which featured golems, absinthe, ringing telephones, sub-zero rooms, and beer, all while the contestants had to do their best to avoid drunken Prague tourists and soccer hooligans.

Be sure to head to the comments section to weigh in.

Sunday Night Television: HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and "The Amazing Race"

Looking to discuss last night's episodes of HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm and CBS' The Amazing Race?

Head over to the Los Angeles Times/Show Tracker site where you can read my takes on both episodes, including last night's "Table Read" episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm (complete with a parody on Michael Richard's controversial 2006 comments) and what will likely come to be known as the pixelated crotch episode of CBS' The Amazing Race.

Be sure to head to the comments section to weigh in on both episodes.

Sunday Night Television: HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and CBS' "The Amazing Race"

Looking to discuss the latest episodes of CBS' The Amazing Race and HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm? You're in luck.

Head over to the Los Angeles Times/Show Tracker site, where you can read my take on last night's episodes of both series. In "The Amazing Race: For Whom the Bell Tolls," I take a look at last night's episode which featured feats of strength, counting, and herring-eating as well as some tears.

You can also read my take ("Curb Your Enthusiasm: Swan's Way") on last night's episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm, which was a bit of a return to form for the absurdist comedy, which this week depicted Larry accidentally killing a man, somewhat intentionally killing a black swan, and basically making a mess of everything he touched, not least of which his mother's headstone.

Head to the comments to discuss both.

Sunday Night Television: "The Amazing Race," "Curb Your Enthusiasm"

Looking to discuss the latest episodes of CBS' The Amazing Race and HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm? You're in luck.

Head over to the Los Angeles Times/Show Tracker site, where you can read my take on last night's episodes of both series. In "The Amazing Race: Slip and slide," I explore what some people aren't willing to do, even with a million dollars at stake. And, yes, deal with the push heard around the world head-on.

Switching channels, I explain why I am still scratching my head over the oddly surreal episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm in a piece entitled "Curb Your Enthusiasm: Trust your gut," following an episode "overflowing with flashbacks, splashbacks, murder, an arrest for napkin theft, a bald police lineup, a urine-stained Jesus painting, a suicide attempt, and finally life-saving belly flab."

Head to the comments to discuss both.

Los Angeles Times: "The Amazing Race: Dude, We're in the Desert"

This week's episode of The Amazing Race featured a conversation about karma and several teams either profited or lost based on some the decisions they made on this leg of the race. Was it truly karma? Who knows, but it made for some captivating television.

Head over to the Los Angeles Times/Show Tracker site, where you can read my reaction to last night's snow and sand-laden leg of the race, entitled "The Amazing Race: Dude, We're in the Desert."

What did you think of the elimination? Glad to see these two leave? Have your opinions about Brian and Ericka changed? Who are you rooting for now? Head to the comments section to discuss.

Los Angeles Times: "The Amazing Race": A Heartbreaking Exit

Still gobsmacked by last night's gut-wrenching elimination on CBS' The Amazing Race? You're not alone. (I'm still traumatized.)

Head over to the Los Angeles Times/Show Tracker site, where you can read my incredulous reaction to last night's shocking and saddening elimination (stupid passport!), entitled "The Amazing Race: A Heartbreaking Exit." (It's not actually called that but for the sake of spoilers, I'll refer to it here by its shortened title for the sake of you reading this via newsreader.)

What did you think of the elimination? Was it fair that the producers booted them right away? Should they have been allowed ample time to locate the passport? And with this team gone, who will you be rooting for now? Head to the comments section to discuss.

"The Amazing Race": I Survived a Japanese Game Show

Looking to discuss the two-hour season premiere of CBS' fantastic reality series The Amazing Race?

Head over to my piece, entitled "The Amazing Race: I Survived a Japanese Game Show," on the Los Angeles Times/Show Tracker site, where you can read my take on the season opener, wasabi bombs, duck herding, anger-prone contestants, the poker players' scheme, and much more. (The piece itself is a post-air story that follows up Friday's piece about five reasons why you should tune in this season to The Amazing Race.)

Sound off in the comments section.

Surf Boards and Memory Games: The Season Finale of "The Amazing Race"

I'm just glad the redheads didn't win.

On last night's season finale of The Amazing Race ("This Is How You Lose a Million Dollars"), the final three teams raced to the finish line in Maui, Hawaii in a final leg of the race that was at times heartbreaking, inspiring, and frustrating. (In the best possible way, of course.)

All three teams played an extremely strong game throughout this cycle of The Amazing Race and I was happy to see that one of the two teams that I was rooting for walked away a million dollars richer in the end.

I was absolutely crestfallen that Margie and Luke didn't win the million dollar prize waiting at the end of the race. Yes, I am amazed that both of them--a woman in her 50s and a deaf guy--made it as far as they did but I was really rooting for them to win the top spot. And they would have if Luke had been able to figure out which surf board represented the last leg of the race. (I think that one was harder for him as Margie, rather than he, ate the scorpions in the Beijing Roadblock challenge.)

They had such an amazing lead going into that final Roadblock and I got really, really excited that they were actually going to come in first place... but their lead was quickly squandered when Tammy and Victor arrived and then the redheads finally showed up, after having more problems with their umpteenth taxi driver. (I do have to say that it's perhaps karma for Jamie's awful behavior along the way.)

I was surprised that there wasn't a Detour on this final leg of the race and that it all really came down to one final test of memory at a Roadblock... and then a quick taxi trip to the finish line. For a season that felt so reinvigorated and exciting, it seemed a quick final episode, with the teams ending up on the same flight to Maui and then remaining fairly neck-and-neck throughout the final leg and not that many speed bumps along the way. I wished that there had been just a few more challenges standing in the way between them and the finish line.

I am happy that Tammy and Victor won and they made huge strides in their sibling relationship throughout this competition (just think back to that awful Romanian leg with Victor leading them into the wilderness) and that they walk away with a stronger relationship as well as the million dollars. For Luke and Margie, the experience they shared is worth more than a million dollars; they each proved that they are capable of doing anything and everything that life puts in their path and they should hold their heads high and walk away from this race as true winners. (And I'll admit that I got teary-eyed as they crossed the finish line and both were crying as Luke said how amazing his mother was for learning how to sign and being able to communicate with him.)

What did you think of the final leg? Were you pulling for Luke and Margie to win? Discuss.

The Amazing Race will return with a new cycle next season on CBS.

Channel Surfing: Fuller Talks "Pushing Daisies" Comic, Cuoco Checks into Seattle Grace, Whedon on What Will Save "Dollhouse," and More

Welcome to your Friday morning television briefing.

Pushing Daisies creator Bryan Fuller has said that a comic book spin-off of the sadly demised series could be on sale via Marvel as early as this fall, should a deal with Warner Bros for the rights be closed in the next month or so. What should fans expect from the comic, which Fuller describes as Season Three of Pushing Daisies? "We're going to see a lot of exploration with Ned and his father, which we teased but were never able to make good on," Fuller told SCI FI Wire. "We had [Ned's father, played by] George Hamilton save Ned and Chuck, and by having Emerson and Dwight Dixon clean up the whole mess we're going to understand who Dwight was to Chuck and Ned's dad. Dwight will be making a return, and we'll be seeing the adult Eugene Mulchandani and Danny that involves helium smuggling. There's a lot of fun stuff woven into the series that we were intending to pay off that we can now do in the comic-book series. The fans of the show will see a lot of stuff come to fruition, but new fans will have a greater appreciation, too. Since it's Marvel, I would also love for the Pie Maker to touch Captain America." (SCI FI Wire)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that The Big Bang Theory's Kaley Cuoco will guest star on the upcoming season finale of ABC's Grey's Anatomy. "I am working on Grey's Anatomy next week," Cuoco told Ausiello. "It is a big ol' secret. I have no clue what I am doing. I swear on my life that I have no idea what I am playing because it is the finale and they are keeping it under wraps until the last possible moment. [...] My guess is that I will be a patient of some kind. I'm practicing my scared-sad-I'm-dying face." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Questioned about what it would take to get FOX to renew Dollhouse for a second season, creator Joss Whedon said it would take more than a fan-mounted campaign to innundate the network with letters. "I don't think it's a 'Save Dollhouse' campaign. Basically, we've got a few more times up at bat," said Whedon. "It's going to be up to the fans to be vocal in their own community to make sure people are watching, that we get those DVR numbers, that they don't slip. If they want to cold call executives, that's good too, I guess. Or Twitter. A lotta people are Twittering. Ultimately, it's just holding the course, because I honestly began to think that we were dead in the water, and the people at Fox made a point of calling me to say, 'That's not the case. We're still working it out. We're fans. We want this to work.'" (SCI FI Wire)

CBS has announced that it has renewed reality series The Amazing Race for a fifteenth cycle and made history by being the first television network to announce a series renewal via Twitter, confirming the news after host Phil Keoghan posted a tweet sharing news of the renewal. (Hollywood Reporter)

Michael Ausiello is reporting that Kathryn Erbe will fill in for Julianne Nicholson on USA's Law & Order: Criminal Intent while Nicholson temporarily leaves the series on maternity leave. According to Ausiello, "The move means that for the final four episodes of CI's current eighth season (premiering this Sunday on USA), Erbe will alternate between her current partner, Vincent D'Onofrio, and Nicholson's new partner, Jeff Goldblum." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

The New York Post talks to Grey's Anatomy's Chandra Wilson, who says that viewers should anticipate some major surprises in the series' season finale, which airs in May. "I've been told there are some life-changing things that happen to all of us," said Wilson. "I don't know what those things are that [show creator] Shonda Rhimes is talking about... so I don't know how Bailey's life is altered. But I would love to see that final episode!" Wilson also discusses the changes her character has undergone this season and offers a few tidbits about a certain wedding that's coming up on the series. (New York Post)

Elsewhere at the Post, Mary Louise Parker is allegedly thinking of leaving Showtime comedy Weeds after the sixth season when her contract ends. According to the paper's unnamed sources, if Parker does decide to leave the series, Showtime would cancel Weeds, which is slated to air its fifth season this summer. "We'd have to see if it made sense to continue, but we can't envision the show without her," said a Showtime insider quoted in the article. (New York Post)

YouTube has signed deals to offer full-length feature films and television episodes in a move to compete with NBC Universal/20th Century Fox-backed rival site Hulu. The site has signed deals with Sony, Lionsgate, BBC, Starz, Discovery, and National Geographic as well as Anime Network, Cinetic Rights Management, Current TV, Documentary Channel, First Look Studios, and IndieFlix. The content will be offered for free but will contain advertising during the commercial breaks in TV series' episodes; site may also eventually charge for premium content. (Variety)

Adrian Grenier (Entourage) is producing documentary Spin, which explores the relationship between technology and 21st century society. The doc, which is written and will be directed by Matthew Cooke, is being looked at as a made-for television documentary film or as the pilot for a thirteen-episode limited series. (Hollywood Reporter)

Comedy Central has signed a multi-platform output deal with Levity Entertainment Group, under which the cabler will produce 12 comedy standup specials, with half of those coming from such comedians as Christopher Titus, Gabriel Iglesias, Pablo Franscisco, Jim Breuer, Mitch Fatel, and Pete Correale. The cabler will all air all six specials this year, with another six planned for 2010, and eight of these specials will be released on DVD, under the terms of the deal. (Variety)

MTV has given a series order to Gone Too Far, a reality series hosted by DJ AM which will feature "tough-love interventions for young people whose lives have become unmanageable because of chemical dependence. Project, from Ish Entertainment and Gigantic Prods., will feature an addiction specialist as well as DJ AM, who has gone through his own battles with chemical dependency. (Hollywood Reporter)

USA Today's Gary Strauss alks to Stanley Burrell (a.k.a. MC Hammer) about his upcoming reality series, Hammertime, which is set to launch in June on A&E. "I get offers like this 10 times a year, but it wasn't something I was interested in," Burrell told the paper. "But in the last 18 months, I started thinking I might be able to bring something to the genre. There are not a lot of family-oriented shows that speak to the America we're in right now." (USA Today)

SAG's national board is due to sit this weekend in a two-day session in which they might approve the feature-primetime contract deal that's on the table. If the board does decide to approve the deal, which had been floated during back channel talks between SAG and CEOs, it could be sent to members and ratified before the end of May. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Gorillas, Screamers, and Pint-Sized Powerhouses: Addicted Again to "The Amazing Race"

Is anyone else as suddenly addicted to The Amazing Race again as I am? Or is it just me?

My enthusiasm had waned considerably with the series' most recent cycles but I have to say that the current season seemed reinvigorated and both the casting and the challenges had grabbed my attention once again.

Last night's episode of The Amazing Race ("Gorilla? Gorilla?? Gorilla???") found the teams racing for their lives in Phuket, Thailand, found one team quite literally sabotage everyone else during a Detour, and saw one team member collapse on the elimination mat.

Which might very well be the first time that that's happened on the Race.

I'm really loving Margie and Luke and was totally stunned to see her collapse from exhaustion and dehydration upon reaching the Pit Stop. Not that I blame her. She proved that she truly was the "Bionic Woman" dragging her deaf son Luke on a rickshaw through the sweltering streets of Phuket.

Which would have been tricky and tiring enough had pint-sized stuntmen Mark and Michael not deliberately hid the wheel pumps before the challenge. Would the task have been a hell of a lot easier had the teams had full tires? Youbetcha. Instead, they were dragging less-than-filled tires along the road. Seeing that Margie passed out from lack of hydration, I hope Mark and Michael are happy with their decision to sabotage the teams.

They did receive a one-hour time penalty, one half-hour for not reading the clue properly and paying their taxi to lead them to the Pit stop and another for throwing all of the pumps and equipment into a box.

I haven't been anti-Mark and Michael at all during the season but this seriously made me not like them at all. Given that they are such physical powerhouses, as they like to constantly remind us, shouldn't they also be good sportsmen? I'm all for trickery on the Race and misleading teams but they deliberately altered a producer-created challenge to their advantage.

And that's just not right. (Nor was Jaime screaming at the poor spice shop owner and terrorizing every non-English speaker she has encountered so far on the Race. Shudder.)

Meanwhile, I actually got teary as Margie collapse and Luke looked on, absolutely terrified about what was happening to his mother. It was a very emotional moment and it was equally amazing just how involved Phil was in making sure Margie was all right, physically carrying her over to a shady spot, demanding water for her, and cooling her down by wetting her head. I dare say that not many reality series hosts would have gone to such lengths to make sure one of the contestants was so comfortable.

To add insult to injury, Mike and Mel got eliminated on top of the Margie and Luke crisis. I really loved seeing Mel and Mike go so far and with their sense of humor intact the entire way. While I didn't think that they'd win the million dollar prize at the end of the race, they ran with integrity, love, and fun and they transformed their father/son relationship into a supportive teammate dynamic.

It's a reminder of why the series endures and hopefully a sign that the producers made some smart decisions this season in cranking up the tension, casting some interesting and inspirational teams, and pitting the contestants against some truly tricky tasks.

Me, I'm absolutely hooked again.

In two weeks on The Amazing Race ("Rooting Around In People's Mouths Could Be Unpleasant"), the teams learn the joys of karaoke in Singapore; Mark and Michael make a potentially disastrous mistake.

Presidents' Day Weekend Wrap-Up: "Amazing Race," "Flight of the Conchords," and "Secret Diary of a Call Girl"

Due to the loveliness that is a three-day weekend, I didn't quite get around to discussing everything that aired this past weekend, although I did manage to write up my theories and thoughts about the Cylon race, past and future, on Battlestar Galactica and offer an illuminating Talk Back for the series premiere of FOX's new drama series Dollhouse.

However, rather than let the week go by without discussing what else was on this past weekend, I just wanted to share a few thoughts about Sunday night's premiere of The Amazing Race and new installments of HBO's Flight of the Conchords and Showtime's Secret Diary of a Call Girl.

The long weekend might be over and the work week sadly beginning, but that doesn't mean we can't dish about Hannah and Alex, Mike White and his dad, and Kiwis Jemaine and Bret on this rainy Tuesday morning.

The Amazing Race. I'll admit that I was considering giving up on TAR after a lackluster season that saw more drama at the airport check-in counters than between the couples themselves. And yet, entering its fourteenth season (yes, seriously!), Amazing Race seems to have regained the momentum and tension that seemingly evaporated last season. In just the opening installment, I found myself completely invested in the latest iteration of the race and thought that the casting was absolutely a full head and shoulders above that of last season.

I'm already rooting for screenwriter Mike White and his gay activist father Mel and for mother and son team Margie and Luke. Did anyone else get teary when classiest reality show host in the business Phil Keoghan signed the words, "You're team number one"? Call me sentimental, but I thought it was a touching and thoughtful tribute to deaf racer Luke. Also really liking siblings Victor and Tammy but hillbilly couple Steve and Linda creep me out to no end, especially as Linda can't even seem to walk, much less run. Just how did she pass the physical for this series? And the cheese-carrying task left me in absolute hysterics. Has there been a more humorous challenge on the series to date?

Flight of the Conchords. This week's episode ("Unnatural Love"), directed by Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) featured Jemaine getting involved with an Australian woman (Sarah Wynter), a real taboo in Kiwi culture. While the episode seemed directed fairly straightforwardly at first, it was the breathtaking visuals for the Conchords' song "Carol Brown" that cemented the fact that this was being directed by Gondry. An astounding mix of visuals, cutaways, and moving backgrounds, "Carol Brown" may go down as one of the most inventive and visually creative musical segments on Flight of the Conchords so far.

Loved Wynter as the grungy Aussie Keitha who ends up robbing Jemaine and Bret blindly, the entire nightclub sequence, Murray saying that he'll wait outside for Jemaine and Bret to finish "nightclubbing," the "hand" gloves, and the clinic waiting room scene between Bret and Jemaine. In fact, my only complaint in an otherwise absolutely superlative episode? No Mel.

Secret Diary of a Call Girl. I couldn't believe that Hannah was going to tell Alex (Callum Blue) about her secret life as Belle, call girl extraordinaire, especially after the awfulness that was her lunch with Alex and former boyfriend Ben. But as soon as she left the door unlocked during a gig with a wheelchair-bound guy (in case his father needed to come in and help him), I knew that Alex would be finding out in a most painful way: by catching Hannah with a client in flagrante delicto. And, ouch, was it painful. Not to mention embarrassing and humiliating, both for Hannah and her poor client. The fact that his father wouldn't accept the money back only made it even more difficult and awkward.

Loved the fact that Alex didn't wait around to angrily confront Hannah but went immediately to scream at Ben at the bar for not warning him, not telling him. Even worse: that Ben was so calm and told Alex not to react that way but Alex was disgusted with Hannah, her profession, and the fact that he realized now that when they met, she thought he was a punter. Also loved that Alex knows that Ben is completely in love with Hannah and threw that fact in his face, along with the knowledge that Ben's girlfriend Vanessa (whom Ben is meant to be marrying!) is likely also aware of his feelings for her. Can Alex and Hannah reconcile and find a way to stay together in the face of his realization about what she does for a living? I'm not sure but I can't wait to see just what happens next between them...


What did you think of this week's Amazing Race, Secret Diary of a Call Girl, and Flight of the Conchords? Discuss.

Channel Surfing: ABC Orders "V" Remake, "House" May Resurrect Amber, Martha Jones Back to "Who," and More

Welcome to your Tuesday morning television briefing.

ABC has ordered a pilot for a modern day remake of seminal 1980s mini-series V, to be written/executive produced by Scott Peters (The 4400). Updated V, from Warner Bros. Television, will focus on a female Homeland Security agent. Elsewhere, NBC has removed the contingency from period comedy pilot Lost in the '80s, from Sony Pictures Television and Tantamount, which will be directed by P.J. Hogan (Shopaholic). (Hollywood Reporter)

Former Doctor Who co-star Freema Agyeman will reportedly reprise her role as Martha Jones in one of the four Doctor Who specials planned for 2009, despite some rumors of bad blood between her and outbound head writer/executive producer Russell T. Davies, said to originate when she accepted a role on ITV's Law & Order: London rather than star in a new season of Torchwood. “Freema’s on board," said an unnamd source. "It’s early days so it’s unclear what exactly Martha will be up to in the new show. Whatever happens it’s good news for Freema and shows that whatever friction there was between her and Who bosses has gone.” (The Sun)

It's looking increasingly likely that 24's Day Eight will be the last for Kiefer Sutherland. "Whether Season Eight is the end or not, I don't know," said Sutherland. "I love making the show, so I'm leaving my options open. And in all fairness, I think the audience will dictate that more than anybody." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

ABC has shifted a comedy block of Samantha Who? and new series In the Motherhood to Thursday nights at 8 pm, a timeslot traditionally held by Ugly Betty, which will go on hiatus until the two series wrap their runs. Additionally, Scrubs will be paired on Wednesdays with new comedy Better Off Ted in an 8 pm timeslot. But don't count Betty out just yet; ABC said that the struggling series would have been airing repeats during that time anyway. (Variety)

Amy Poehler's untitled NBC sitcom, from executive producers Greg Daniels and Michael Schur, now has a title: Public Service. Series is set to launch on April 9th at 8:30 pm ET/PT. (New York Times)

More info about Scott Bakula's multiple-episode story arc on Chuck from NBC: "In the storyline, Chuck made a promise to his sister, Ellie that he was going to find their dad in time for her wedding. But when he does find him, Chuck discovers that his dad is not necessarily a guy who wants to be found. He's living in a trailer, he's disheveled, he's paranoid and he's claiming constantly that Ted Roark (guest star Chevy Chase) -- who he used to work with -- stole all his ideas from him. In addition, Ted Roark has now become a super-successful software billionaire while Chuck's dad has become an eccentric, living in the shadows." (press release)

Jon Hamm is set to appear in three episodes of 30 Rock starting next week but you can get a sneak peek at footage of him as Dr. Drew Baird on the NBC comedy right now. (Chicago Tribune's The Watcher)

Among the teams racing for the million-dollar prize on the next season of CBS' The Amazing Race: screenwriter Mike White (best known for Freaks & Geeks, Pasadena, and Chuck & Buck, among many others) and his father, a gay-rights activist and former speechwriter for Pat Robertson and Billy Graham, and a 22-year-old deaf student and his mother. (Associated Press)

Producers of FOX's House are said to be in talks with Anne Dudek about reprising her role as Amber, Wilson's, er, dead girlfriend, later this season. Just don't look for her to return as a ghost like Grey's Anatomy's Denny. "If we could figure out a way to bring her back that is not a ghost sex plot," said executive producer Katie Jacobs, "we'd be thrilled to do it and have her back." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Doug Allen has been fired as national executive director and chief negotiator for SAG in a move that also replaced the SAG negotiating committee, which is being viewed as a sign that the guild may soon sign a feature-primetime deal. "I'm sure it was a difficult decision to replace SAG's negotiators, but if the other entertainment unions can make a deal their members can live with, SAG can too," said Sally Field, who has audibly opposed Allen this past year, "and now I feel certain that will happen, quickly and productively." (Variety)

MTV has renewed The City and Daddy's Girls for second seasons as well as handed out a twenty-episode order for Teen Cribs and another batch of 28 episodes for series Made. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

"You Look Like Peter Pan": High-Flying Moves After a Season of Dramatic Lows on the "Amazing Race" Season Finale

Last night brought us the conclusion of the latest cycle of CBS' reality franchise The Amazing Race and, while this past season hasn't been the series' best, I do have to say that I was caught up in the action, tension, and Peter Pan-high flying escapades of last night's installment.

(Additionally, my wife is originally from Portland, Oregon so it's likely that there was a fair amount of nostalgia for PDX going on for the final leg of the million-dollar race. Not to mention cheering when they showed that iconic Made in Oregon sign.)

I have to say that, while I wasn't the biggest champion for this lackluster season, I was happy about the final outcome of the race and pleased as punch that mistake-prone frat boys Dan and Andrew didn't walk away with the top prize. (Come on, even if you haven't yet seen last night's finale, you know they had a snowball's chance in hell of winning this thing.)

I knew from the very start that Nick and Starr would win if they could just stay focused on their own performance and not get sidetracked by competitiveness with the other teams (Starr) or become romantically entangled with their competitors (ahem, Starr again).

They were, in my opinion, one of the strongest teams ever to participate in the Race and the producers definitely tried to play up their rivalries with their fellow Racers throughout the season. But this brother-and-sister combo managed to keep their heads down, outwit the other teams, and finish detours and road blocks in record time. They even managed to finish ahead of other teams when faced with taxicab drivers from hell who seemed devilishly bent on knocking them out of the race.

As for Ken and Tina, I was pretty damn impressed with how much competition they offered the much younger Nick and Starr and by the fact that the Race really did recharge and renew their struggling marriage. Ken shakily taking out their wedding rings and tearfully placing Tina's back on her finger (after a long time off) was just the icing on the cake.

And I was super-impressed with how well they remembered their previous destinations during this week's challenge, in which they had to match route markers with various instructions, detours, road blocks, and pit stops from each of the legs thus far. Not an easy task, that, especially the physical element of running back and forth from the clue boxes to the board over and over again. And Tina not only got over her fear of heights to do the High & Dry Detour, but she seemed to relish the zipline drop from the Bridge of the Gods outside Portland.

It does seem like The Amazing Race really can bring people together and improve their life outlook, no?

I would suggest next time around, however, that the producers focus a bit more on casting. While I enjoyed Nick and Starr's enthusiasm and drive (and Ken and Tina's rows), there weren't very many teams to root for or against on this cycle, which definitely goes down with TAR: Family Edition as one of the least enjoyable and exciting seasons of this venerable series.

But my congratulations go out to Nick and Starr for managing to play smart, run hard, and stay together throughout many an obstacle along the way and take home the million dollar prize after so many first place wins this season. Way to go, guys!

Amazing Race is set to return with a new season on February 15th on CBS.

American Candy, Missing Taxis, and Lost Containers: Another Leg of "The Amazing Race"

Was it just me or was last night's episode of The Amazing Race ("Do You Like American Candy?") the most hilarious hour of reality programming you've seen in a very long time?

Let's see: we had Terence bashing his head on a car trunk and then screaming at his girlfriend Sarah to clean his head straightway and "blow on" the wound and then later they hiked to a far-off village to snag a taxi whilst the other teams followed the marked path to the taxi parking. We had Kelly and Christy digging in the sand for a non-existent container (it was a reference to the other Detour option) for what seemed like a good half-hour and later inadvertently losing their taxi (it was in the parking lot the entire time); Southern belles Marisa and Brooke meanwhile couldn't find their way to the computer-based Detour and were still talking about computers and shipping containers as they stared at sailing ships. Hell, later, one of them said of the lame wall-based word clue that she thought it was "somewhere on the wall." Um, yeah. That was just as clever as whoever thought that bribing people with "American candy" would get them far in the game.

Are reality television contestants getting dumber or just funnier, I can't help but wonder. In any event, all of them brought me some much needed mirth last night as they argued, bickered, and made enemies with one another with abandon. It's episodes like this that remind me why this series stands out among the glut of poorly produced and hastily thrown together reality series.

This week, the teams headed to Cumbuco, Brazil but first there was a heated altercation between team mates Terence and Sarah at the Pit Stop. “I do want to be with you," said a tearful Sarah. "I just don’t want to not speak to another single person, which I feel is the only thing that’s going to make you feel like I want to be with you.” While Terence stormed off, Sarah was forced to admit that she felt like she was betraying Terence every time she spoke to a competitor. Wow.

The drama continued at the airport and T&S ran afoul of Ken and Tina, when Tina took credit for getting the airline to switch to a bigger plane, allowing all of the teams to get on a much earlier flight. I hate to say it, Tina, but there was no way ANY of you were getting on that earlier flight unless they moved to a bigger plane (there was, after all, only one seat available on that flight), so I wouldn't be going around telling everyone that they owe you after you personally got them on the plane.

I thought that this week's challenges were pretty lame. I was glad that Mark and Bill (go geeks!) were smart to choose the computer-based Detour that had them searching for shipping containers in the port (flashes of Season Two of The Wire) but I was so irritated that they managed to slip to second place when Ken and Tina beat them in a footrace to the mat. (Grr.) The sailboat-pushing challenge was good but would have been even better if they had not had the help of the locals as well. As for the Road Block--where they had to find their next location, Cicade Da Crianca, from a series of words on a wall--I thought it was perhaps one of the lamest challenges ever to appear on the Race. Yes, many of teams (especially Nick) overthought the challenge but in the end, it really just involved written a whole bunch of stuff down and reciting them one after another. Hardly a physically or mentally-taxing challenge, to say the least.

Ken and Tina are proving themselves to be the team to beat, despite their fragile relationship and general snarkiness with one another... while Nick and Starr are earning a reputation for being sneaky and underhanded. (Loved how he asked Sarah to team up with him and then dropped her thirty seconds later and then promised frat boy Andrew that he'd come back to him with the clue, only to take off seconds later.) Nick and Starr will either prove to be as craft as Rob and Amber... or as generally unliked as Jonathan and Victoria. Only time will tell...

Next week on The Amazing Race ("Did You Push My Sports Bra Off the Ledge?"), the competition heats up as the teams head into the third leg of the race but many succumb to the perils of altitude sickness; Ken enters the ring and impresses wife Tina with his moves.

Talk Back: "The Amazing Race" Season Premiere

Road blocks. Detours. Phil Keoghan saucily raising one eyebrow.

The season premiere of CBS' reality series The Amazing Race ("Bees are Much Calmer than All This!") had it all, including some particularly memorable teams, even this early in the race.

Now that you've read my advance review of the season premiere and--after last night's airing--seen the episode for yourself, I'm curious to see if you're rooting for Bill and Mark as much as I am and if you're as taken with sibs Starr and Nick (despite their ill-advised alliance)... and if abrasive couple Terence and Sarah rubbed you the wrong way too.

Do you think alliances are always a bad idea on TAR? (After all, it's not Survivor.) Were the beekeepers cast for their wacky sense of style almost as much as their advanced age? Who do you think are the strongest teams so far? And which ones will get left by the side of the road as the race progresses?

Talk back here.

"Bees Are Much Calmer Than All This": An Advance Look at the Season Premiere of "The Amazing Race"

I'm already rooting for comic book geeks Mark and Bill.

It seems like a lifetime since we last had an installment of reality series The Amazing Race and, after an interminable wait, the series finally returns this Sunday night at 8 pm. I had the opportunity to watch the season premiere a few days ago (that thing was burning a hole on my coffee table until I sat down to watch it) and was immediately sucked back into the addictive world of road blocks, detours, and Phil Keoghan.

While it's a little too early to tell which teams are stronger than others and which ones are worth rooting for, I already do have two favorite teams... and one team I already cannot stand. Making the top of my list are the aforementioned goateed geeks Mark and Bill, who are instantly likable as they race around with their minds overflowing with Watchmen trivia; the duo--friends for over 23 years--are attempting to be the first team to ever run the race strategically (but didn't Rob and Amber attempt to do just that?) and are proud members of the geek tribe.

I'm also pretty taken with brother-and-sister team Nick and Starr, whom I initially assumed would make me cringe with what I believed to be a co-dependent relationship that bordered on creepy... but they've completely won me over with their can-do spirit, cooperativeness, and teamwork. (And, no, they're not twins.) By the end of the premiere, I was rooting for them to come out on top.

But the real question is: which team do I already hate with a fiery passion?

The answer to that is easy: it's dating couple Terence and Sarah, whose combative nature with each other, unlikely relationship (find me a couple more dissimilar and I will gladly pay you), and social awkwardness immediately rubbed me the wrong way. While Terence gladly shuns the other contestants (he's aware from the start that this isn't a popularity contest but a race and then creepily says that Sarah is supposed to be holding him instead of talking to the others), Sarah has this burning need to become friends with everyone on the Race right off the bat and gets pissed when an offhand comment about the difficulty of finding a cab goes unnoticed by Nick and Starr... and promptly turns Sarah into a raving maniac who freaks out that they've--to quote the immortal words of Black Books--"blanked" her. (In actuality, they're all in a race and I don't think Starr or Ryan even noticed her mumbling at them.)

The rest of the competitors are a pretty motley bunch, especially elderly Oregon beekeeper/dyed-in-the-wool hippies Arthur and Anita and overweight frat boys Andrew and Dan... but none of the other teams have really yet to make an impact on me as a viewer. I'm hoping next week's installment pushes the teams a little more and gets us to see more of the inter- and intra-team dynamics (look for Sarah to flip out at Nick and Starr at the airport over a lack of a hello!) but I'm just as hooked as ever on this compelling and dynamic series.

The Amazing Race premieres Sunday at 8 pm ET/PT on CBS.

Channel Surfing: Sci Fi to Explore "Stargate Universe," Ben McKenzie Circles "LAPD," "Doctor Who," and More

Good morning and welcome to your Friday television briefing. I can't believe the weekend is finally here and I am definitely ready for some R&R over the next few days, though I am especially jealous that the Brits have off on Monday thanks to August Bank Holiday. (Lucky bastards!) I stayed in last night and watched the slightly soggy two-hour premiere of America's Next Top Model and now I can't get the incessant shrieking out of my head.

Speaking of the CW's launches, the netlet has bumped up the premiere of reality competition series Stylista by a week to October 22nd at 9 pm, directly behind a new episode of Top Model. The move comes shortly after the CW pushed the fashion competition series--from 10 by 10 Ent and Bankable--to October. I'm kind of curious to see Stylista's first episode and, based on the trailers and clips that I've seen, feel that this could be just the right sort of guilty pleasure to enjoy with Top Model. (TV Week)

Sci Fi giveth and it taketh away. The cabler, a day after announcing that the fifth season of Stargate Atlantis would be its last (plus a two-hour telepic in 2009), has finally unveiled the latest addition to the Stargate oeuvre in the form of new series Stargate Universe. New series, said to involve more "space-based action" than its predecessors and a "younger" vibe, will launch as a two-hour movie in early 2009 and then kick off as an ongoing series in Summer 2009. Plot revolves around a team of explorers who discover an unmanned ancient ship called the Destiny and must fend for themselves aboard the ship when they learn they cannot use it to return to Earth as it is on a pre-programmed course bound for the far reaches of the universe. Stargate Atlantis' Brad Wright and Robert Cooper will servce as co-creators/executive producers. (Hollywood Reporter)

David Anders (Alias) and Kandyse McClure (Battlestar Galactica) have been cast in Sci Fi's made-for-television remake of Children of the Corn, which will air next year. (Bloody Disgusting)

Travel Channel has acquired off-net cable rights to Seasons 12-14 of CBS' The Amazing Race, which it will air beginning September 3rd on Wednesdays at 8 pm. CBS is currently filming Season Thirteen of Amazing Race but Season Fourteen has yet to be officially greenlit. Could this mean that another season of TAR is all but guaranteed and we can take the series off of our perpetually on the bubble list? Only time will tell. (Variety)

Let's just hope there aren't any leather wristbands involved. Benjamin McKenzie (The O.C.) could be making a return to series television; he's said to be in talks with Warner Bros. Television, NBC, and John Wells Prods. about joining the cast of ensemble cop drama LAPD, about--you guessed it!--a group of police officers in Los Angeles on and off duty. Already cast in the project: Regina King (24), Kevin Alejandro (Shark), and Michael McGrady (Daybreak). (Hollywood Reporter)

John Hurt (Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull), Cynthia Nixon (Sex and the City), Jonathan Tucker (The Black Donnellys), and Swoozie Kurtz (Pushing Daisies) cast in ITV drama An Englishman in New York, a followup to the 1975 telepic The Naked Civil Servant, about eccentric writer Quentin Crisp. Pic, produced for the British broadcaster by Leopard Films, is currently shooting in London and New York. (Variety)

Rupert Penry-Jones (Spooks) has been cast as the lead in telepic The 39 Steps, based on John Buchan's classic novel. He'll play Richard Hannay, who meets Scudder, a man who claims to be a British spy; but when Scudder ends up dead in Hannay's flat, he'll go on the run to to unmask a deadly conspiracy that threatens his life and the safety of Britain, teaming up with a feisty suffragette in order to stop an invasion. The 39 Steps will air at Christmas on BBC One. (BBC)

Finally, Catherine Tate has revealed that she is still holding out hope for the return of her character, Donna Noble, to Doctor Who, even after she had her memories erased at the end of Season Four. "I knew that there would definitely be an end to Donna, at the end of the series," Tate told Doctor Who magazine. "But had that not been the case, had it been open-ended, had there been potential for Donna to stay on for another series, I must confess that I'd have said 'yes' like a shot." While that might seem like a definitive answer, Tate isn't closing the door on a possible return. "Could Donna come back?" mused Tate. "Well, in science fiction, anything is possible." (Digital Spy)

Stay tuned.

What's On Tonight

8 pm: Summer Olympics (NBC); Friday Night SmackDown (CW; 8-10 pm); Collateral (ABC; 8-10 pm); Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader? (FOX)

9 pm: Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader? (FOX)

10 pm: 20/20 (ABC)

What I'll Be Watching

9:30 pm: Buffy the Vampire Slayer on HBO Zone.

No, I'm not talking about the brilliant Sarah Michelle Gellar-starring drama series that made us all fans of the genius Mr. Joss Whedon, but the original (and decidedly sub-par) film, which starred Kristy Swanson as the Slayer. And, yes, that is Paul Reubens.

Channel Surfing: "Amazing Race" Teams Revealed, "Office" Manager Signs Deal, and More

Good morning and welcome to your morning television briefing.

Universal Media Studios has signed The Office writer/producer Michael Schur to a hefty seven-figure overall deal, under which he will create, develop, and executive produce comedy series for the studio. The newly minted deal includes Schur's writing/producing services on the untitled comedy that he and Greg Daniels are developing for Amy Poehler; he'll serve as co-creator/executive producer on the pilot, set to shoot in January (after the birth of Poehler's baby in October), alongside Daniels. Four writers so far have been hired on the untitled Poehler comedy (which will also star Aziz Ansari), which seems to have neither a title nor an available concept. Schur, meanwhile, will continue to write occasionally on The Office and could appear on-screen again as Dwight's cousin Mose. (Variety)

CBS has revealed its lineup of sixteen contestants for the thirteenth edition of reality series The Amazing Race, which kicks off on September 28th. Among the players competing for the million-dollar prize and the approval of host Phil Keoghan are a pair of married beekeepers, geeky best friends (one is the treasurer of Comic-Con), fraternity brothers, a former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader and her actor brother, an ex-NFL player and his estranged wife, recent divorcees, and Southern belles. Starting in Los Angeles, look for the teams to make pit stops in Brazil, Bolivia, Russia, India, and Kazakhstan. (Associated Press)

Holy stunt casting, Batman! Fred Willard (Back to You) and Kerri Kenney (Reno 911!) will guest star in a November episode of ABC's Pushing Daisies. Willard is set to play the Great Hermann, a famous illusionist who gets murdered, while Kenney will play his assistant Alexandria. Elsewhere, Orlando Jones will join the cast of CBS' Rules of Engagement in a recurring role as Brad, a new neighbor for Jeff (Patrick Warburton). And look for Elizabeth Banks and Scott Foley to make return trips to Scrubs. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Courtney B. Vance has joined the cast of NBC's ER, entering its fifteenth season this fall, and will appear in as Russell Banfield in a multiple-episode story arc opposite real-life wife Angela Bassett. Casting marks first time that Vance and Bassett have appeared on-screen together.

Gina McKee (Atonement) and Jeremy Northam (The Tudors) have been cast in Fiona's Story, a one-off drama for BBC One about a year in the life of a woman who tries to keep her family together after her husband is accused of downloading images of child sexual abuse from the Internet. Drama also stars Jimi Mistry, Claire Bloom, Nicholas Farrell, and Amanda Root. (BBC)

Stay tuned.

What's On Tonight

8 pm: NCIS (CBS); Summer Olympics (NBC); Beauty & the Geek (CW); Wipeout (ABC); House (FOX)

9 pm: Big Brother 10 (CBS); Reaper (CW); Wanna Bet (ABC); Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (FOX)

10 pm: Without a Trace (CBS); Primetime: Medical Mysteries (ABC)

What I'll Be Watching

8-10 pm: Britcoms on BBC America.

I don't know about you but by Tuesday night, I'm usually in need of some comedy in my life. Why not stick around on Tuesday nights for BBC America's new comedy lineup, consisting of classic episodes of Coupling, new comedy Not Going Out, and Absolutely Fabulous?

10 pm: Million Dollar Listing on Bravo.

I can't look away, no matter how hard I try...

Reality Roundup: More "Survivor" for CBS; "Amazing Race" Staffing

In a move that surprised no one, CBS has gone ahead and renewed reality powerhouse Survivor for the 2008-09 season.

Additionally, Jeff Probst has also signed a new deal to continue on as the unflappable host of the series, which will return next season with its 17th and 18th installments.

"I still get excited to get on the plane and travel to another exotic location with another group of adventure-seeking, type-A personalities," Probst told The Hollywood Reporter. "It is without question the best job I've ever had."

Survivor's current installment launches February 7th while casting is already underway on the 17th season.

* * *

Meanwhile, fans of The Amazing Race will be happy to know that the sophisticated and decidedly unsnarky elder statesman of the reality genre will be returning with another season of Road Blocks, intra-team fighting, and Phil Keoghan.

While there has still been no official announcement from CBS, The Amazing Race will definitely be returning for at least another cycle and the producers have begun to quietly staff the next installment, a source close to the production told me.

Which is definitely cause to celebrate.

* * *

Lastly, a small tidbit from staffing land: a source has told me that Anthony Dominici, late of America's Next Top Model, where he was an executive producer (and before that a supervising producer on The Amazing Race), has taken over as showrunner on ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

Congrats, Anthony!

Nice Guys Can Finish First: Winners Crowned on "Amazing Race" Season Finale

I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this season of The Amazing Race and the final episode ("The Final Push") was no exception as we saw the final three teams make their way to the final leg of the race in Anchorage, Alaska, where they were pushed physically and intellectually on the way to the finish line.

I do have to say that this final leg was perhaps one of the most complex and interesting ones in a long, long time, especially the Final Road Block, a play on that old Memory game in which a player had to correctly organize a list of vague items--each with restrictions to each particular leg of the race--on a platform in order to receive their next clue. It was a fantastic challenge, one that played up their experiences on the race as well as their intuition and puzzle-solving abilities. (To say the very least, it was a million times better than that final task in Chicago a few seasons back where teams had to eat a pizza.)

How funny was it to see Phil climbing that glacier whilst explaining the teams' next move? Classic.

I was really hoping that Ron and Christina would be able to hold onto their lead and walk away with a million dollars, but Christina quickly fell behind at the Final Road Block, allowing Rachel and TK to sneak into first place. (Damn that donkey!) But, to be honest, I really would have been happy if any of the three of these teams emerged the victor and, at the end of the day, Ron and Christina can walk away from this experience having forged a powerful relationship. These two started off the Race as a team that nobody thought would make it very far, given Ron's near-humiliation of Christina at every turn and his constant bickering, whining, and nitpicking. Christina proved that her saintlike patience paid off and her father was able to change his ways. It's a testament to the powers of The Amazing Race and to the human spirit. Well done, guys.

I couldn't believe that Nick left their supplies at the 6th Avenue Outfitters... and was kind of hoping they'd try to do the crab Detour without rubber gloves (though I guess they did need the knife in order to fillet that HUGE cod). It pays to, well, pay attention to what the clues are actually saying, rather than just your next destination and this mistake put Don and Nicolas squarely at the back of the pack. Still, it was amazing to me to see how Don managed to keep up with contestants who were in some cases half his age, with grit and determination. It's a feat that a 68-year-old man made it into the final leg.

As for TK and Rachel, it was nice seeing them stress for a change. I do agree that they managed to stay in the game through some rough times and never lost their cool... or their heads towards each other, remaining calm and supportive throughout this entire competition. If the Race does test your mettle as a couple, these two have come through with flying colors. And it was a nice change of pace to see a couple that wasn't as cruel and disagreeable as Nate and Jen... and still have them walk away a million dollars richer. As TK said, nice guys can finish first.

And there you have it, another season of The Amazing Race done and dusted. Were you happy with the outcome? Or were you rooting for another team to waltz off with the top prize?

What's On Tonight

8 pm: How I Met Your Mother/The Big Bang Theory (CBS); American Gladiators (NBC); Everybody Hates Chris/Aliens in America (CW); Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann (ABC; 8-9:30 pm); Prison Break (FOX)

9 pm: Two and a Half Men/Rules of Engagement (CBS); Deal or No Deal (NBC); Girlfriends/The Game (CW); Notes from the Underbelly (ABC; 9:30-10 pm); Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (FOX)

10 pm: CSI: Miami (CBS); Medium (NBC); October Road (ABC)

What I'll Be Watching

9 pm: Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.

You all know my feelings about this new series (and John Connor's greasy, greasy hair) but I'll tune in tonight to give it another chance. On tonight's installment ("The Turk"), Sarah gets in touch with Terissa Dyson in an attempt to locate Skynet's creators, which leads her to Andy Goode, a cell phone salesman-slash-computer programmer who has created a program called "The Turk," while John and Cameron try to assimilate at a new school.

10 pm: No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain on Travel Channel.

It's a brand new season of No Reservations on the Travel Channel; follow enfant terrible chef Anthony Bourdain as he travels the world in search of good food. In tonight's installment, Tony heads to Vancouver, British Columbia, where he takes a look at its film industry, scenery, and burgeoning food scene.