The Amazing Race 14: Meet the Teams, Part One

As with my Survivor cast, I'm breaking this one down into parts. I apologize to folks on dial-up as these might be slow loading for you with the videos. But I have to give CBS folks kudos for making the videos embed-capable! It's so much easier to comment along with the video! You go, CBS!



Brad (age 52) and Victoria (age 47) Hunt are a happily married couple from Columbus, Ohio. Keyword is "happily." I'm so tired of bickering use the race to get back together couples! He's a distribution dispatcher while she's a tax manager. I'm a bit worried about her health issues (as described on their bio page), but I think I'm going to enjoy watching them in the race.



Mel (age 68) and Mike (age 38) White are a father and son team from Lynchburg, VA and Santa Monica respectively. I wrote about them in my TV Squad post on spoilers early in January. Mel told his family that he was gay when Mike was 11, then went on to become "a gay-rights activist, has worked as a writer, professor, filmmaker and a pastor." Mike is a successful screenwriter in California with hits like School of Rock starring Jack Black. According to their bio on the CBS site, they are the most traveled and most opinionated team. I enjoyed their video clip and think they'll be fun to watch on the show. I do think the elder White's age might hinder them, but he seems in good shape.



Amanda Blackledge (age 23) and Kris Klicka (age 24) are a happy dating couple from San Diego, California. Note the word "happy." They've been together for three years and aren't seeking to find out whether they belong together or not. Phew! She's a student while he's a sales rep. They come across as energetic and personable in their video clip. The strikes against them include not being well-traveled and being so young. I bet they're going to get along pretty well with the other teams which might outweigh their shortcomings, though.



Cara Rosenthal (age 26) and Jaime Edmondson (age 29) might look like a sister team, but they aren't -- they're former NFL cheerleaders for the Miami Dolphins. Cara is now a law student out of Boca Raton, Florida while Jaime is former police officer out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. They don't mention what Jaime is doing now on the CBS site. I often tend to groan at some of the female "all looks" teams on the show, but I think these two gals might be the strongest female team ever. They're well-traveled, used to rushing, very physically fit. Could they win it all? I say a definite "maybe."

Stay tuned for more teams!

Survivor Tocantins Castaways Part One

Although two will be ejected before things really get started on the show, I'm going to take a peek at all of the new castaways. After all, I have no clue who's being banished from the Magic Kingdom of Tocantins! Due to the number of castaways, this will be broken down into more than one entry.



Benjamin Wade, age 37 from Bolivar, MO. He's single and I get the feeling that he's somewhat full of himself. Supposedly this season is "all about first impressions." Well, I can't put my finger on exactly what's rubbing me the wrong way, but something is. I realize you probably do have to have a bit of a chip on your shoulder to go on the show, but I'm thinking his attitude of superiority might not fare well with others. I could be wrong. Maybe it's just the wet mullet.



Brendan Synott, age 30, an entrepreneur from NYC. I think he's coming off as personable in his video clip -- not like Benjamin. Although he claims life is about fun and games (he's young yet), he also seems to have a good business head on his shoulders from the glimpse I have of him. He's single and currently living in Vail, CO. I bet he skis, y'think? I believe I'm going to like him on the show. He seems pretty intelligent and knows that the perception of him by the others is a key to survive.



Candace Smith, age 31, an attorney from Dayton, OH. She's a former Miss Ohio, as aspect which doesn't thrll me all that much. (Are those balloons on her chest or is she just happy to see us?) That aside, she seems both intelligent and physically strong. I think she might be a real competitor and could make it far in the game. In her bio on the CBS website, her friends say she can come across as a "bitch." If she does, that could blow it all for her. If she can keep that part reined in, she just might make it through to the end. If she doesn't like phony people, what's she doing on a reality TV show?



Carolina Eastwood (no relation to Clint, I don't think), age 26, is a bartender from West Hollywood, CA. They should proof the bio on the CBS site as "an Army solider [her father], moved the family to the Untied States." Untied States, eh? I don't know her chances of getting to the end -- although I think that her upbringing might make her endure the elements better and she comes across as personable ... I'm not getting the conniving factor from her. That could hurt her game.



Debra (Debbie) Beebee, age 46, is a middle school principal from Auburn, Alabama. She's also known as "Bubbles." Um. I don't know what to say about that. I had a cat named Bubbles as a child, but question how much I'd like a person not on The Wire named "Bubbles." Of course, she could be called Deb-B-B-B. I want to root for her as an older castaway, but I'm not so sure of her chances. I think she'll probably be fine on the physical level, but question her thought of being "the mother." I just don't know.



Erinn Lobdell, age 26, is a hair stylist from Waukesha, Wisconsin. I might have to root for her just because she doesn't have a huge chest hanging out all over the place! I find that refreshing! In her video, she comes across as older than her actual age, I think. I'm getting good vibes about her and think that she might end up being one of the stronger women in the game all-around. But then again, she might be the first out. I guess we'll find out!

Stay tuned for the rest of the cast in future entries. The big show premieres at 8 PM ET/PT on CBS, February 12.

American Idol Auditions in NYC and San Juan

Last night American Idol hit two different cities within a mere hour. We're talking San Juan (Puerto Rico) and New York City. Yep, it was at warp speed. I can understand why they condensed the two cities into the hour. With the lack of talent shown, a half-hour may have done the trick.

For some reason, in both cities the judges sat in front of a window. Not only did I find it distracting to see things moving about behind them, but at one point the window tint pane set (the only way I can think to describe it) came crashing down. That, for me, was the highlight of the evening. Ah. well ... at least it didn't look like the contestants were bringing their gold tickets down some back porch like Jacksonville.

I'm kind of pleased they went to San Juan. If memory serves, they've never held auditions there before. It might add a bit of spice. I think, overall, the auditions in San Juan had more interesting singers than NYC. However, it could all be in the editing.

Okay ... to the talent, or lack thereof. I think I'm getting cranky. I kind of liked one of the guys in San Juan. But, once again, no one blew me away. At least they didn't make an innocent guy look threatening. Yep, the show apologized to Mudd ... as they should.

In a sidenote: My doctor called out sick today and my appointment was canceled. Argh. I have it set up for next Friday. This is for the not-replaced (so far) knee.

LOST Last Night

I'm still a bit confused, but the time-warping of the group on the island is making things interesting once again. I'm not sure how Juliette time-warps with Sawyer, Locke, Faraday, and the others when she's technically an Other. The Others don't seem affected by the time zaps at all. Maybe she isn't really an Other because she wasn't born there. But neither was Ben, his father or most of the other Others. Maybe she's lost what made her an Other because she betrayed them. I don't know. Of course, Richard Alpert isn't affected by time at all. "He's old," said Juliette. But he never ages, not a bit.

Hmm ... last night's episode ("Jughead") was all about the island and nothing about the reunion of the Oceanic Six. So, Charles Widmore was on the island under Richard, eh? I wonder what happened which made him a rich man and made him the guardian of hiding the island from the world.

Jughead was an H-bomb. If you bury an H-bomb, it won't just blow up as decomposition goes on all about it? I don't know.

It seems like Mrs. Hawkings is indeed Faraday's mother -- she was in L.A. when Ben saw her and Widmore told Desmond she's in L.A.

We now know why Richard Alpert was there for John Locke's birth -- John Locke from the future told him about it before it happened.

My head is spinning a bit, but this is better than smoke monsters.

What a Wednesday Primetime TV!

I'm writing this up during commercials as I watch Life on Mars. Now, tonight was one darn good television night for me! First, there was American Idol (which I'll write a bit about here), then Lost (will write more about tomorrow), now Life on Mars (which I probably won't do much more than touch on in this entry). One quick time quibble with Life on Mars -- All in the Family started in 1971. This show is supposed to be 1973. In 1973 everybody knew who Archie and Meathead were! How did that get by the producers, editors, etc.?

I didn't write up anything on last night's American Idol and ended up hitting the sack not much after it ended as I had to get up extra early today. Had the Jacksonville auditions had anyone who really impressed me, I would have written a quick entry last night. But, blech for the most part. A few were okay, but they'd have a long way to go to win it all.

Tonight's auditions from Salt Lake City were different for me. First off, there was an Osmond -- the son of Alan Osmond, the eldest singing Osmond. I didn't realize Alan had been sick and he does really look like he's been through the wringer. But he has a son much cuter than Donny ever was! I thought the Osmond could sing, too. He made it to Hollywood.

As a sidenote, I saw Donny on The Bonnie Hunt Show recently. He will be doing Dancing With the Stars.

I also liked Megan (very pretty stay-at-home-mom with tattooed arm) and blond girl at the end whose parents passed away. Yeah, another sob story. There are a million sob stories on the show and she's but a one. However, I enjoyed her voice. She could be very interesting.

Did anyone catch your eye? And, how do you like the new graphic by rockin' Zoetawny?