RIP Andy Hallett

Read E's story here.

Eyebrows and Pitstops: Week 7

Last night’s Amazing Race was a heartbreaker to be sure. I just can’t bring myself to recap the entire episode that saw my favorite team go. Watching Mel and Mike struggle upon arrival in Thailand, you felt their journey was ending. While there was a brief moment of hope at the detour as they caught the sisters, this was one of the most foregone elimination conclusions of the year. I had grown quite accustomed to having the father and son team around and they have been a big reason why this season has been so enjoyable. If Mike and Mel were your favorites too, here’s some reasons to cheer for or cheer against the remaining teams.

Mark and Michael
Pros: Their energy is contagious and like Mel and Mike, they seem to enjoying the game as well as the experience.
Cons: Their inability to navigate just about anything is frustrating as all hell. I believe last night was the first time they found a route marker right off the bat. Of course, they also cheated twice, incurred an hour penalty and made some more racially questionable comments.

Margie and Luke
Pros: It has certainly been a joy to see this mother and son team communicate and thrive. Leaving the deafness aside, it has been quite a treat to see a mother and son team do so well in the race. They seem to carry each other at different times such as last night’s rickshaw challenge. Luke’s devious side is also a plus.
Cons: Margie and Luke tend to whine a lot and they rarely seem to appreciate the fun of the game.

Victor and Tammy
Pros: They certainly play the game the best. Victor and Tammy have often picked the best detours (except for the coffin thing) and choose the best team member to compete in roadblocks.
Cons: Victor is an ass! Each week he discovers new ways to insult his sister all while claiming to be an Asian American stereotype.

Kisha and Jen
Pros: Oh come on how can you not appreciate Kisha as she shared money with the homeless kids in the streets of India? In addition, their sibling banter has been highly entertaining and their challenge performance has been equally absorbing.
Cons: Not many. They tend to get frustrated easily but overall this is probably the team I’m pulling for now.

Cara and Jaime
Pros: Cara can sometimes be nice.
Cons: Where do I start? Jaime is a “witch that starts with a B” according to a fellow cast mate. They portray the ugly American traveler to a T. They rely on everyone else to help them on every leg and I think they’re lying about their lives as cheerleaders cause they are neither cheery or leaders.

Handicapping America’s Next Top Tyra

I am once again sucked into another cycle of America’s Next Top Model and after last night’s ep, I thought it was time to look at the remaining models and their chances for taking this season.

Tahlia: Oh my goodness I’m tired of this girl. One minute she’s proud of her body burns and all, and the next she’s ashamed. One minute she’s ready to quit and the next, she’s brining the best photo of the shoot. Just go home already. I’m sure she’ll last a little longer because Tyra loves to play the fairy godmother who almost gives you your dream but Tahlia has no real chance to win. Odds to win: 30 to 1

Sandra: Oooh I hate this girl. She is completely sour, as Benny Ninja would say. Week after week, she scrapes by on her beauty and the incompetence of others and seems completely unaware of how this is happening. I think this will run out eventually but thanks to Celia’s outburst last week, I’m guessing she’s safe for at least another week. Odds to win: 20 to 1

Allison: My personal favorite is Allison aka Legalos. Her large eyes and elvin ears are more than just an oddity they are down right mesmerizing. Unfortunately, Allison is not growing at all from week to week. Her shyness will be her undoing unless she manages to turn it around but I’ve seen no indications that will happen and it makes me sad. Plus I’m beginning to think she’ll never achieve her dream of getting a bloody nose. Odds to win: 15 to 1

Aminat: I think Aminat might be the most beautiful girl this cycle but she just hasn’t delivered. Last night the judges liked her photo but I still thought she didn’t connect what so ever. That being said it seems every cycle has someone who manages to stick around and then blossoms late. I think Aminat is that contestant this year. Odds to win: 12 to 1

Celia: Until last night when she decided to play hero and throw one girl she dislikes under the bus to save another girl she doesn’t like, Celia was the clear-cut favorite to win. Tyra loves the cross-eyed girls (shout out to cycle 11 winner McKey). Celia also has a presence in person and that carries a lot of weight with the judges. However, the one thing you can’t do is step up to Tyra and dare to take the spotlight off of her. If someone really fucks up next week Celia could slide by and after that, she could move back to the top. Odds to win: 50 to 1 next week but after that 8 to 1

Teyona: Surely Teyona is a favorite in the America’s Next Top Forehead competition but until recently I thought she was a long shot to win. Lately though she’s been improving by leaps and bounds. I think she’s got the longevity to go far into the show but I am concerned about her chances once the commercial work comes up. Odds to win: 8 to 1

London: Losing the headband and toning down the Jesus talk have made London a player in this cycle. I honestly thought she wouldn’t make it past the casting call episode and now she’s one my favorites to win. Her personality should translate well in the screen tests and her walk is improving. Posing seems to be an issue but as long as she improves over time, I think she’s a slam-dunk to be in the finale. Odds to win: 5 to 1

Natalie: The model with most modeling experience has struggled the last two weeks but I still think she’s got a good shot of winning. Like many of this season’s contestants, she lacks any personality in front of the judges. Her pictures though have been some of the best of they cycle and I have a hard time believing she won’t be able to turn it on down the homestretch. Odds to win: 5 to 1

Fo: My partner’s dark horse from day one has been Miss Fo and I’m beginning to agree. She’s got a unique look and a bubbly personality. Her photos are beautiful but sometimes miss the editorial mark. She has recovered nicely from her hair freak out in week 2 and seems to have found a nice rhythm. Odds to win: 5 to 1

As you can see, I’m not ready to pick a favorite but I’m pretty confident that the final three will be Fo, Natalie, and London. Of course, as always, the real winner is Tyra and the real losers are those of us that watch.

My Heart Just Jumped

This is easily the best movie trailer I've seen in 2009. Perfect combo of music, graphics and footage. Course it doesn't hurt what it's for. Click below and see

Live Blog: RuPaul's Drag Race Finale

Eyebrows and Pit Stops: Week 6

Was anyone else saddened by the fact that the contestants on The Amazing Race were let out of Siberia this week? I know the harsh conditions are tough on the crew but come on folks, let’s make these travelers suffer a bit more. Alas, the gang got their route info and off they were to warmer climates, specifically India. While I believe this season has been excellent so far, I have had only one major complaint, I don’t hate any of the teams. The self-proclaimed former cheerleaders may finally have taken that home after last night. Their outrage over animals eating trash seemed so petty and idiotic when there were children standing there doing the same thing. In addition, they won the first ugly American award of the season when they berated their English speaking cab driver both to his face and behind his back. Of course, their ugly American award was quickly taken by Mark and Mike when one of them let out a blood-curdling yelp, which he said, was the call of the Indian working man. Perhaps in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom but not in the real world Mike (or Mark, I have a hard time keeping them straight). By the way, are these two ever going to be able to find anything? They remind me of Joyce and Uchinna who got lost going everywhere and often walked right by clue boxes. On a happier note, kudos to the editing team for putting the fear of god into me that Mel and Mike were on their way home. Once I saw the roadblock, I feared that Mel would struggle but thankfully, his brain overcame the other teams’ brawn as he found the basket used for the feed. It did make for some tense moments though. In the end, the blondes couldn’t overcome their deficit and were sent packing. They certainly made it close though as they were right on Mark and Mike’s heels. Can’t say I’m sorry they’re gone as they were pretty boring for the most part. Next week looks like we’ve got a fainter.

One Last Plea for Dollhouse

I was so excited about Joss Whedon's new show Dollhouse that I promoted it more than the impending birth of my first child. Sadly, like many of you I was underwhelmed by the show's premiere and subsequent offerings. Surely, it hasn't been the worse thing on TV but it just hasn't clicked. Still I'm willing to give it one more chance. Tonight's episode entitled Man on the Street is penned by Joss. Furthermore, Joss has gone out of his way to say this is the game changer that should grab fans new and old. Early reviews from everyone from AICN's Herc to E!'s Watch with Kristen have supported that statement and then some. Given Mr. Whedon's track record and the fact that both Buffy and Angel took some time to really click I'm pleading with you fine readers to give Dollhouse another chance. I know its airing at 8pm CST tonight against basketball, Friday Night Lights and of course, the series finale of Battlestar, but hey, that's what TiVo is for. If the episode yet again falls short, I promise never to speak of Dollhouse again on this blog.

Tyrapocalypse

I’m a day late and a dollar short to this party but good god how sad yet amazing was this news of prospective Top Model contestants tearing up New York City.



After reviewing the tape, I’m convinced this is another sign of the Tyrapocalypse. Here are the seven signs as predicted by the Book of Fierce:

7. And the world shall be filled with people overusing the word fierce.

6. A great evil shall emerge named Tyra that mimics the godess O but instead of spreading hope and love she shall spread greed and dispair.

5. There will be multiple sightings of the evil one in a fat suit.

4. The streets will run red with the blood of the followers of Tyra.

3. All things will revolve around Tyra as she commands it to be so.

2. There shall be a gigantic panty party in a television studio.

1. And all shall have pictures of Tyra in their house.


I’m telling you people, number one will happen any day now.

Whit Whit Learns Her Lesson

Is it possible for a show to go out with a whimper and a bang? That is the question I ponder after Monday’s season finale of The City. The much-ballyhooed Hills spin-off has been a ratings failure as seen by the fact that MTV hardly promoted the last episode. Still despite the lack of business success, the show itself turned in its strongest episode to date as “star” Whitney Port turned in a leading lady performance that rivaled her old Hills boss L.C. Not only did Whitney assert herself in the workplace by standing up to her evil coworker and socialite Olivia, but she also learned from L.C.’s mistakes and choose career over bad boy Jay. It was the first time all year that I really felt emotionally connected to Whitney the lead as opposed to Whitney the supporting character. MTV has already ordered up a second season of The City, which makes sense given the impending departure of The Hills, and after Monday’s finale, I’m willing to give Whit, Olivia, Jay, and even boring old Erin another shot.

Eyebrows and Pit Stops: Week 5

We join this recap of The Amazing Race already in progress as the season has already started. Thankfully, the fifth episode of The Amazing Race actually served as a great jumping on point for the season. We got to see once again why Victor and Tammy are this season’s villains as they ditched the self proclaimed former cheerleaders and mom/son team Luke and Margie, during a caravan. We also got to see a bit of the fallout from last week’s shocking Blind U Turn played by Luke as any edge he had at being underestimated due to his deafness went out the window. Meanwhile everyone else pretty much stuck to form. The M&M boys (Michael and Mark) got lost again but this time in the theater where they had to check in to the pit stop. The rapidly aging before our eyes stewardesses went from first back to their more comfortable worst position. The athlete sisters bickered back and forth and got lost yet again. Mike and Mel continued to cement their status as fan favorites as they enjoyed every minute of every challenge. I dare anyone not to cheer for those two. I did think this episode lacked any tension right from the outset and sure enough there was a reason for that as this was a non-elimination leg of the race. While I certainly enjoyed seeing the teams struggle in the cold (although 20 degrees is hardly freezing), you could sense that there really was nothing more these teams could do in Siberia to truly separate themselves. Looking ahead to next week, the blondes face a tough challenge in trying to make up ground but with the athlete sisters only a few minutes ahead, they may have a chance.

Poll Results are in!

By semi-popular demand I will now be covering The Amazing Race on a weekly basis starting tomorrow. As a bonus I will also be covering the Real World/Road Rules Challenge starting April 8th. So strap on your reality hats and settle in for all the tears of joy, pain, and embarrassment.

Quick Review: Kelly Clarkson- All I Ever Wanted

You could count me as one of the few who really appreciated Kelly Clarkson’s 2007 effort My December. I thought the somber tone really let her vocal range shine and I appreciated the slightly darker tone in her bubble gum pop lyrics. Of course I was in a minority as many thought the album lost the fun, infectious tones of her best work on Breakaway. Clarkson’s latest effort, All I Ever Wanted should please all of her fans and bring in some new ones, as it should be called Best of Both Worlds.

Wanted features a number of tracks that evoke past hits like Since U Been Gone. The first single, My Life Would Suck Without You is currently blazing up the charts but I’ve got to warn you folks, it’s nothing compared to I Do Not Hook Up and Whyyawannabringmedown. These two tracks are already instant staples on my car mix and I imagine my next road trip will be spent singing to these up-tempo tracks. Also of note is The Day We Feel Apart.

Kelly also represents her artistic growth on the album by trying new things as she did on My December. Already Gone and Tip of My Tongue are two distinctly different tracks but they do share something in common in that they sound new coming from Clarkson. The ballad Cry even shows some new range in her amazing voice.

If anything this album is bogged down by excess. At 16 tracks, there are a few clunkers but nothing offensively bad. I’d skip over Save You, If No One Will Listen, and Ready which just sound like weaker efforts of similar tracks on the album.

Quick Comic Review: Battle for the Cowl #1

With the recent “death” of Batman, Gotham City has descended into a level of madness not seen before. At least that’s what writer/artist Tony Daniel wants you to believe when you read his new limited series designed to choose a temporary Batman until the inevitable return of Bruce Wayne. Problem is, we’ve seen this all before. Gotham has gone in the crapper so many times I’ve lost count and while Daniel’s art is strong and dynamic, its tough to overlook the lazy storytelling that sets up the villainous side of Battle for the Cowl. On the plus side, I was pleased with the characterization of Tim Drake. Daniel really seems to have a handle on Robin III and his narration keeps this issue from failing completely. Also well done is the mystery of where this will all end. While we can all guess who the gun toting Batman will turn out to be, the identity of the temp Batman is really up for grabs. After the well-written scene between Alfred and Nightwing, I’ve got my money on the butler. Given the frenetic pace of this first issue and the fact the series is only three issues long, I’m willing to come back next month just to see if Daniel can keep this up on the artistic side and improve on the writing side. For now though I can only half recommend this.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention that the DC editorial board deserves a special award for outstanding achievements in poor marketing for their final page blurb about Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely’s Batman and Robin. The announcement about the new series from the All Star Superman and New X-Men team is enough to make any fan boy soil themselves but it also severely distracts from Battle for the Cowl. Essentially I felt like I’m reading this book for three months until the real show starts. Nice job DC.

What's Next?

Usually I cover a weekly reality show on the site but since there's no Project Runway or Top Chef on the horizon, I'm at a loss. RuPaul's Drag Race has been criminally neglected on the site and while I wish I could start covering that, its just about wrapped up. Some shows are already in mid-stride but I will put it to you good people of the blogsphere as to what show should I cover next. I will abide by your decision no matter what schlock I end up watching. Poll ends Sunday 3/15. Vote on the poll on the top right of the page.

Minneapolis Restaurant Review: Rinata

Often times restaurants owned or managed by the same family fall into one of two sibling categories. The first is the identical twin where the two restaurants are near carbon copies of each other (see any of the Edina/Longfellow Grill family). The other is the adopted sibling where the two restaurants couldn’t be any more different such as La Belle Vie and Smalley’s. Neither of these is a bad thing but it just seems to be typical of how owners and managers expand their culinary empires. There is of course a third option where you can see the relationship between the two restaurants but they each stand on their own and local chef Jon Hunt has done this with his new Uptown joint, Rinata.

Rinata has very big shoes to fill, thanks both to its family reputation and to its location. Hunt opened the South Minneapolis gem, Al Vento in 2005. The southern Italian restaurant fit the neighborhood like a glove and drew in folks from all around. It is one of my top 15 in town so I was very excited to hear about Rinata opening in Uptown. Sadly, the opportunity came as Uptown lost long time institution Giorgio’s. Clearly, Rinata was going to have to make people embrace something new while also living up to the high standards of Al Vento. Happily, I can say they succeed on both counts.

The old Giorgio’s space has been given a once over and the result is a cozy environment on one of the main arteries of Minneapolis. A thriving bar sits in the back of the main room while dark wooden tables are scattered about. The lighting is dim and I could certainly see this as an instant date night staple in Uptown. While the dinning room was doing a brisk Friday night business on my visit, nothing about it screamed cramped or crowded.

The menu varies greatly from Al Vento but thankfully the execution in the kitchen at Rinata lives up to the standard of its brethren. The more sophisticated menu focuses on more regions of Italian cooking and really emphasizes Hunt’s fresh pastas, which are the best in town. Our meal started with an appetizer of eggplant involtini. The thinly sliced eggplant was wrapped around goat cheese and topped with pine nuts and a tomato sauce that was rich and surprisingly non-acidic. My companion was quick to note that, thankfully, the kitchen is not afraid of garlic. It was a dish that showcased both skill and taste. The beet salad was notable for the parmesan vinaigrette dressing that topped the red beets and parsnips on the plate. The addition of whole pistachios to the plate was bothersome as it was difficult to corral the rolling nuts into bites with the other components. If there are short ribs on a menu then you best bet my companion will seek them out. In the case of the short rib agnolotti, she couldn’t have been more pleased. The mild gorgonzola cheese in the dish did not come close to overpowering the tender meat that blanketed the pasta pillows. The sauce made from the meat was rich in taste but not heavy. My fettuccini with pancetta, peas, and mushrooms was simply the best dish I’ve had in weeks. The fresh herbs in the cream based sauce lingered on my tongue after the initial salty taste of the incredible pancetta. Next time I must ask where the get their pancetta from. One other thing that should be noted is the serving sizes. Whether it was the app or the entrees, the kitchen does a marvelous job of keeping the size of the dishes just right. While we did not leave with a doggy bag, we certainly could have had dessert if not for a prior commitment.

One of the best things Rinata has taken from Al Vento is their commitment to stellar service. Our utensils were constantly changed out and our meal impeccably timed. I also appreciated the fact that our server was knowledgeable about the menu and clearly had sampled every dish we had questions on.

Rinata, 2451 Hennepin Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 612-374-8998

I Refuse To Cover Reunion Shows About Cheftestants

Ok so the title of this entry is a bit of a lie as I did end up watching the Top Chef: New York reunion this week. Just like the season itself, the reunion was a snooze fest where the most deserving winner, this time the fan favorite category, went home empty handed. Fabio beat Carla? Are you f’ing kidding me? That said, the rest of the show was a lot of boring backslapping by chefs and judges who failed to step up this year. Perhaps even more disappointing was the lack of advertising for a new season or the spinoff show Top Chef Masters. With no Project Runway, no Top Chef, and, probably thankfully, no Top Design, what the hell is Bravo going to air other than the Real Lives of the Golden Girls and I’m A Prostitute Who Wants to Marry Rich?

Fired Before Hired

Last year when NBC introduced The Celebrity Apprentice, it sounded like a desperate grab at attention by a fading pseudo celeb himself, in Donald Trump. While I was probably accurate in my assumption, I did find myself tuning in week after week as the D-list stars lied, swindled and backstabbed each other. It was entertaining as hell and certainly breathed life into the Apprentice franchise. Of course, there was one big thing that impacted last year’s edition and that was timing. The WGA strike left a huge hole in the TV schedule last winter and Lennox Lewis and company quickly filled it. The strike however did not register with me as I set up my TiVo for a season pass for the latest installment of Celebrity Apprentice. As I sat down and watched the two-hour premiere I quickly found the fast forward button and before you knew it, I was done in less than 4 minutes. I know the novelty is gone, I know this cast of celebrities is even more questionable (Herschel Walker and a briefcase model?) but the truth of the matter is the show has really just been exposed by the quality of the other shows around it. Sorry Donald but I’m cancelling my pass and if there is a TV God hopefully NBC will follow suit shortly.

First Impressions: Reaper

When a TV show goes away for an extended period, it runs the risk of becoming lost both in the minds of viewers and in its own creative path. Unfortunately, it looks like one of the promising shows of last year, Reaper, has fallen into both categories. Last night’s season 2 premiere was dripping in mediocrity. Clearly the PTB thought the best way to bring the show back was by setting all the characters back to square one. Too bad they did so in a way that still referenced enough back story to put off any new viewers. I think no further evidence of that was needed after the 4 minute “previously on” segment. I’m not pulling the plug just yet as we all know that most shows run into the second season blues (yes even Lost). The network however, might not be so kind based on the dismal showing in last night’s ratings. Unless downloads and DVRs come to the rescue it might not matter if Reaper can right the ship.

Madison Restaurant Review: HuHot

How forgettable can a restaurant be when you aren’t sure whether you’ve already written a review on it or not? That my friends, is HuHot in a nutshell. The “Mongolian BBQ” chain has reached us here in Madison with a lot of fanfare and I’m here to say that while it’s an experience, it’s not necessarily one you’ll be eager to repeat.

My partner and I arrived at the multi-purpose suburban building that houses the new restaurant early on a Friday night. The interior is minimalist mall Asian that falls slightly below PF Changs and slightly above Chin’s Asian Fresh. Clearly, the open kitchen is meant to be the star of the dining room but it is purposely obscured by retaining walls meant to herd the diners into the assembly line. There’s a small bar as well but if you’re not there before six o’clock on most nights, don’t expect to see it as the overflow the place is currently enjoying fills it up quickly.

Once seated we were quickly greeted by our server who must have taken this job after failing to nab the role of the new fast talking FedEx guy. The facts are these, other than a few apps, soups, salads, and desserts you’re pretty much here to choose your own culinary adventure. In the interest of doing a full review we took advantage of a deal including an app, soup or salad, all you can eat BBQ (the norm), and a dessert.

The appetizer we chose was a basket of fried portabella mushrooms. Clearly, these came from a freezer bag but I must compliment HuHot on the quality of the mushrooms themselves. The southwest dipping sauce that accompanied them was less of a hit as it tasted vaguely of mayo gone bad mixed with sweet and sour and a dash of cayenne. The soups were pedestrian but good, the egg drop in particular. With these annoyances out of the way, we went to the star of the show, the BBQ.

I will admit that buffets and cook it yourself places are not usually my favorites but there is certainly something to be said for the experience. As I approached the first station full of frozen proteins and noodles, my eyes were instantly drawn to the woman at the end of the line who had compiled a bowl entirely of shrimp. No veggies, no sauce, just shrimp. Of course, she also had a towering bowl of beef, noodles, and veggies. As I watched her drop off the food for the grill operators, I noticed that she skipped to the end of the line to pick up a completed dish she must have put in minutes earlier. Sure enough, a few minutes later she was lip smacking back to the end to pick up the shrimp (now in plate form) and the noodle dish. This kind of timing is to be admired, praised, and studied. Shrimp woman was not alone, as I noticed many repeat customers working to time their drop off and pick up all while eating in between. In the span of an hour and a half, my partner and I must have seen at least three different couples eat and leave at the table next to us.

Human studies aside, the food itself must be discussed. Sure, the proteins are all frozen and the veggies of middling quality but the sauces HuHot features are flavorful enough to compensate…if you get them right. I enjoyed my spicy Szechuan sauce with chili pepper oil although the jalapenos and wasabi I added might have been spice overkill. My partner enjoyed the curry sauce but again found she made a mistake in her choice of oil. My second go round I tried the peanut sauce, which was certainly the best of the night and my most successful creation. Of course, that brings me back to the problem with places like HuHot. It’s a fun novelty to pick your ingredients and then watch a team of cooks flip and dice the food to your plate, but on the negative, you’re paying to experiment with flavors that might not turn out well in the end. For the same price we paid at HuHot, my partner and I could have eaten at almost any Asian place in town including a couple of Muramoto’s places and had food prepared by experienced chefs.

Our meal ended with more craziness from our rapid speaking server and our dessert. In keeping with the DIY attitude, we had smores that we made ourselves over a sterno flame. It was the best dish of the night because it was the easiest not to screw up on our own.

HuHot, 610 Junction Road, Madison, WI (608) 827-7110

Still Surviving

Yesterday I wrote about the new life that this season has brought to The Amazing Race. Well today, I thought I’d throw my two cents in on the old dinosaur that keeps on trucking, Survivor. While there have been some clunkers in seasons past like the China fiasco, this show has steadily plowed along. I’ve said it once but I’ll say it again, no one makes smart changes to their format like Survivor. The multiple merges, Exile Island, the multiple votes, all of these changes to the show have kept it fresh and this season they’ve done it again by sending contestants from opposing teams to Exile Island. The new opportunity this creates has not been lost on this well-rounded cast. Watching Taj and Brandon hatch their cross tribal alliance has been damn near exhilarating. Speaking of Taj, she is one many contestants who are both intriguing and bedeviling. Here you have a woman who had a moderately successful pop music career with SWV back in the 90’s. I believe I even had one of their albums. On top of that she’s married to former NFL star and current announcer Eddie George. You can’t argue that she needs the money, but you can appreciate the level of competitor she must be to put herself through the physical and emotional hell Survivor can bring. Then you’ve got Coach a player the show must have cast expecting a “villain”. Sadly Coach just can’t seem to get his act together and you half expect him to be gone next week. On the entertainment side you’ve got crazy old coot Sandy. Her lack of knowledge of the game, her teammates, and her environment just makes me giggle. I doubted that she’d last long but now she seems to be safe at least for a couple more episodes of guaranteed hilarity. I’d be remiss if I didn’t also acknowledge the producer’s ability to find great locations. The latest locale of Brazil is just breathtaking in HD both for its greenery and for its desert. Yep Survivor still has it going on and it’s hard to see it slowing down anytime soon.

New Life: The Amazing Race

This Fall, I wrote about my waning faith in The Amazing Race. Sure the show was still a reality staple but the trademarks of the show were becoming clichéd and boring. I thought the show needed some fresh life and I assumed the best way to do that was by changing up the format. Thankfully, I was wrong. All the show needed was a fresh group of contestants and a little cosmetic upgrade.

It’s amazing that some simple changes to the show’s editing could have such a profound effect. The most noticeable change to the season is the lack of filler scenes while teams wait at bus stops, airports, or train stations. Then there’s the introduction of the split screen race checks. While still not going as far as displaying tandem shots of actual action, the split screen transitions are helpful in placing where folks are in comparison.

One reason I’ve always loved The Amazing Race is their selection of contestants. There have been a few glory hounds seeking fame (Rob and Amber I’m talking to you), but for the most part the show has featured folks that are far too normal for reality TV. It’s the one show that most people I know can see themselves being a part of. The last couple of seasons lost that feeling but thankfully with a diverse group of teams, this season is looking strong. The father/son team of Mike and Mel has been a joy to watch. Being that Mike is a successful Hollywood screenwriter and sometimes actor you really believe that the only reason he’s doing this is for the experience with his father. The mother/son team of Margie and Luke is equally interesting and not just because of the fact that Luke is deaf. Usually the mother in these types of teams is dead weight but Margie has more than held her own. Between the stunt actors, the too soon departed hillbillies and the older health nuts this season has plenty of natural characters.

I’ve got high hopes for the remainder of this season and for the continued viability of the show. Of course it doesn’t hurt that Phil Keogen is still the best reality host on TV. That old eyebrow raise never gets old.