As stated previously, TAR X (like the new Survivor) is being billed as the most diverse ever. Okay. But diverse doesnt necessarily equal entertaining and with the Race fighting to maintain viewers and win ratings in a questionable new timeslot, this could either be a new beginning for TAR or another nail in the coffin.
This is once again an official thread.
Because of the new timeslot, TAR will be preempted by football every week, meaning that it will NEVER begin at its scheduled time. One week it could start at 8:15 EST; the next week at 9:05 EST. So under these circumstances a live thread would be too confusing.
And to tell you the truth, even if the show wasnt preempted, I just dont want to operate a live thread on Sunday night. After a few weeks, CBS might decide to move TAR to another night (I suspect they willthey moved it twice last season). If so, a live thread might be possible then.
Whatever happens, Ill ping everyone on the day of the show as a reminder and post the CBS recaps on the following morning so everyone will be able to keep up.
These best friends have spent years bonding over their love of food, Browns football and their shared Islamic faith. While Bilal is energetic and outgoing, Sa'eed is quiet and passive. Their vastly different temperaments will be fun to watch as they attempt to navigate over 40,000 miles in under 30 days.
It should be fun to watch these two go through airport security.
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Dustin & Kandice met while rooming together at the Miss America pageant. Rivals at first, they quickly became friends and have been inseparable ever since. Kandice is wild and impulsive, while Dustin is religious and more conservative. Their shared trait is that they are both intense competitors who thrive on winning.
No complaints here :)
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These overachieving, super competitive brothers say they are ready for the adventure of a lifetime. Godwin has grown up in the shadow of his Harvard-educated brother and is eager to show Erwin and the rest of his family that he has what it takes to win THE AMAZING RACE. This Team's love for traveling the world and competing is infectious.
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Don't let their Southern drawls fool you. These former co-captains of the University of South Carolina cheerleading squad are highly competitive and just might have what it takes to be the first female Team to win THE AMAZING RACE.
Still no complaints :)
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When Lauren told her family that she was gay, her father Duke didn't react well to the news and the two were estranged for several years. Now they are working on rebuilding their relationship and hope that the Race will help them recapture the closeness they once shared.
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Lyn & Karlyn are two mothers from Alabama who have known each other since the ninth grade. Although they have limited traveling experience, the best friends are hoping that their resourcefulness and wit will make them the Team to beat.
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David & Mary are married parents who met while working at McDonald's 10 years ago. Although David did some traveling while he was in the Army, Mary can count on one hand the number of times she's been on a plane. This hard working couple is eager to expand their horizons and see the world together.
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Rob & Kimberly met while bartending
and have been dating for the last two years.
Their relationship has experienced some rocky moments,
yet they recently decided to take a leap and move in together.
They are both looking to the Race to test the strength of their relationship
and prove to them that they are meant to be together.
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Peter and Sarah are both Iron Man competitors who have a long history of teamwork. Sarah recently became the first female with an artificial leg to complete the Hawaii Iron Man Triathlon. Peter works as a clinical prosthetist and travels the country speaking to amputees and consulting for prosthetic legs. Both are out to win and eager to show the world that a disability will not stop them from reaching their goals.
Clearly the sympathetic favorite. But teams that set out to prove something usually dont finish the race.
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This feisty, fun-loving couple has been together for over two years. Their playful nitpicking is constant, but it always ends in shared laughter. Tom & Terry are hoping the Race will prove to them they have what it takes to stay together.
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Tyler & James are not your typical "pretty boys"; they've both had their share of hard knocks. After losing track of each other several years ago, they reconnected after going through rehab and have been best friends ever since. They're hoping their newfound lease on life will help carry them around the globe and across the finish line.
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Vipul & Arti are the first Indian-American Team to run the Race. Both speak several languages and are well-traveled. Vipul admits to being a bit overzealous, while Arti takes great pride in her ability to reign in his emotions and focus him in on his strengths--a skill she will undoubtedly be forced to call upon while racing around the world.
Amazing Race starts Sunday ping.
Tape for Monday viewing?
Hi jonny! Do I see some Muslim brothers in your picture? This will be interesting.
OMG! That banner pic of Phil is so Gay! ick, ick, ick...
I'm not sure if it's the sappy look, the pink background, his necklace, or the shirt collar, but I hate it...
Four hours. Run errands. Cook supper. Four hours....
After an 'Amazing Race,' the Cho brothers aim for amazing karma |
Column by Susan Young Inside Bay Area |
FEELING A LITTLE BIT like an "Amazing Race" competitor, I scanned the area around Lake Merritt at Lake Shore and Grand avenues, searching for the clue box. Um, make that searching for Erwin and Godwin Cho or as fans of the Sunday night reality show have come to know them the Cho Brothers. Those wacky men made an instant impression when they arrived the first day armed with squirt guns, plastic roaches and a faux cell phone. The funsters quickly gained a solid reputation as genuine nice guys who helped out two weaker teams: David and Mary from Kentucky and single moms Lyn and Karlyn from Alabama. Soon the teams were known as the Six Pack. When David and Mary had to come in first to avoid elimination, the Cho brothers made it happen. Although the affable Kentucky couple were eventually eliminated, the Chos say no one was happier when the women of "The View" showered Team Kentucky with gifts ranging from a new home to lush vacations. Alas, Erwin Cho of Kensington and Godwin Cho of San Francisco were eliminated on the show that aired Nov. 19. Fans bemoaned the fact that had the two not been so self-sacrificing, they might have actually won the million dollars. Across the lake I could see the unmistakable trademark ponytail of Erwin, who was standing next to his brother talking to a group of women joggers. Could they still be asking directions? Nope. The brothers were talking about their latest venture: A Web site called alittlekarma.com. The site offers a place where budding artists can sell their work, and the Chos can turn around and use a portion of the profits to fund acts of kindness. Makes you go all warm and squishy, especially with the holidays right around the corner. The brothers say they had always wanted to create and run a business together, but it was their experiences filming "The Amazing Race" that made them want to do something more with their lives. Both Erwin, 32, who has degrees from UC Berkeley, Princeton and Harvard, and Godwin, 29, who holds degrees from the University of San Diego, New York University and a fellowship from Princeton, worked for Blue Shield when they decided to go on the show. After taping "The Amazing Race," the two decided to quit their jobs and move on to their new business venture. "That fueled the rumors that we had won the race," Erwin says. "Everyone kept asking us, 'Is there something you want to tell us?' But the truth is that the million would be split in half, and then after taxes you wouldn't even be able to afford to buy a garage in the Bay Area." No, they didn't win "The Amazing Race." But the
brothers, who grew up near Lake Merritt, where their mother ran a dry cleaning store, discovered during the race that life was more than sitting in a cubicle all day. "When we were in these countries, we realized that there is an amazing world out there," Godwin says. "And we decided to evaluate our lives and do something that enriched the lives of others." The two had always wanted to work together, doing something that inspired others to perform their own acts of kindness. But the Chos weren't sure if they could actually get along well enough to do that. "We realized that if we could get along with each other and work together after getting very little sleep and very little to eat during the race, we could probably work in a company together," Erwin says. "We tell people that while we did argue during the race, we were so boring the producers wouldn't air it. It was like, 'I disagree with you, but you make a good point.'" And they were deeply impacted by the kindness of strangers during their journey. "We would get help everywhere," Erwin says. "There was a Mongolian man who helped us get our car running and then followed us to make sure we got to our destination. Then there were these young teenagers on a soccer team who stopped to help us push our car out of the mud." One of the more famous lines in this season's "The Amazing Race" was spouted when the Chos were waiting patiently in line for a cab when their "partners," the Alabama moms, jumped in front of everyone and stole a cab. "Sometimes," Erwin Cho said in that episode. "Being polite sucks." Yet, they soldiered on. They said they had no regrets about the way they played the game, even now when they can hear the often unkind remarks made about them by their former "Six Packers" Lyn and Karlyn. "You have to understand that we never heard what they were saying about us until we watched the shows, so I guess hindsight is 20/20," Godwin says. "But we still wouldn't have done things differently." And how about the blonde Barbies? Are Dustin and Kandice the beauty queens as bad as the show makes them out to be? "I say they are not bad people, they are just a bad act," says Erwin. "Don't hate the sinner, hate the sin," chimes in Godwin with a laugh. Godwin reveals that there were several times when the girls physically pushed him aside to get in front. "But I wasn't about to push back a woman, especially on TV," Godwin says. "Yeah," says Godwin. "It's always the second person who gets caught." And they say that racer Peter teamed with acquaintance Sarah, who has a prosthetic leg got a "rough edit" on the show. "He's a generous guy who has opened his home to us and others," Godwin says. "He and Sara were not a couple, and she wanted to show what she could do. He's an Ironman. He could do anything we were asked to do and more." Erwin, who admits that he had an extreme fear of heights entering the contest, says it wasn't the heights that got to him. It was the challenge of putting a large rubber band around a crocodile's jaw. "I saw this croc move four or five people several feet," Erwin says. "I couldn't figure out how an old rubber band was going to keep his jaws closed." It was indeed, the adventure of a lifetime. And one that the Cho brothers hope will be a springboard to their next venture: serving up a little bit of kindness in this world. "The Amazing Race" airs the penultimate episode at 8 tonight on CBS-Channel 5, with the finale airing next Sunday. Go to http://www.alittlekarma.com to learn more about the Cho brothers latest adventure.
You can reach TV critic Susan Young at (925) 416-4820, send a letter to 4770 Willow Road, Pleasanton CA 94588 or e-mail syoung@angnewspapers.com. For more tidbits about the Chos and their adventures on "The Amazing Race" including their prank on the Barbies, go to http://www.ibabuzz.com/ |