BDB

The Teams are

Alison/Donny - She's the one from Big Brother 4 to celeb casting
Bob/Joyce - Older Internet Dating Couple
Brandon/Nicole - Dating, he's a model she's an actor
Charla/Mirna - Cousins of Armenian descent, Charla has a form of dwarfism as they politely put it on the official bio.
Chip/Kim - The African American Couple
Colin/Christie - Miss Teen USA from Texas and her beau.
Dennis/Erika - Were engaged, then he broke it off.
Jim/Marsha - Father/Daughter she is an nfl cheerleader.
Kami/Karli - Blonde Twins
Linda/Karen - Best Friends / The Moms
Marshall/Lance - Brothers/This years Clowns by the look of them


Granted, with reality shows as welcome this month as West Nile mosquitoes, you might not see much reason to cheer tonight's arrival of CBS' Amazing Race 5 (9:30 ET/PT). But the exhilarating, Emmy-winning Race reliably offers more entertainment for less aggravation than any show in the genre. And to judge from the incomplete preview tape of tonight's debut, this fifth Race should be equally worth the run.

Race features one of TV's purest concepts. Eleven teams of two race from Santa Monica, Calif., to South America, and thence to points unknown. The last team to each checkpoint is eliminated; the first team back wins.

People being people, there is always some tension-induced bickering and backbiting. But here,bad behavior is only a by-product of the game, not its sole purpose. This is a test of skill, not popularity: The team that wins will be the one that best blends speed with brains, tenacity and a decent sense of direction.

Already, the show's best elements are firmly in place. Only Survivor can match Race for scenic beauty; and with Race, the scenery is constantly changing. And when it comes to a host, no reality show can top Race's unflappable Phil Keoghan, who serves as an appealing guide without pretending to be the contestants' friend, therapist or puppet master.

Fans will notice a few changes in the rules. Coming in last at a non-elimination round will now invoke a harsher punishment, and merely getting to a ticket counter first will no longer guarantee you the best seat on a plane, train or boat, which should liven up one of the show's few dull spots.

But there is a more troublesome change: the addition of a "yield" award that can be used to make another team wait. I fear it will add a level of conflict the show hasn't seen before.

As for the players, it's too early to get a firm grip on them, other than to say most of them seem to fall into by-now-familiar Race types. My favorites so far are the bowling moms and the show's first little-person contestant, whose vow to break stereotypes won't stop her from using the fact that "strangers love to help me."

If there's one discordant ratings-ploy note, it's the inclusion of a former Big Brother loser in the mix. Still, with any luck, she'll get lost long before we near the finish line. And if not, she'll give us someone to root against.

Let the Race begin.

B.A.

BDB - I'm in agreement w/ you on the casting of Allison. It truly is suckekekekeke.


Anyhow - let the Race begin!!!

Groucho

"The Amazing Race" has always relied on stunt casting, although this is the first time they've gone with another well-known reality-show contestant.

I was worried when I read a review over the weekend from our local review where he tore the show a new one. Turns out he didn't like the previous seasons either, so I breathed a sigh of relief. EW gave it an A.

djbrown

Life is good once the TAR theme song starts up......

pezboy

djbrown, you are correct sir! It's consistently the ONLY opening credits I actually watch when I DVR my shows. There's something very exciting about it. Me likey.

mrpayroll

I really hope that the ratings for #5 are the highest that they've ever had. That way we won't have to wait on pins and needles to see if they greenlight #7!

Chris

monkyskunk

Bob and Joyce, I am sorry to tell you but I think you are going to be the last team to arrive and you will be eliminated from the race.
Just a wild guess on who I think will be eliminated tonight.

I am rooting for Alison and Donnie and I am thinking/hoping they will make the final three, for I really enjoyed her performance in BB4

tofu

Damn, I swear that the cars that they get to drive during the race get nicer and nicer every year.

ChrisHicks

edit: spoilered for those who may not have seen this yet. no plots revealed however.

Metrodub

Love TAR, but this may be the first season where I've pegged more teams that I don't like than I do like after the first episode.



Put in Spoilers for our friends further West.

tofu

Groucho

I'm working on nicknames, but I've only got a few:

Brandon/Nicole (Christian Models) = Team Blue Lagoon
Bob/Joyce (Internet Geezers) = Team WebTV
Charla/Mirna = Team Louisa May Alcott

mookiemeister

Gotta like Charla for carrying that meat on her small body without complaining when her cousin had so much problem carrying the same meat.

Groucho

At the top, Charla said she can do anything that anybody else can do, if not better. Charla, I'm sorry to say this, but you have a handicap in this game. A huge handicap that's going to hold you back:

SunMonkey

I thought I read there was a team with someone from Survivor, too.

Dr_Evil

I loved the line from Charla "We can do this without help from anybody!" as she is carrying the meat and that random guy is carrying their bags. Yeah you're doing it all.

I'm rooting for the father/daughter team. They seem like nice people.

JuryDuty

I know I saw that somewhere too, but now I can't find it... Weird, eh?

Heat

I'm 45 minutes into it, it looks pretty good.

Personally, I like the Alison / Donny team, they are a true love / hate couple (Donny: "You can't stand not being in control"; Alison "I love controlling you"), and Jim / Marsha, he seems like a pretty neat guy (plus his daughter's a fox).

I don't like the Charla / Mirna couple (the one with the midget), they just seem to complain all of the time.

Bingo. I'm just now watching Charla carry a side of beef. The teams with a man who can carry it, or at least a team of two women who can switch off on who is carrying the beef (or carry it together), definately have the advantage.

Patman

I was sort of hoping the twins got the boot.

Loved the short clip of Allison busting her butt on the stairs.

I'll miss Erika's rack.

Blake

Why all the God fearing people? The two "models" along with Mirna kept getting on my nerves.

Mirna: God is great, he will help us....let's play blackjack, screw the race.

Great to have TAR back. Now...can we bring back the Mole sans celebs?

mrpayroll

Well God is great and if it is his will, he will bring it back!

Chris

MrX

FuzzyBallz

Midget power!!! That piece of meat must've weight more than her.

Have these people even watched TAR before? Who the hell yields a cab to the competition? Idiots. They could've won, but they lost to the cripple old guy and bitchy daughter. Sigh.

the_dude8

Kami/Karli - Team Soccer Twins
Linda/Karen - Team Bowling for Columbine
Marshall/Lance - Team Mario and Luigi.

RandyC

Team Luigi/Mario. I never tend to like people that start out saying they can be offensive, but they are just being themselves. Right. Not sure if there out-of-shapeness will be a factor. They are like the clowns from the last series.. but without the humility, charm, and funny.

Kami/Karli twins. I started out rooting for them. Got to love soccer players. My personal bias. They might do well and seem okay. Other than the obvious blunder of being incapable of following simple english instructions and being incapable of seeing the red/yellow flags. That might be an important thing in this game. Too much rushing... not enough thinking. They can fix that.

Linda/Karen. Team Bowling. Sorry ladies. I know it's nice to get out of Palmdale. But you will be going back soon. Some good effort. You seem like nice moms. But, this show is not kind to the less fit. I just don't see where the bowling will be a great skill to bring to the game.

Jim/Marsha. Dad and Daughter. Nice people. I like his gumption of going forward in spite of being hurt. 25 stitches has to suck and I wonder if it will tighten up on him. I am glad he was not late for his flight, that was close. She seems nice too.

Dennis/Erika. I liked them. They handled defeat well. Sorry that being nice means you lose.

Colin/Christie. Mr Intense? For some reason, the one I immediately pegged as the guy to hate. Maybe he will change my mind. He could do very well though.

Chip/Kim. Like them... but what is up with not reading the instructions about ACROSS THE STREET???

Charla/Mirna. I don't know which is worse. Charla and the meat and the total lack of backbone. Or Mirna claiming she is going to demonstrate how little people can do anything..and then Charla almost has to carry her. Sorry... admire the effort, but I am not going to race in the Indy 500 and you are not going to go far in this game.

Bob/Joyce. Sweet. Seem to (so far) have a good attitude. Too bad they will not make it far because the game is not kind to the old and weak.

Brandon/Nicole. Yeah.. Team Blue Lagoon. What the hell is up with his claiming to channel God? Does God not talk to your girlfriend? Sucks to blame God for your messing up. This is not a game for those relying upon divine intervention. But you guys make a good pair.

Alison/Donny. Who?