The Amazing Race is back!!!!

As a self confessed Telly addict (He'd watch the test card if they still used it!) my life too a shift into first gear when i got Broadband earlier this year. Now I can not only watch the hundreds of british channels we get in jolly old blightly, but now I have access to a world of telly!!!

Now I am also a self confessed Yankophile. I love America. Americans. Patriotism. And far from being obsessed by this, i think they produce some of the best TV shows in the world (Don't forget you first saw Supermarket Sweep on a US channel - That can't be a good thing?!?!). Shut up!

Anyway, since January, I discovered an adventure gameshow called The Amazing Race. Now in its 10th year and winner of the Emmy for best Reality show four years running, the concept is simple. X number of teams set off from a location somewhere in the USA on a race around the world. Along the way they have to complete a series of challenges which, if successful and done quickly, will see them speed on to successive legs of the race. If not, then they are eliminated. The first team to cross the finish line wins $1,000,000. Simple, eh?

If you've never heard of it, here's a good place to start: http://www.cbs.com/primetime/amazing_race10/
but be warned, spoilers are posted every Monday (since the show airs on Sunday).

So series 10 has just started in the States and I caught the first episode last night. They claimed to have the most diverse group of teams ever (Muslims, Asians, Amputees, Lesbians, Gays, the whole enchilada) but I laughed out loud when, within the space fo the first hour, they had dispatched the Asians and the Muslims. Diversity was lopped off within the first 10% of the series!

Now we are left with the follwing:

Tyler and James - Recovering drug addicts
Team Spliff
Nice guys who are now models after coming off the crack. Nice boys though!

Duke and Lauren - Dad and recently discovered lesbian daughter
Team Deal-with-it
Dad coming to terms with daughter's new life. My faves so far.

Peter and Sarah - The lady with one leg and her over enthusiatic bloke
Team Oo-aarrr
She's playing too much on the leg and uses it to get one-up on the rest. Least fave.

Dustin and Kandice - Miss California and Miss New York
Team World-peace
Two beauty queens on the Amazing race? What's going to happen when the nails start to chip and the mascara runs???

Rob and Kimberley - Mister and Mrs Vanilla
Team Yaaaaaaaawn
Can't even remember what these two look like, cos they're so normal!

Kellie and Jamie - Cheerleaders
Team Rah Rah Rah!
These two are hilarious. There'll be backflips in Botswana no doubt!!!

Erwin and Godwin - Korean bodybuilders
Team Arigato
OK, I suppose - need to stop pumping the steroids and concentrate on the game.

Lyn and Karlyn - Alabama Mamas
Team fried-chicken
Wont take no crap from no-one, with determination to go far - and I bet they will!

David and Mary - Coal miner and wife
Team Hickory
I like these two, simply cos they're the most normal of all the couples. The sort of couple you find living on your street...

Tom and Terry - Bitchy Boyfriends
Team Diva
The sooner these lose a leg (No offence to Sarah) the better. Tom's forehead is disturbingly big and I don't like their bitchy attitude!

Personally i'm putting a fiver on DUKE AND LAUREN, the Father and lesbian daughter. A thoroughly likeable couple and both so enthusiatic to build on their relationship and win this race....

If you don't watch the show, try and get into it. Now in its 10th season, it's just getting stronger and stronger, and judging by the viewing figures in the US and the awards it grabs, it's going to be round for a while yet!