'Treasure Hunters' Season Premiere

NBC has been touting its new reality television series Treasure Hunters as a “thinking man’s” show. Well, not only can I think, but I like reality television, too. So, I was sure it would be a fine fit for me. Now, after spending two hours of my Sunday evening watching it, I’m not as sure. But, I think the good outweighs the bad in this Amazing Race/Da Vinci Code hybrid and I’ll most likely keep watching it.

The Good
The locales and clue-finding bits were very interesting. For the contestants, it looked almost impossible, but for the viewer all was fine. But, hey, we’re just watching! I liked the educational and historical bits throughout the show. The scenery in Alaska and Hawaii, in particular, was breathtaking.

Viewers can answer a show-related clue/question by text or on the NBC website and one person each week wins $10,000. I should have entered. Without going to Ask.com as advised on the show, I figured out that Thomas Edison nicknamed his son and daughter Dash and Dot due to the Morse Code in a show segment.

The Bad
There’s product placement to the point of taking over the show. The contestants use their Motorola Razr phones to keep in touch with the show host for clues; they were issued laptops to visit Ask.com and Orbitz sites to figure out clues and make travel arrangements. Not only were the sites mentioned, but half of the teams wore Ask.com shirts. (May I roll my eyes now? Please?)

There are ten teams of three, each saddled with nicknames like The Geniuses, The Ex-CIA, The Southies (Boston), etc. While I might get to know the teams, I know I won’t learn the individuals by name until they get booted or the season ends.

Although very attractive-looking, the host (Laird Macintosh) just didn’t have the spark that I see in Amazing Race’s Phil Keoghan or Survivor’s Jeff Probst. Maybe he’s too young, I don’t know. But he seems very replaceable at this point. (Well, at least in my opinion.)

The Ugly
Don’t get me wrong. I’m no Skinny Minnie myself. However, one team on the show (The Browns) has two overweight brothers, one of whom is probably to the point of what’s considered morbid obesity by doctors. The show is full of extreme physical tasks. This guy can’t even hike up a hill or stairs without getting winded. How safe is this? Plus, I’m not too keen on looking at very obese people in bathing suits. If I want to do that, I can go down the shore (as they say here in New Jersey).

The In Between and Quick Observations

• What’s with repeating “cliffhangers” after the return from commercials? We saw the situation before commercial, just finish it.
• I have no longitude and latitude skills. If I didn’t laugh, I’d just go insane. (A nod of the head to Jimmy Buffet.)
• I found it amusing that the “Geniuses” along with their matched team the “Young Professionals” were the only group who went to Mt. Theodore Roosevelt instead of Mt. Rushmore. Even I had guessed Mt. Rushmore as the clues unfolded -- the names of all four presidents made it obvious.
• There’s a sneaky preacher who stole a clue from another team. Tsk, tsk.
• One team member has the most mullet I think I’ve seen in twenty years. It fits him well.
• The show started with five teams in Hawaii and five teams in Alaska, each gathering clues. They met in Nebraska and all seemed shocked. Um. Okay.

If you missed the premiere, encores will be shown on Friday and Saturday nights in most viewing areas, so you might want to check your local listings. Starting next Monday (June 26), the show will air at 9 PM ET/PT. And, one last thing, the official website has lots of nifty stuff including a video of the episode(s).

This Week In Reality TV

Summer is really heating up for the Reality TV genre fans! This week sees in the start of the highly anticipated (for me, anyway!) new series Treasure Hunters, the premiere of America’s Got Talent, and the pre-start of this season’s upcoming Big Brother 7: All Stars. Meanwhile, recent new seasons of returning series are building their audiences and providing us dedicated television fans fresh entertainment during the sultry summer nights.

Here’s the skinny on what’s going on this week in Reality Television:

Treasure Hunters - This new show debuts tonight (Sunday, June 18) at 8 PM ET/PT in most viewing areas. This one is well-hyped by the network, perhaps trying to tie in with The Da Vinci Code madness. It looks like we’re in for a wild Amazing Race/The Da Vinci Code worldwide romp as viewers are even offered the opportunity to win cash playing along on the show’s website. From that site:

From the producers of The Da Vinci Code, Project Runway and Top Chef! In this fast-paced adventure reality series, multi-player teams face mental and physical challenges in their quest for hidden treasure. The teams must avoid elimination as they travel to remote locations where they decipher cryptic codes that lead them closer to the ultimate prize.

The two-hour season premiere is tonight, but the regular day and time for the series is Monday nights at 9 PM ET/PT. On Monday, June 19, NBC has NHL hockey in the time slot, so look for the second show on June 26.

Hell’s Kitchen - Perhaps it’s my deep-within sadistic inner child looking for redemption, but I get a kick out of Chef Gordon Ramsay going berserk in the kitchen with chef-wannabes who aspire to run ritzy restaurant kitchens. I couldn’t do it; I wouldn’t do it. In “real life” I despise Ramsay-like mean people. But it’s “good TV.” This second season pits men against women for the position of their dreams. It looks like FOX TV is continuing to run two episodes in a row from 8 to 10 PM ET/PT on Mondays, with the first episode a repeat from last week. After this week, this will conflict with Treasure Hunters for me. Thank you whomever invented the VCR, I love you!

Fear Factor - Now, I’m not a huge fan of this show. Since its inception, I believe I’ve watched perhaps five episodes. However, for the Reality TV fan, this is the season you may want to watch. This season’s contestants are previous reality show “stars” from shows like Survivor and The Amazing Race, to name a few. It airs on NBC Tuesday nights at 8 PM ET/PT. Me? I ate a caterpillar when I was a child and had to go to the emergency room to have bristles removed from my lips and mouth. Watching people eat worms tends to put me in post traumatic horror. Or something.

Last Comic Standing - This week it’s past the auditions and into the house for the comedian-contestants. I personally haven’t been too faithful to this show since the season of hometown guy Rich Vos. So far I have watched this season and perhaps will keep checking in. I want to see how Joshua Blue handles comedy sets not dealing with his disability, but I enjoy his disability-related stuff, too. It’s sort of like John Callahan with his cartooning -- sometimes you just have to laugh at the blows life deals to you. If you don’t, well…you’ll be a miserable bitter so-and-so. The show airs on NBC at 9 PM ET/PT. Check your local listings and remember…I’m funnier than Dat Phan.

So You Think You Can Dance - The competition’s heating up with the dancers as we saw last week when the first couple was eliminated. Can a break-dancer or a popper do ballroom? Can a ballroom dancer dance hip-hop? For the answers to those questions and more, check out this FOX TV show which airs 8 to 10 PM ET/PT on Wednesdays followed by the elimination show at 9 PM ET/PT on Thursdays. I personally enjoyed the couple who “Broadway-danced” to “Steam Heat” last week and may or may not watch this series through to season end. I’d like to see a series based purely on the break-dancers and poppers as I find what they do amazing. Me? I can do that crazy hand-jive and know I can’t dance. I do, however, think that FOX should capitalize on this format. I can see it now -- So You Think You Can Skydive or So You Think You Can Walk Bad Neighborhoods In Camden (NJ) At 2 AM. The possibilities are endless!

Big Brother 7: All Stars - America’s Vote - Oh, if you know me, you know I’ll be watching! I’m not too keen on “All Stars” versions of reality television shows, but I’m a true BB fan at heart, so the season is a given for me. This Wednesday (June 21) at 8 PM ET/PT, it’s a pre-season show giving America the opportunity to vote previous houseguests back into the house. From what I’ve read, it’s a bit limited as far as who might be available for the return to Hell in a House, but I think it could be quite intriguing. I’m a people observer with live feeds. Just, please, America -- do not vote either Holly or Alison back in, I beg you! I beseech you! The regular season premieres Thursday, July 6, at 8 PM ET/PT.

America’s Got Talent - Another ballyhooed NBC series premiere is on the slate! Like Treasure Hunters (even more so), I’m eagerly anticipating this series! Created and produced by Simon Cowell of American Idol fame and hosted by the much-beloved Regis Philbin, it’s a talent contest which goes the realm of…of…um…whatever! The two-hour season premiere is this Wednesday, June 21, at 9 PM ET/PT. Be there or be square.

Of course, my listing here tends to focus on shows in which I’m interested, but I’m the one writing the article. If you have a reality show you enjoy or are looking forward to watching, let me know! This is going to be a big TV week for this TV fan, I tell you.

'Hell's Kitchen' Season Premiere -or- "There Are Muppets In My Kitchen!"

I enjoy cooking. I enjoy baking. Folks seem to enjoy eating food I prepare. But, do I want to be a chef? Or, more specifically, do I want to go through literal hell at the hands of Chef Gordon Ramsay of Hell's Kitchen?

No way! This guy is brutal. He makes my own micro-managing boss look like an angel. And, of course, when you're talking kitchens, there are weapons there -- knives, forks, and hot stoves, oh my!

I watched this show last season mainly because there wasn't anything else which interested me in the time slot. I ended up getting hooked on the show. So, here I am.

Tonight's season premiere was less of the touted two-hour special than it was two episodes shown one after the other. The events occurring were obviously two separate shows, not one grand ol' cookin' fest. But it did the trick for me on a quiet Monday night (as well as making me feel a bit better about my own boss).

This season, the 12 contestants have been broken down by gender to two teams of six each. I'm not huge on the gender war mentality in the reality television genre, but it seems like every show goes that route if it lasts more than a season. So be it. The men are the Blue Team; the women are the Red Team. Pink obviously is too fluffy and soft for Ramsay, I'd say.

Even though I watched the two hours, I still don't have too many of the contestants down. I'm impressed with Heather -- she knows what she's doing, severely burnt her hand in the second hour yet kept giving her team direction and says things like "We do not speak in the kitchen." I'll remember that. I will only dance and hum while in my kitchen.

Others I noticed on the Red Team included Polly, way out of her league and gone in the first hour. Being a mom of six puts you through a lot but doesn't mean you can make it in Hell's Kitchen. There's a Sara who just struck me as rather odd. No one really stood out as being a possible winner other than Heather. We'll see. If we're going to play gender war, I want a woman winner!


The Blue Team has its share of oddballs, too. There's a prison cook who was a prisoner. Eep. There's a young guy named Giacomo who started off very impressively, then screwed up the side dishes in the second hour and was nominated for elimination. I wanted to like him after the first hour, but now I'm not so sure.

One of the men I know I don't care for is this fellow Tom. He sweats in the food and looks more suited to be a character actor who'd be hanging out at an off-track betting parlor than someone I'd want fixing my dinner. He was nominated for elimination in the second hour, but Ramsay saved him and wanted a different person in his place. That person, Gabe, a lost sheep, was eliminated when put up with Giacomo.

They managed to have not one, but two medical emergencies in tonight's premiere. One of the men (Larry) went to the hospital as his "body shut down due to stress." Hey, they said it, not me. He, like Gabe, was a lost sheep. He was way out of his element and he should be happy the stress nailed him in the beginning or his head would have exploded or something.

The service? Well, I hope they don't charge the customers at Hell's Kitchen, not this early in the show, anyway. I can't imagine waiting two hours for my appetizers or more than three for my entree. Yikes! On both nights they served (two shows, I tell you!), the customers ended up walking out and very few tables were served. I don't believe any tables received their entrees the first night.

The best lines of the night:

• Gordon Ramsay: "I've got Muppets in my kitchen!"
• "We've got a runner!" - one of the contestants upon discovering Larry had gone missing.

The most disgusting part of the night? It's a toss-up between Gordon Ramsay making the contestants pull all the discarded (wasted) food from the first night out of the Dumpster and the who can sweat the most contest between Tom and Keith. I'm sorry, but I don't want people who sweat like fountains near my food. I don't sweat in my own food and I'd leave a restaurant if I saw someone like that.

As I mentioned, in the first hour Polly was eliminated. I agree with that one. As for the men, I personally thought Keith who couldn't even take orders and sweated all over the place should have gone. Yes, Gabe wouldn't have lasted much longer, but at least he didn't disgust me. He was clean and neat.

So, what did I learn from the show? Hmmm...don't sweat in the food. Don't overcook the pasta. Keep my side dishes and meat timed to arrive at the same time. Oh, and the most important thing, don't become a chef for anyone, especially Gordon Ramsay.

Burn baby, burn...

'The Apprentice 5' Season Finale -or- "I Hear There's An Opening In Hawaii"

As of tonight, Donald Trump has a new employee in his organization after a grueling, yet entertaining, 15-week long interview. Yep, tonight was the hour and a half live finale coming to us from the Orpheum in Hollywood, California. I found that rather unusual as all of the other seasons ended right here in the New York City area. Not that I was ever invited, mind you. (Sniffle.)

However, Trump had a card up his sleeve. The Apprentice 6 will take place in California. Dang, it just won't be the same, at least not for me. I'm used to the NYC setting, know the areas and often see familiar sights. Yes, I lived for a few years outside of Los Angeles, but we're talking first grade. I think it's changed since then. Ah, well...on with the show...

The finalists -- Lee Bienstock and Sean Yazbeck -- were still amidst their final tasks as I wrote in last week's entry. Lee was in charge of a celebrity hockey game fundraiser at Chelsea Piers (NYC), while Sean was in charge of a Bare Naked Ladies rock concert fundraiser at Trump's Taj Mahal Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Both had woes. In my opinion, Lee chose a horrible team. No matter how much loyalty he feels with Lenny, the man is not good for business. Pepi? He chose Pepi, fired in Week Two. Roxanne had some strong points, better than Lenny and Pepi, but...! And, then Sean had a strong team -- Tarek, Andrea and Tammy -- but Andrea had a health crisis and went running off to a doctor. Eep.

As we watched them complete their tasks this week, both still had woes. Yes, Andrea returned (which is great as she's a very strong team member). Her health crisis turned out to be a burst blood vessel in her sinuses. But Sean delegated too much responsibility to Tarek, in particular. Tarek actually did well, but even Trump's representative George commented on it, so it wasn't just me.

Lee was totally disorganized and really turned off the fundraisers by not having everything planned. Then he went and put Lenny (of all people!) in charge of the celebrities! What the hell was he thinking? Lenny all but deserted them, offended the fundraiser folks with ill-timed jokes and even got Lee ticked at him.

In the end, both candidates managed to get their acts together, although I don't think Jaime Pressley (the auctioneer for the hockey event) ever wants to see Lenny again. To quote her, "You're not together, little Apprentice Boy!" Nonetheless, both Sean and Lee seemed to have success with their events in the end. I'll admit I couldn't do it.

The task endings, as well as recaps on both Lee and Sean, were filmed and shown to the live finale show audience on a huge screen. Live hooplah included Trump asking his Trumplets, Donald and Ivanka, who they'd choose to win. Neither committed. Nor would George commit. This season's other candidates were split pretty much down the middle, too. Perhaps Sean had one more in his court than Lee did. Finally, Carolyn committed and chose Sean. Judging from the audience, Sean was a more popular choice.

Me? I wasn't thrilled with either of them, but I'm sure both will go on to success in business. But, they once again didn't ask me. Well, they did, but I didn't vote online for either candidate. I decided to be an apathetic slug. Or something. I thought Lee was too sneaky and Sean wasn't on top of things. Maybe I could have voted for Brent!

Trump told them that there were two job locations from which they could choose. No, each didn't get a job. He indicated that their choice may play a role in his choice of the winner, but that didn't come to play as both chose the same location. The choices were Hawaii or Soho (a nifty-keen quaint ritzy neighborhood in New York City that is being ruined with stupid highrises - my opinion, of course). Both chose Soho.

When Trump revealed the general vote from the online audience, he said it was overwhelmingly in support of one candidate. He chose the same one for the win, but said it was a hard decision.

The envelope, please. Um...okay, no envelope. The winner of The Apprentice 5 is Sean Yazbeck, the Brit in Miami. Throw confetti, dance and sing...if you must.

Just a few tidbits:

• Sean said he plans to marry Tammy (aw, golly gee, how sweet)
• Was Andrea wearing jeans? What was up with that?
• Denis Leary broke the NYC law by smoking in that locker room.
• Those Pontiac G6 cars are really attractive. May I have one?
• Trump believes you must take credit, blow your own horn, in business. Why am I not surprised?
• Hmm...it seems to me that there is a position open in Hawaii. Should I apply?
• Brent had to jockey for position to shake Trump's hand one more time.
• Lenny is still surly and a step behind the world.

All in all, I was entertained this season, more than I have been for the past few. After all, I'm not applying for a job with Donald Trump. I'm just sitting here writing about a television show. If it entertains me, then it did its job. Donald Trump, I guess you're hired. (The paycheck is in the mail. Really. Would I lie?)

Thanks for reading this season and I'm sure to be watching next season.

Until then...

Dollar bills, y'all...

'The Apprentice 5' - Ep. 14 -or- "The Prelude to a Finale"

I wasn't expecting much from this latest episode of The Apprentice as it's basically just setting things in place for next week's season finale. And, sure enough, I wasn't delivered much. So, no recap/review this week.

Oh, okay, since you're here and reading and all...

The show opened with Roxanne and Allie getting fired once again. Been there, done that! Lee and Sean, the only two remaining candidates, were awaiting the return of one of the girls to the suite. Lee was already chowing down and Sean, perhaps the more mannerly of the two, decided against waiting. After all, his Tammy is gone and he felt her firing was the work of Roxanne and Allie. They received a phone call instructing them to head to the Boardroom immediately. Of course, they had no clue both women had been fired, so they fussed while dressing to meet Trump. Once there, he gave them the news they were the final two. So, it's the Politician against the Brit, friend against friend.


Trump told them they were about to undertake the hardest task in the fifteen-week long interview. They would have to select a team of three to lead in the task from previous candidates and meet Trump in the morning.

Little did they know that all their former rivals for the position were waiting for them at the suite. Woohoo, a par-tay! All of the former candidates were vying to be on the teams. Sean had his team selected -- Tammy (of course), Andrea and Tarek. Other than Lenny as a definite, Lee seemed a bit more undecided with his decision. He finally settled on Lenny, Roxanne and Pepe.

Pepe? I had forgotten he existed! Was it the second week that he went? Yikes! I personally have some doubts about Lee's team. I know Lenny is fiercely loyal to him and that's why he was chosen. But Lenny is abrasive, falls back on his "I'm Russian; I didn't know" bit too much and he could be a detriment. Why Roxanne and Pepe, I haven't a clue.

The teams had a choice of two fund-raising, celebrity-laden tasks. They had to manage all aspects -- business, creative and logistics. Sean, whose team became Synergy, took the BareNaked Ladies (rock group) performance at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City. He only got that as Lee handed it over to him, taking a celebrity hockey game at Chelsea Piers instead. It was an act of good will or perhaps politics on Lee's part.

As the teams got into the tasks, they realized how much they had to do. I think Sean and his team were more on top of things as Lee seemed clueless about so much. Both teams appeared to be overwhelmed.

Sean got a decent start, touring the facilities at the Taj Mahal and such. However, he seemed to be letting his affection for Tammy take him over a bit. Tarek and Andrea, thankfully, are both strong and smart.

Oh, but, Lee! He managed to offend Denis Leary's representative for one of the big recipients of the proceeds. He missed an opportunity with one of the Pontiac folks where he could possibly have gained matching funds. Even Carolyn commented that he was too laidback and not showing good leadership qualities.

Then Sean faced his own team dilemma. While I never liked Andrea, she is a smart woman and an important part of the team. For unbeknownst reasons, she started coughing up blood and ran off to the doctor.

Oh, no! What will happen? It's a cliffhanger, I guess. The task completion wasn't shown; the last we saw was Andrea walking away crying. The finale show is next Monday, June 5 at 9:30 ET/PT in most viewing areas. In the meantime, viewers are encouraged to vote for their favorite at the NBC website and could even win $30,000. If you visit that site, don't bother with Trump's Blog -- it's "notes" from the Trump University. Yes, I rolled my eyes and deep-sighed, too!

Lee and Sean have their respective sites begging for votes, too.

Me? I won't bother voting. I think Lee will win, but right now it's not looking too good for him. But he has a history of succeeding while always on the brink of failure.

Dollar bills, y'all...

'American Idol' Finale East Coast Update - The Winner Is...

...Taylor Hicks!

The Summer of Reality (TV) Is Coming

Remember the olden days of television? There was little new content for the summer, thus we had to be content to watch repeats with the exception of a few variety shows. An example of summer fare was The Summer Smothers Brothers Show circa the late-sixties. There were other beach-related shows, too. But, that was about it. Mostly, television was reruns all through the lazy, hazy days of summer.

In the current TV market, networks compete with each other for viewers, and for the even more important advertising dollars. In scouting around for this year's summer shows, I found it to be a Summer of Reality TV more often than not. So, if you're not a reality television genre fan, you might end up with reruns or feel free to accompany your child to summer camp!

Now, this is by no means a complete list of all the new summer shows (and returning ones) for the season, but I took a look at the big networks to see the major players in the market.

On CBS this summer:
Of course, there's my guilty pleasure summer staple, Big Brother. This year, BB7 is being called Big Brother All-Stars.
Dates to mark on your calendar:
Wednesday June 21, as from the CBS website -

For the first time in BIG BROTHER history worldwide, viewers will vote on which former HouseGuests will compete in BIG BROTHER 7: ALL-STARS. On CBS Wednesday, June 21 at 8PM ET/PT, Julie Chen will unveil the top 20 candidates from seasons past. Web voting opens right here [CBS.com site] after the show at midnight ET/9PM PT. The polls close Wednesday, June 28 at 11:59PM ET/8:59PM PT

Thursday July 6 at 8 PM ET/PT, it's the season premiere.
Just a note: I'll once again be blogging the live feeds in some capacity although it's too early to announce any details. Stay tuned!

RockStar: Supernova will premiere on Wednesday July 5 at 8 PM ET/PT. The second episode will be shown after the season premiere of Big Brother All-Stars the next day, then the regular day and time will be Wednesdays at 8 PM ET/PT. This is the second season for the show; last year's band was INXS. This season a new band (Supernova) will be formed with the winner accompanying former Motley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee, former Metallica guitarist Jason Newsted, and former Guns N' Roses guitarist Gilby Clarke. The music genre isn't so much my cuppa tea, so I probably won't tune in too much to the show, though I'll give it a look-see from time to time.

On ABC this summer:
ABC-TV only has one of its expected five summer reality shows featured on its website - How to Get the Guy - a "romantic reality series." The premiere is slated for Monday June 12 at 10 PM ET/PT. I tend to not watch reality television dating shows, so don't look to me for reports on this one.

Other shows previously-announced, but no premiere dates available are:
1. Master of Champions - Six competitors vying each other in extreme challenges.
2. The One: Making a Music Star - This one follows musical academy aspiring singers and the audience will vote one candidate off each week. It sounds a bit lifted from American Idol in concept. I may or may not watch.
3. Buy It Now - This one is a bit of a fresh concept mixed with a house-makeover kind of family dream (or something similar). A family puts up prized possessions for auction on EBay; neighbors and friends also put items up for auction to help the family realize their dream. It's to be aired twice a week. I'm just using the remodel show concept as a comparison -- the dreams may be very different. Heck, they may want to go to DisneyWorld.
4. One Ocean View - Five young NYC professionals spend summer weekends at an exclusive beach. These Friends may remind us of The Real World as one of the producers of the MTV series has a hand in the series.

On NBC this summer:
Wednesday June 21 starting at 8 PM ET/PT is the two-hour premiere of America's Got Talent. This one is on my list to watch. Created and produced by American Idol's Simon Cowell and hosted by Regis Philbin -- I predict a summer hit! Yes, a talent contest, but an all-encompassing one, not just singing. I'm psyched for the debut!

The other summer show on NBC that I'm very interested in watching is Treasure Hunters. It sounds like a cross between The Amazing Race and The Da Vinci Code (sans the religious aspect). The two-hour season premiere is on Sunday June 18 starting at 8 PM ET/PT. After that, its regular day and time will be Mondays at 9 PM ET/PT. Here's a bit of what the NBC website had to say about the show:

In this fast-paced adventure reality series, multi-player teams try to stay one step ahead of each other as they are mentally and physically challenged in their quest of a promised hidden treasure. The teams must avoid elimination as they travel to historically significant locations where they must decipher cryptic codes and puzzles, each with a clue leading them closer to solving the ultimate puzzle, and obtaining the coveted grand prize.

Last Comic Standing returns for its third summer stint Tuesday May 30 at 8 PM ET/PT. I may check it out now and then, but I lost interest in the show after the first season. I liked Rich Vos and he's a very local guy I actually talk to now and then, so I watched for him. Since then, yawn. (Well, for me, at least!)

On FOX this summer:
Hell's Kitchen's second season premieres Monday June 12 at 9 PM ET/PT. I enjoyed the first season with really-ranting chef Gordon Ramsay. I'll be watching. Or taping.

On Thursday May 25 (tomorrow) at 8 PM ET/PT, it's the second season premiere of So You Think You Can Dance. I can take this show or leave it. I enjoyed the start of last season, but lost interest halfway through the season. I'll probably give it a glance now and then dependent on what's up against it. And, no. I don't think I can dance. If you saw me dance, you'd agree.

So, there's a bit of what's on the TV this summer. I have a few shows I'm really looking forward to watching, but predict I'll be listening to a lot of music and reading. Oh. And watching Big Brother live feeds and blogging. Now, that's a summer!

The Meaning of TTOW! (BJ/Tyler of 'The Amazing Race 9')

Aha! I found a good explanation of TTOW, the exclamatory "word" used by BJ and Tyler throughout the recent Amazing Race season. This TV Guide online article also gives lots of insight, so check it out!

But, TTOW? Here ya go:

TVGuide.com: What does "TTOW" stand for?
BJ: Truth, justice and the American way.

TVGuide.com: No, for real.
BJ: It's basically the Chinese word for "good times." We went to China in 2002 and ended up with these awesome shirts that randomly said TTOW on them. In Asian countries, they like English characters and it didn't mean anything at the time, but since we bought the shirts and have been yelling out the phrase on national television, it has become our power call to the universe.

'The Apprentice 5' - Ep. 13 -or- "The Embassy Suites Space Cadet Program"

It's down to the Final Four, two episodes to go after this one. Yes, indeed...it's the 13th week of the 15 week long interview. Thirteen is bad luck, right? I guess it was for...

Wait, let me tell you about the episode first!

The show opened with Sean preparing a salad for whichever Synergy team members survived the Boardroom. He was so hoping that Tammy would return, although he acknowledged there was a strong possibility that she was the one Trump fired. He looked absolutely crestfallen when Allie and Roxanne walked in. Then he changed to determined and outright angry. "They lack integrity!"

In the morning, the teams met up with Donald Trump and the Trumplets -- his adult children Ivanka and Don, Jr. For no reason on earth (that I can think of) other than to promote his own fragrance, they met at the Estee Lauder offices. The actual task for the teams involved Embassy Suites, so you figure the reason they met at Estee Lauder and showed the design of the fragrance bottle.

The task had the candidates in their gender war team mode, Gold Rush men, Synergy women, designing uniforms for Embassy Suites staff. They had to create four designs -- front desk, bellmen, suitekeepers, and chefs. The finished product would be voted on by Embassy Suites employees.

Lee decided he wanted to be the project manager for Gold Rush, and he went with Sean to meet up with the E.S. executives. He wanted a focus group of employees and that's pretty much what the execs suggested, too. They went about asking the employees what they liked about their present uniforms and what they would want changed if they could. They didn't go hog-wild and worked on more functionality than changing everything around.

Sean seemed to know a lot about fashion and clothing design. He believes it's because he's a metrosexual. That prompted Lee to say, "What's a metrosexual? A cross between a homosexual and a heterosexual?" He must live under a rock.

I was out in my kitchen getting a cold tasty beverage during the commercial break prior to the Trump Firing Prediction Quote, so I missed the actual quote. The gist of it came down to business and friendship don't always mix. Hmmm...at that point in the show it could be either team. Sean and Lee had just been saying how great they got along. We know that Allie and Roxanne are tight. Or...are they?

The second they showed Synergy (Roxanne and Allie), I knew they were doomed. Allie decided to be the project manager, but oh-we're-really-co-PM mindset took over. She didn't want to just tweak and update the uniforms; she wanted to create fashion! I swear Roxanne almost rolled her eyes at her, perhaps gave a deep sigh. But she played along. Bad mistake. Roxanne thought she was rude to the designer (she was, she was!). But she told us; she didn't tell Allie.

The day of the fashion show was a hoot! The Gold Rush uniforms were the clear winner with the crowd -- fashionable, but very functional and improvements the employees themselves suggested to Lee and Sean. You could almost hear horrified gasps coming from some of the employees when Allie's Space Cadet designs hovered down the runway. Oh. My. God. It was like she took her designs from a '60s science fiction space novel! On the models they kind of looked um...interesting. Put real people with not-so-great builds in the uniforms, get the fashion police -- a crime has been committed!

Sure enough, the employee vote went overwhelmingly to Gold Rush - 83 votes against 37 for Synergy. Sean and Lee won the honor (well, to them, I guess) of having dinner at Aquavit with Ivanka and Don, Jr. As for Roxanne and Allie, someone wil be fired. Or...

Lee and Sean's dinner with the Trumplets went very well. They asked a lot of questions about growing up Trump, being Trump employees and on and on. I found it interesting that Trump gave his son $300 a month on a credit card when he was in college. He had to budget or get a job if he wanted more. I went to college in the Dark Ages, so I could have done a semester on that, but judging on his age, that wasn't exorbitant at all. Lee spilled the beans that Sean was smitten with Tammy (fired last week).

As Allie and Roxanne prepared for their last night together, they cuddled and said they'd never turn on each other. "I'd throw myself under a truck for her," said Roxanne. Yeah, right.

In the Boardroom, all started well. Then, the more nervous and defensive she got under Trump's questioning, the faster and higher-pitched Allie's speech became. Soon she was laying the blame on Roxanne. Then Roxanne spoke up (which she should have done in the task) saying she didn't decide the designs and Allie was rude to the designer. Catfight! Meow! Ivanka literally lit into Allie. Don, Jr. just watched for the most part. Meow, meow, hiss, hiss.

"Stop it! Roxanne and Allie, you're both fired!"

Afterwards, he commented on the lack of loyalty. They came in as good friends and all fell apart over a loss. Well, of course it did. One would have to get fired. While I understand where Trump was coming from, what did he expect? Each one would have to defend their own actions and they best way to do that is to focus on what the other did wrong. Although I get his reasoning for the double fire, I think Allie should have gone as she made the fashion decisions and failed miserably.

'The Amazing Race 9' - Finale Part 2

I'm so happy, I'm so pretty, so pretty...!

Well, um...

This season was almost perfect in my eyes, at least. After a bit of a recap of the last leg, I'll be reflecting back on a very satisfying season of The Amazing Race.

Now, where were we leave off? Japan? Ah, yes, that's it! Domo arigato! We were at the Pit Stop where Phil announced there would be no more eliminations in the race. However, since Ray and Yolanda came in last on the leg, they lost all of their money and possessions...in Tokyo (a very expensive city) with only the clothes they had on their backs and their passports.

BJ and Tyler only had a two-minute headstart against Jeremy and Eric, but made sure to stop at Ray and Yolanda's car to leave them some money and "stuff." I don't believe Jeremy and Eric left anything at all. While the flight tickets are paid for by the production staff, nothing else is. So, they had to beg.

And, beg they did. They went to restaurants, Ray wore a white sign dangling from his neck which read "yen." While he made more of an effort than I ever thought he would, even a humble and gracious one, it was Yolanda who brought in the bucks. The Japanese businessmen in one restaurant thought she looked like Janet Jackson and she had them handing over the money with ease.

All three teams caught up to each other at the airport and were on the same flight heading to Anchorage, Alaska. None of the teams seemed to be too happy about that situation, but the Frat Boys (Eric and Jeremy) seemed outright disgusted.

Once in Alaska, the teams had to drive thirty miles to Mirror Lake where they faced a Detour (a choice of two tasks relating to the local area). This one was Drill It or Deliver It. In Drill It, teams had to drill ten holes in the lake's ice with an auger, then drag an ice-fishing shack over to their area, setting it up to be approved by a local. In Deliver It, teams would have had to fly supplies 150 miles while doing the navigation for the pilot. Scratch that. All teams had to do Drill It because bad weather grounded all the planes.

Eric and Jeremy finished the task first and received a clue directing them to a chalet in Kincaid Park where they had to don snowshoes and follow an intricate map to find the next clue. BJ and Tyler weren't all that far behind, but walked right by all the snowshoes! Argh! Not once, not twice, but at least three times! A sidenote: When I Googled "Kincaid Park," the information I found starts with "Don't throw snowballs at the moose." Heh.

So...where my favorites, BJ and Tyler, far behind? And, what of Ray and Yolanda? Did they throw snowballs at the moose? Did a polar bear think they were salmon heading upstream? Well, the latter team was way behind, but in the end it didn't matter. All three teams made it on the same flight to Denver.

They first had to head to Golden, Colorado to find hidden clues in what looked like a dilapidated chicken farm. First Eric/Jeremy, then BJ/Tyler. Alas, Ray and Yolanda lost any chance of winning right then and there. Between getting lost and having trouble finding, they were too far behind too close to the end of the race to catch up.

The race would end where it began, in the Red Rocks Amphitheater (Denver). But there was a Roadblock before the Pit Stop. At Red Rocks, one member of each team was confronted with a field containing 285 flags. That team member had to select the 9 flags which represent the countries through which they had traveled. The racer had to take them one by one to a stand where they had to be placed in the correct chronological order. The other team member couldn't help physically, but could shout out advice.

Eric and Jeremy got there first with what seemed like a huge lead, but they really had no clue. BJ and Tyler arrived and, while they had some difficulty, they nailed it in the nick of time and ran their way to the Pit Stop to win the million dollars! Woohoo! As Eric and Jeremy said, "We didn't know the last one would be about brains." I love it!

This team has been my favorite since about the second show. Watching them deal with the people in the various countries was refreshing compared the the "Ugly American" persona we've seen in some teams other seasons. In a lot of countries, they knew at least bits and pieces of the language. They obviously were out to have fun and an adventure, as well as trying for the million dollars. They entertained me without going for that idea of nastiness is "good TV" -- can you say Jonathan Baker?

All in all, this was one of the best seasons in a long time. Even the villains this time around weren't once that had folks up in arms thinking they should be arrested. Amazing Race -- thank you for a fun, entertaining, exciting and truly amazing race.

And, for BJ and Tyler, TTOW! Well done!

If anyone out there reading this is interested, the CBS website has the information for applying to be on The Amazing Race 11. Where was this show before I wrecked my knees? Also, if you missed it, Ray proposed to Yolanda on The Early Show:

Ray shocked Yolanda by proposing, live, on his knees, in the plaza Thursday.

"I think the race was, I mean, it was a once in a lifetime experience," Ray said, "and I mean, you got to hang out with hippies and frat boys but, most of all, sharing the race with Yolanda. It was something that was special. I would have not been here if it wasn't for you and you're like everything I've dreamed of my whole life. Will you marry me?"

With onlookers cheering wildly, she said yes, tears streaming down her face.

Aww...

'The Amazing Race 9' Finale Part 1 -or- "May I Touch Your Beard? Arigato!"

Well, well, well...a perfect conclusion to a fantastic season of The Amazing Race. Of course, that's in my own humble opinion. Yes, the lackluster, boring, tedious, and family-safe family version faux pas of last autumn is but a distant memory. This season was one heck of a whirlwind ride with excellent casting (overall), excitement, and lots of close finishes. Ah, but close doesn't win the million, does it? On with the show...

The three remaining teams (BJ/Tyler, Eric/Jeremy and Ray/Yolanda) left their last Pit Stop at the Marble Temple in Thailand taking a taxi 75 miles to the Royal Kraal Pavilion - an historical place where wild elephants used to be taken in round-ups. Today, it seems like a trained elephant hangout. Now, what would the show be without a product placement? The clue there, passed by elephants to the team (via trunk mail) was a T-Mobile cell phone with a message. Although the teams left the Marble Temple in their arrival order with a few hours between first and last, this was another bunching point as they waited for the Pavilion to open. Rats, there went BJ and Tyler's lead! One thing I noticed -- Ray and Yolanda had a bright pink taxi. I thought some of the taxis in New Jersey had odd colors!

Teams took off to the airport to fly to Tokyo, Japan. BJ and Tyler were ecstatic as Tyler speaks fluent Japanese, has a Japanese girlfriend and hiked the length of the country. Of course, it would have behooved them to get the first flight to Tokyo. Nope. Eric/Jeremy and Ray/Yolanda filled that one. My heart sank. Instead of the two-hour lead they had, all of a sudden they were running two hours behind the other teams! Ack!

Once in Tokyo, teams had to drive to Shibuya which is so much like Times Square in Manhattan that I had to do a double-take. They had to search the huge video ads on the buildings for a clue which turned out to be "Find Hachiko." What's a Hachiko, you ask? It's a statue of a beloved dog, an Akita named Hachiko. Ray and Yolanda fell behind in Tokyo and set the pattern for the rest of the leg. Their obstacles were the language barrier compounded by a big traffic jam. The fun note on this leg was when Ray told Yolanda he was "driving Miss Crazy."

The clue at Hachiko was a Detour, a choice between two tasks usually having something to do with the locality. The choices were Maiden (carrying a maiden to a tea house) or Delivery (delivering two packages to separate businesses on folding bikes). Eric and Jeremy chose Maiden, probably because there was a woman involved, those HornDogz! BJ and Tyler thought they could make up time with delivery as Tyler could easily ask for and understand directions in Japanese. Ray and Yolanda? Still roaming in the search for Hachiko! Once they got there, they took the Maiden Detour and whined less than Jeremy and Eric about it.

Oh, no! The clue after the detour led to yet another bunching point. All teams spent the night in the Capsule Land Hotel -- a very odd hotel whose accommodations reminded me of morgue shelves with better lighting. Definitely not a place for folks with claustrophobia! Teams departed the hotel in the morning in 15-minute intervals, Eric/Jeremy first and Ray/Yolanda last.

Teams were then off for Fujikyu Highlands, a huge amusement park located near an even larger mountain -- Mt. Fuji. Either Eric or Jeremy called it Mt. Tokyo. (Yes, I rolled my eyes!) In a Roadblock (a task which must be completed by only one team member), racers had to ride three very fast, high, and wild rides searching for a man holding a sign which had their next destination written upon it. At the amusement park and throughout Tokyo, the locals really took a liking to Tyler, blond and bearded, and fluent in their language. "Want to touch my beard?" he asked when a young girl told him she liked it. Both guy teams finished at the same time and headed to the Pit Stop which was a gigantic swan boat in Yamanaka.

BJ and Tyler won the paddle-boat race with Eric and Jeremy to the bird and took first place. As per usual, they didn't win a cruise or trip. They won a T-Mobile phone and service contract, hence the earlier product placement. Jeremy and Eric came in second and got razzed by Phil Keoghan for letting BJ/Tyler beat them in a physical endeavor. Heh.

What? Ray and Yolanda? Dead last. The clue had read the last team may be eliminated. It was a non-Philimination leg. I sort of figured that as they usually have three teams racing for the million dollars at the finish line. They lost all their money and possessions except for their passports and the clothes on their backs.

Stay tuned for Part 2 which I'll be writing up tomorrow evening!

East Coast Update - 'American Idol' Boot 5/17

Elliott Yamin is going home.
:::sniffle:::

YAY! 'Amazing Race' Finale Winners!

BJ and Tyler!

'The Amazing Race 9' Finale East Coast Update

Pit Stop order:

1. BJ/Tyler
2. Eric/Jeremy
3. Ray/Yolanda

Non-elimination, heading to Alaska

I Did It! I Did It! Dilemma SOLVED!

I've been in a bit of a panic about tonight's television. I'm glad I don't throw things out and keep them because I might fix them someday.

What does one sentence above have to do with the other? Read on...

Tonight's television at the 9 PM hour was putting me in a quandary. The Amazing Race finale show starts at 8 PM, ends at 10 PM. I have to watch that one and take notes to blog about it later (as well as provide East Coast Updates here on this blog for the West Coast Viewers Who Can't Wait). Lost has a new episode on at 9 PM. American Idol has an hour-long results show this week starting at 9 PM - while I don't necessarily blog that show, I give an East Coast Update on the boot.

I don't have TIVO.

I do have cable and have it going to two TVs -- one in my computer room (s/b dining room) and another in the living room which I can actually see from my computer set-up area. What I've been doing at 9 PM on Wednesdays is to watch Lost by the computer, tape and have on American Idol on the living room TV (where my working VCR is) so that I can watch it later, but catch the boot. Throw The Amazing Race in there at that time and you can see my quandary.

What to do? What to do?

I dragged out my two not-working-correctly VCRs -- my first old 2-head one from the '80s which, last I knew, only really had issues with the timer and limitations of a VCR from that time period. My other non-working VCR is more modern, 4-head and retired due to the fact that it eats tapes. I first hooked up the older one to my computer-room TV. No go. I haven't tried it in years and it just sort of sits there. So, I tried the second one, removing its top cover and trying a tape I don't care if it gets eaten. Sure enough, I saw the mechanisms go to eat the tape! Ack! I stopped it and gently threaded the tape back to what it should be. I then wiggled the mechanisms inside and made progress trying again and again.

I fixed my VCR. Woohoo! So, here's the plan for tonight:

• Watch The Amazing Race live, take notes for a later review (probably will post it tomorrow evening due to the plethora of TV watching I'll be doing tonight and the fact I must go to work early).
• Tape American Idol on the computer room TV/VCR while running it live on the living room TV so I can catch the boot.
• Tape Lost on the living room VCR as it plays AI so I can post the boot. I know for sure that VCR works with no issues, so it's the safest to use for taping Lost. I'm more concerned about actually watching Lost than I am about American Idol.

Just call me Jackie, VCR Technician and TV Addict.

Stop by later for the updates!

'The Apprentice 5' - Ep.12 -or- "Eye-Rolling? Me? @@"

Oh, my...this season is dwindling down to its last few weeks. Oh, whatever will I do? Survivor has ended; The Amazing Race finale is on Wednesday. I might have to hit up my book pile for entertainment going into June. Well, that can be fun, too! Onto the show...

When the girls (Roxanne, Tammy and Allie) saw Lee and Sean returning from the Boardroom without Michael, they all seemed a bit surprised Lee remains in the running for the job. I personally think that no one's more surprised than Lee himself. They all pretty much think that Trump has taken a special liking to Lee. I can't really disagree. He squirms his way out of that Boardroom each and every time he could be fired -- and that's a lot of times! Tammy, of course, was happy to see Sean return. She fluttered her eyes and all. I think she's smitten with the Brit.

This week, it's Bill Rancic and Ivanka Trump who monitor the progress of the teams and report back to Big Daddy Trump. The task looked like fun, but I don't think it's the best challenge they could face. Bigwigs from MicroSoft and Wal-Mart explained that the teams had to create an environment within a Wal-Mart store focusing on MicroSoft's XBox 360™ geared for display and promotion of the product. The envirnoment created had to be interactive and three-dimensional. Now, that seems to be kind of easy. Just with the "360," it screams out full-circle, doesn't it? Use their promo designs and colors and you're there!

Sean and Lee were immediately full of ideas and excitement about the task at hand. Their team, Gold Rush, is down to just the two, so they outsourced almost all of the labor details -- flooring, a roof, the banners, signage and all. "No more Kinkos for us!" Sean was the Project Manager, but they both took on even roles in the task. Both were very familiar with the product, so they knew what could tie in with it as far as goods sold within Wal-Mart. Ivanka peeked in on them and seemed to be very positive about their teamwork and enthusiasm. Their only real downfall was that by sourcing out the work, they lost control on the completion time. That's bad, very bad.

Ah, the after-commercial Trump quote and Forecast O' Firing this week was "Death to Traitors." I think it was a bit over the top, but then I was never good with office politics and backstabbing ways. He lectured about getting rid of those who sabotage your efforts from within. Hmmm...I never was into that either. Since they had already shown Lee and Sean working great together, I knew it had to be the Synergy team. And, it was.

Tammy wanted to be the Project Manager for the task to prove herself worthy or something to that effect. She literally said, "I want this to be about me!" Eep. Her idea was a rather odd red carpet Hollywood ordeal focusing on the entertainment aspect of the Xbox 360™. Okaaay...that's her choice, though certainly not something which would come to my mind when I think of the product.

She assigned Roxanne the sign-making tasks as she's into graphics and, to be honest, I can't recall what she assigned to Allie, if anything. As they shopped for supplies, both Roxanne and Allie were so not into her ideas or her plans that it was super evident. Not only to me, but to Bill Rancic who stopped by to check on their progress. He saw the eye-rolling and disdain wafting out from both Allie and Roxanne. Uh-oh! Traitors! Off with their heads! Oh, wait. Trump didn't say be-head, just generic "death." Tammy was the Rodney Dangerfield of the episode -- "I don't get no respect." I think her main turn-off with the team dates back to her statement that she wanted it to be all about her.

As the time came close, Gold Rush (Lee and Sean) had a super-dilemma on their hands -- no ceiling for their enclosure! They did the best they could with the banner-walls decorated in the product theme, having several related items from Wal-Mart, the specification sheets, and the pricing of the items.

When the Wal-Mart and MicroSoft bigwig dudes arrived, they didn't seem all that thrilled with either exhibit. In the meeting to discuss the efforts of both teams, they went with the Gold Rush effort even though it remained unfinished. They loved the product tie-ins and thought it integrated both companies very well. The reward was a neat one this time around. No stomping grapes, we're talking a private jet trip to California. a meeting with Jeffrey Katzenburg of DreamWorks Studios, and a voice audition for parts in the upcoming movie Over The Hedge. I officially give this one the Best Reward Award! Oh, but it made the Synergy team quite jealous. Plus, of course, they have to go to the Boardroom where one will be fired.

[If you watch the movie, watch for BBQ Barry in a scene where critters run through his barbeque -- that's Sean's voice. And Lee is the voice of Lunch Table Larry, a critter himself.]

Before heading to the Boardroom, Allie and Roxanne moped and whined and then fussed that they wanted that reward. Too bad, girls! Tammy thought Allie gave a half-assed effort in the task. She thought Allie was just following Roxanne who "isn't capable of sabotaging me!"

The catfight in the actual Boardroom pitted Tammy against Roxanne while Allie was smart enough to basically sit this one out. I noticed that she went for the Lee Politician Approach a lot during Trump's questioning. A very wise decision, indeed. Trump thought their task looked like a place where tired shoppers would sit and fall asleep or, as he said, "a cheap third-rate liquor lounge." Well, it did look comfortable enough! Voices were raised! Accusations of eye-rolling or not were um...accused! Trump declared he actually hates some people! Nobody can get along with each other! A lousy idea! A horrible team leader! A shot rang out! The maid screamed!

Ahem.

"Tammy, you're fired."

All in all, the best thing about this episode was the reward. Y'see, I am a firm believer in eye-rolling. I eye-roll a lot at my own writings. @@

'Big Brother 7: All-Stars' News

It's official. This season's Big Brother 7 (USA) will be an "all star" version and we (you, us!) get to decide who we want in the house for our summer's voyeuristic pastime! According to the official CBS website:

For the first time in BIG BROTHER history worldwide, viewers will vote on which former HouseGuests will compete in BIG BROTHER 7: ALL-STARS. On CBS Wednesday, June 21 at 8PM ET/PT, Julie Chen will unveil the top 20 candidates from seasons past. Web voting opens right here after the show at midnight ET/9PM PT. The polls close Wednesday, June 28 at 11:59PM ET/8:59PM PT.

The season premiere is slated for Thursday, July 6 at 8 PM ET/PT in most viewing areas. Information regarding the live feeds hasn't been announced at this time, but I feel it's likely going to be RealPlayer providing them for a fee once again.

I'm personally not a huge champion of reality television "all-stars" shows, but the show is a guilty pleasure of mine, so I'll be watching. And blogging about it, although I don't foresee a summer out with knee surgery like last year. But, then again, I didn't expect it last year! Right now I'm trying to think what previous houseguests might make the top 20 candidates from seasons past. It could be a scary bunch!

'Survivor: Panama - Exile Island' Finale and Reflections on the Season

Sniffle...this will be the last time I get to use my cool revolving Survivor/Jackie logo made by Zoetawny. She rocks, y'know!

Well, last night was the big night, the season finale. As I thought, the commercials deliberately misled viewers to thinking that Cirie would win the fire-making tiebreaker challenge against Danielle. As an observer of the show and its promos since its inception, I know the editors tend to do that sort of thing. So I wasn't surprised when when the Final Three turned out to be Danielle, Aras and Terry. I was a bit surprised at who won the final Immunity Challenge, but that's getting a wee bit ahead of things at this time.

I want to focus just a little on Cirie at this time. Here's a city born and bred woman, coming up from Jersey City, New Jersey. She didn't know woods, critters, fishing, camping, or anything else of the outdoor life going into the show. She knew her couch, TV and stuff of the city. I'm sure if someone asked her how to catch the PATH train into lower Manhattan, she'd answer with ease. But ask her to make a fire with flint, catch a fish or make a camp? No way! It was amazing to watch her grow through the season. Apparently, her couch-sitting ways made for decent people-skills and strategical planning. She vastly improved her outdoors skills while she was the true manipulator of people on the show. Her buddy Aras wasn't the leader - Cirie had him wrapped around her finger. Hats off to Cirie and I'm glad she won the Yukon SUV voted on by show fans. She added a lot to this season.

Back to the finale show...I was leery of Danielle turning on Terry once again with good reason. Once the three returned to camp, Terry brought out the shrunken-head Immunity Idol from Exile Island so that Danielle and Aras could check it out. Right then and there, it was evident that her alliance was still with Aras, not Terry. She made a few comments about the macho thing between Aras and Terry, but seemed to think Terry was gloating.

Instead of the expected Immunity Challenge, the three had an opportunity to play for Reward - a power meal, cot and pillow which might help the winner be in better shape for the final Immunity Challenge. It entailed finding pegs in bags on spinning wheels and then using the pegs to climb a three-story wall. It was only seconds between Terry and Aras at the end, with a Terry win and Danielle way out of the running. But will it work? Will Terry come back refreshed and ready? Will Aras' determination push him into high gear for the win? Oh...and what about Danielle? She hasn't won anything all season.

As inevitable as the season recap which took up the first ten or more minutes of the show, we had the Memory Walk to endure. I watched as each previous castaway had his or her blurb and the three remaining said basically kind words about them. Eh. The only rather neat thing about this segment was they used the torches to set the huge bamboo skull on Exile Island afire. Alas, it was a very smoky fire; the material must have been damp from all the rain. It was all very symbolic and all that stuff nonetheless.

Well, Immunity was back up for grabs for the last time. In this one, it's a mix between endurance and balance as the castaways had to stand on floating "lily pads" and move to smaller ones in 15-minute intervals. Uh-oh. This one is a challenge geared for a woman to win. After all, women have a lower center of gravity. In a shocker, Terry couldn't get up and stay up on the third pad and was out of the running. Then a wobbly Aras took Danielle's nod for a jump-off and Danielle won her first challenge ever in the show - the most important Individual Immunity of the season. She's guaranteed to be in the Final Two and it's her choice to pick the other half of the Final Two.

Aras immediately got a bit threatening when talking to her about her choice. "If you don't choose me, you'll lose both my vote and Cirie's vote!" Terry was a bit more laidback about things, but almost killed her with fairness. It's a tough decision for her, indeed. But, my own thoughts? I don't think she stands a chance to win against either of them. Now, if she were up against Shane in the Final Two, she may win. Terry or Aras? Nope, both of them have played so well and so hard that she'd be doomed to second place. Her choice? Aras. It doesn't matter; her fate is sealed anyway. All it really does is enforce the Survivor Winner of the Car Curse - no player has ever won a car and gone onto the million dollars. Terry, of course, won a car a few episodes back.

Tribal Council was rather uneventful and almost "nice" compared to some of the past finales. Who can forget Sue's speech about rats and snakes and not giving a drink of water to Richard (or was it Kelly for that - one was a snake while the other was a rat) dying of thirst in the desert? Shane got a bit odd, but he's Shane. He's angry that they did better than he did and both betrayed him in the game. In the end, like mimicking Greg (Season 1) with the Blackberry bit (Greg had the coconut phone), he told them to choose a number and the closest would get his vote. Courtney was still a bit of a space cadet in her comments and I just wanted her to stop talking. What the heck was her point?

As I guessed, Aras won. I had a message board bet elsewhere that he would win, but that was just on the pre-season bio information. Too bad it was just a cyber-bet, eh? The vote was 5-2 with just Shane and Bruce voting for Danielle (I believe - correct me if I'm wrong on that). They didn't show the last vote, but 4 was enough for Aras to win. In the reunion show, through a show of hands, Terry would have won against Danielle with roughly the same count - only Bruce and Cirie would have voted for her. So, she would have lost either way.

To me, this season was the best in a long time. My favorite Survivor season remains the first one when all was fresh and new. I picked Richard Hatch for the win on that one and he was instrumental in starting the alliances which have continued throughout the show's run. I wasn't happy with Vanuatu and Africa didn't rank too highly on my list either, although I liked Ethan (the winner). I felt last season in Guatemala was tainted with the gimmicky return of Bobby Jon and Stephenie from the previous season. They had their chance; I don't want previous castaways returning. I want fresh meat. Um...players! If there ever is to be another rehash of castaways (I don't like All-Star versions, either), let it be those we never got to know - perhaps those castaways voted off in the first show each season. The person voted off first is usually an unknown entity in game play and all but forgotten as the season goes on. Bring them back if someone must come back!

In this season, we had Super Terry who did a fantastic job. We had wacky Shane who's still wacky though cleaned up for the Reunion Show. We had Cirie who possibly backstabbed others more than anyone else, yet came away with them all liking her. I give this season an A for its entertainment value to me. Good casting, nice location and a different twist with Exile Island and the hidden Immunity Idol. Although the idol itself was never used, it certainly played a huge role in the show just by folks figuring Terry had it.

Next season it will be Survivor: Cook Islands and it's to have an Exile Island with a new twist. I'll be there! Well, not on the show, but watching it!

'Survivor: Exile Island' East Coast Reunion Update/New Season Location

Cirie won the Yukon voted on by viewers.

Next season's show will be Survivor: Cook Islands and it sounds like there will be another Exile Island there.

I'll be writing up the finale and reflections on the season in the wee hours or in the morning. Please stop back!

Winner 'Survivor: Exile Island' is...

Aras is the sole Survivor.

I won my bet! ;-)

'Survivor: Exile Island' East Coast Finale Update - Final Two

Danielle chose Aras to go to the Final Two with her. Terry has his car, no million.

'Survivor: Exile Island' - East Coast Update Finale - Immunity

Danielle won Immunity. Although Tribal Council hasn't occurred yet, it looks like she'll probably take Aras with her. They were on little floating platforms and she gave him a nod to jump indicating he'd be her choice for Final Two.

It looks right now like the Car Curse of Survivor holds true. Terry is most likely not going to win the million...but he has a car!

'Survivor: Exile Island' East Coast Update Finale - Rewards

In as close a finish as one can imagine, Terry won Reward against Aras. (Danielle was way behind.)

Reward is a power meal, a cot and a pillow which could be an advantage in the Immunity Challenge.

'Survivor: Exile Island' East Coast Finale Update - Final 3

Danielle won the tiebreaker.

The final three - Aras, Danielle and Terry

'Survivor: Panama - Exile Island' - Ep. 13 -or- "Call a Waahmbulance, It's To Be Continued!"

Time is dwindling and the season is near an end. On Sunday evening at 8 PM ET/PT in most viewing areas, the two-hour finale will air followed by the reunion show. The Final Four are Cirie, Danielle, Aras and Terry. Who will win the million dollars? And, more importantly, will Shane clean up enough for the reunion so that he stops looking like Reverend Jim from Taxi?

But that's Sunday, let's get into tonight's episode (5/11). Four are left. Who will be voted out tonight?

The show opened on Night 33 at the Gitanos camp as the four remaining tribe members returned from the Tribal Council where Shane was blindsided by Cirie's scheming. Cirie plopped her torch to the ground and Terry almost tripped over it in the dark. So, then it started. He spoke harshly to her; she defended herself. Then Aras got into the verbal brouhaha by telling Terry he was ruining the time they should be celebrating as the Final Four. All grouchy-pusses at the camp. Terry went off to bed and told them they could celebrate.

The Rewards Challenge was a bit different from ones we've seen before. It entailed the tribe members tied to ropes following a path like some of the ones in the past. But they each had to go to six locations, one at a time, count what was there, return with the number and then set out to do it all over again. Once they had all the numbers, they had to use them to open combination locks. At the locations they had to count iguanas, poles, rocks, fish, sea shells and hermit crabs. Cirie did her squeaky voice when it came to the iguanas.

Terry and Aras had several sort of rough encounters on the course, deliberately blocking each other, bumping each other and words. All of them had to go back through the locations due to miscounts. Terry mistakenly thought they could only return to one location at a time and noticed Aras was gone a long time - checking all the locations in one outing for a double-check. When Terry mentioned it to Jeff, Aras started yelling, "Call a waahmbulance! Terry's whining!" (Yes, I'm rolling my eyes here. Aren't you?)

Aras won Reward - a cruise in a 100 foot luxury yacht through the Panama Canal, a five-course meal and an overnight stay. Since he could choose one guest, he naturally chose Cirie. Both Danielle and Terry were sent to Exile Island where Danielle belatedly decided to flip and work with Terry. Now, that's something she should have done long before the Final Four, don't you think? Of course, Terry's out of cards to play (with the exception of the hidden Immunity Idol from Exile Island), so he seems to have forgotten that Danielle backed out of the last alliance attempt. He once again told her he would give her the Immunity Idol from Exile Island if he won Immunity. The yacht trip was a bit less eventful for us as we all know that Cirie and Aras are loyal to each other.

Both groups of two met up next to compete in the Immunity Challenge. This one was a bit funky. Puzzle pieces in three bags were hidden in sand pits. Surrounding the sandpits were markers. The castaways had to use coordinates to cross ropes to know where to dig. Each puzzle led to the coordinates to the next puzzle. And, Aras was on a streak. Not only did he win Reward, he also won Immunity - both firsts for him. Terry's winning streak of all individual immunities thus far finally ended.

When they got back to camp, Terry confronted Aras about a nasty statement he made regarding him disrespecting women. To my surprise, Aras apologized and it seemed to jolt him back into a nicer person overall. Both shook hands and it appears the boys won't be catfighting through to the bitter end.

Although Terry hasn't admitted to either Cirie or Aras that he has the Exile Island Immunity Idol, they've assumed he does. Therefore, the whole tribe knows that both Terry and Aras will both be safe and it's Cirie and Danielle whose heads are on the chopping block (figuratively, of course!). It's also quite likely to be a tie vote. Unless that silly purple rock deal (Survivor: Marquesas) rears its ugly head and it's totally random who leaves, the tiebreaker is usually fire. Cirie had made a fire while alone with Aras and had success. Danielle has made fire on and off through the season. Still, Aras teamed with Cirie and Terry with Danielle for fire-making classes.

Sure enough, at Tribal Council, it was a tie - two votes for each woman. And, sure enough, the tiebreaker was a fire-making challenge. Since it was a tie and Terry himself received no votes, the hidden Immunity Idol never came into play and this show was the last one in which it could be used. I suppose that Terry could take it home and call it Shane. After all, there is a bit of a resemblance. The show left off on a "to be continued..." note with both Cirie and Danielle ready to start the challenge. Apparently, they will finish that at the start of the finale show on Sunday and it's not until then that we'll know the Final Three.

In a sidenote: What the heck was that giant ring taking over Courtney's hand in the jury box? Sheesh! It looked like the Mood Ring Which Ate Cincinnati or something!

At this time, I think I could support any of the four for a win. Terry has played a fantastic game and I think he's the most competitive man ever on the show. Aras, though he has some weak spots, came around with his apology to Terry tonight. I have the feeling that he's more that sort of man than what we've seen. Cirie? For someone scared of leaves in the first episode, she's proven herself to be a strong competitor and an excellent strategist. At the bottom of my choices would be Danielle.

How about you?

'Survivor: Exile Island' East Coast Update - 05/11 -Tribal Council

The vote was two for Cirie, two for Danielle. A Fire Tiebreaker Challenge was set up between them and then...to be continued (on Sunday night finale show, starting at 8 PM ET/PT).

A full review/recap will be posted here later tonight. Now I must watch C.S.I.

'Survivor: Exile Island' East Coast Update - 5/11 - Immunity

Aras won Immunity.

'Survivor: Exile island' East Coast Update 5/11 - Reward

Aras won Reward - an overnight cruise of of the Panama Canal on a luxury yacht, feast. He chose Cirie to accompany him. Both Danielle and Terry went to Exile Island.

'The Amazing Race 9' - Ep. 11 -or- "No Money, No Pants, No Mo' MoJo!"

Like deja vu all over again, due to last week's non-elimination leg...

Four teams remain. Who will be eliminated next?

We last left our teams in the Australian Outback with Ray and Yolanda arriving first at the Pit Stop and mandatory rest period. Teams depart twelve hours after their arrival time and I noticed that they're down to mere minutes betwixt first and last. Ray and Yolanda left at 1:13 AM while the last team (BJ/Tyler) left the Pit Stop at 1:22 AM. We're talking 9 minutes difference in a whirlwind race around the globe as we head into the next to last show of the season. At this time, any of the remaining teams could win the million dollars. The teams are toughening up and trying not to make errors. Ah, but we know some errors will be made. I just hope it's not on the part of my personal favorites, Tyler and BJ!

Speaking of BJ and Tyler, they lost all their clothes, money and possessions while being saved by the last leg's non-Philimination. BJ had no shoes, a t-shirt and boxer shorts. Yolanda left her purple running pants on their car and one of the Frats (Jeremy and Eric) left a pair of sandals. Oh, my...BJ looked very silly in Yolanda's pants! The clue the teams received upon leaving the Pit Stops directed them to drive to the airport and catch a plane to Bangkok, Thailand. Once there they had to take a taxi to a bus terminal, then a bus to the Three Spires Pagoda in Lopburi -- the sacred home of tons o' monkeys. The clue told the teams how much money they had for the leg and ended with "one team has no money...and no pants." Heh, poor BJ!

The BJ/Tyler and Monica/Joe rift is still going strong in the leg. As BJ says, "They have a date with not being in the race anymore." Was he right? Just wishful thinking?

At the Darwin Airport, three of the teams got on a flight expected to arrive in Bangkok at 11 PM. BJ and Tyler headed to downtown Darwin to hit up folks for money. Of course, they were successful. These guys have so much spirit and friendliness that I think it's hard to resist giving them something. BJ even flashed his chest at a couple. He finangled new shorts in addition to the money. When they hit the airport, although the other three teams hadn't left yet, the flight was full. They managed to find a flight expected to arrive fifteen minutes earlier than the other and all looked up for the hippies until...

Argh. The flight carrying the three teams arrived forty-five minutes early! Huh? What? How can that happen? Sigh. So, BJ and Tyler were behind once again. Team MoJo got into a taxi that Joe thought was "shady." He was right -- the driver wasn't the best, not at all. Ray/Yolanda and Eric/Jeremy were lucky to get on a midnight bus to Lopburi. Monica and Joe arrived before BJ and Tyler, but didn't get the right information about the next departing bus. It ended up that BJ/Tyler caught a bus leaving an hour before the one they took. Too bad, so sad for MoJo. Heehee!

The Three Spires Pagoda was a hoot with monkeys all over the place! The clue the teams received before the task was directing them to a Fast Forward -- the last of the two in the race. Eric and Jeremy couldn't do it as they already took the first one a few legs back. Both Ray/Yolanda and BJ/Tyler jumped on it. When it turned out to be eating a school's favorite dish of fried crickets and grasshoppers, Yolanda backed out even though she claimed people from the South can eat anything fried. They headed back to the sacred monkeys while BJ and Tyler struggled with huge bowls of crispy critters. Where was MoJo? Way behind, hooray!

After making an intricate feast table for the sacred (and not so well-behaved monkeys) in a Roadblock, the teams' next clue led them to a Detour. Unlike a Roadblock, a Detour is completed by both members of the team. In this one, teams had a choice between two Thai tasks -- Move It or Altar It. In Move It, teams had to carry 72 pots on their shoulders (supposedly) using a board. Once they delivered the pots to the marketplace, they'd receive the next clue. In Altar It, teams had to make a shrine to Buddha complete with gold paint and gold-leafing. Burnt on the last physical task, Jeremy and Eric chose Altar It, as did Yolanda and Ray. For some foolish reason, Monica and Joe went for Move It -- prompting Monica to fuss and whine that it was "the worst thing I ever had to do." Now, she said that about carrying the swordfish a few legs back. She said that about having to catch a crayfish. What's with that girl?

As the teams worked on the Detour, BJ and Tyler finally finished eating their bowls of ick. Er, crickets and grasshoppers. They got their clue directing them to the Pit Stop at the Marble Temple in Bangkok. Briefly changing their "TTOW" chant to "TTHAI," they were first on the mat. Now, they've been lucky in that both times they came in last, they were in non-elimination legs. However, they've both been unlucky in that both times they came in first, there was no really cool prize. No cruises for them! The last time, they won a digital imaging center or something to that effect. This time the prize was dependent on a clue to be brought with them from earlier in the leg. One clue would have a Golden Gnome (Travelocity), the others would have "gnormal" gnomes. Theirs wasn't the Golden Gnome. Ah, well...at least they're in first place. TTOW!

The arrival order of the other teams:
2. Jeremy and Eric
3. Ray and Yolanda - Golden Gnome clue in hand. They won a cruise around the Sidney (Australia) Harbor, a trip to the Barrier Reef and a hotel stay for the evening.
4. Monica and Joe - Philiminated!

I'm so not sorry to see those two go. I'm tired of her crying and fussing. If she thinks everything she's had to do is "the worst thing I've ever done," I'd hate to see her face a real crisis. Joe has his own bad points, but he didn't irk me as much as Monica. So long, MoJo, not sorry to see you go!

Next week is the two-hour finale show. My "hippies" are still in the race! Yay! At this time, I think any of the teams are deserving. All three left are very competive and it should be an exciting finish to the season. That said, this season has certainly redeemed the show from last season's family-safe version. That is a good thing indeed.

'American Idol' East Coast Update - SHOCKER!

The top two were Elliott and Taylor, not shocking.

The bottom two were Katharine and Chris.

Going home is CHRIS...shocking!

'Amazing Race 9' East Coast Update 5/10 - Finish Order and Philimination

The teams arrived to the Pit Stop in this order:

1. BJ and Tyler! Alas, they won nothing as this time around a clue brought to the Pit Stop must contain a Golden Gnome.
2. Eric and Jeremy
3. Ray and Yolanda - Had the Golden Gnome clue, won a cruise around Sidney, Australia, a trip to the Barrier Reef and a hotel stay.
4. Monica and Joe - My least favorite of the remaining teams...Philiminated! Too bad, so sad. Heh.

A full recap/review will be posted late tonight. Also, at approximately 9:30 PM EDT I'll be posting the American Idol boot. Now, I must watch Lost!