Video Beat - PAULA ABDUL REALITY SHOW - AMAZING RACE & AMAZING RACE ASIA - 3 Housemates Return to Big Brother - December 2007

James Loving - National Radio Text Service

Three BIG BRO Contestants RETURN - Paula Abdul Show Reeks - AMAZING RACE HEATS UP - ASIA RACE STARTING TO BOIL - NBA GAMES ON TV Recommended TV Listings

Sunday December 16, 2007

REALITY TV THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY

Reality television is a mirror of human behavior at its best and worst revealing our strengths and weaknesses. The question is what is the redeeming value of some of these programs?.

PAULA ABDUL REALITY SHOW

American Idol co-host Paula Abdul has a reality show about her life simply titled ' HEY PAULA' that airs on the Star World channel. All that we can say about this program is OHHH… PLEASE!!!!

It REEKS of bad taste and shows Paula at her worst… we hope it isn't her best. It appears to be a bad move on the part and her manager to permit the AI gal to conduct herself on camera in such a bad light for the world to see. All of the jokes about her being a lush seem to have credibility as she appeared to be out of it during a speaking engagement when she won an award and as she was giving an acceptance speech she was slurring her words.

Abdul complains that she can't get any sleep but she goes out for coffee at Starbucks at 4 AM! The former Laker girl should know that the body doesn't sleep behind coffee that many people use to wake up. To see for yourself the program airs on Star World Thursday nights at 7 PM Thailand Cambodia time and 8 PM Hong Kong/Singapore.

ETHEL, GABY & MARIEL RODRIGUEZ RETURN TO BIG BRO

In a shocking turn of events former housemates Mariel Rodriguez, Gaby and Ethel Booba returned to the house as house guests. Big Bro asked both to return as the show was going sour.

Since we last reported on this program as slipping into the darkness with over production and to many ideas without character development many strange twists have surfaced over the past three weeks. Since that time in what appears to be a patchwork effort to save this rapidly failing program where many of the good positive contestants were evicted from the house a new housemate was inserted into the show which resulted in her premature departure within three weeks.

Race car driver Gaby Merced left o her own accord to attend a driving school in the USA. The show started to unravel after her decision but upon her return to the Philippines she was met she was met by representatives of the BIG BRO show at the airport and was asked to return to the show. "I was kidnapped," she said in an interview prior to her reentry to the house.

Gaby felt that she would be resented by the other housemates since she had been in the outside world. She was right. On last nights eviction nominations she was nominated for that very reason. Some contestants noted that she was successful in her race car driving career and would be better of being evicted to pursue her profession since other housemates were more needy and deserving to remain in the house with hopes of winning the now $2 million (US $52,631) peso first place prize.

Actress comedian Ethel Booba who also left the house discontented was also asked to return. Booba has bubbly personality that adds some spice to what was turning into a show that resembled in watching a wake. She also has a love interest in housemate Will who the show paired with former beauty queen Riza. BIG BRO likes to stimulate relationships in the house to spice things up as he did in his pairing of Wendy and Bruce in the previous BIG BRO show.

Former BIG BRO co-host turned housemate also Mariel Rodriguez departed the show voluntarily only to be asked by BIG BRO to return. She entered the house while staying in a secret room where she functions for a day as a replacement for BIG BRO and watched over the housemates while talking to them giving out directions. She also stimulated a love interest in housemate model Jonathan Mullaly whom she had a crush on before the show began. She is currently on the house as a house guest.

You can call it what you want but these moves only validates our assessment that the show was in trouble, the point being that the damage is done and beyond repair.

CAMBODIA'S FRESHIE BOY & GIRL SHOW RETURNS

Cambodia's Freshie Boy & Girl show will return for the 2008 season when the shows producer Boonkerd Angamnuasiri changed his mind after saying at the end of last years 2007 final "James you have just seen the last Freshie show, I am tired."

That was the bad news. The good news is he changed his mind and THE SHOW WILL GO ON with some changes. The 2008 show will be televised on Cambodia's TV 5 after being carried on rival TV 3 since its inception. There will be a new co-host since Vanda Meas became a Mrs. and moved to Australia. Angamnuasiri has yet to make a decision who will host this season's program.

AMAZING RACE

The US version of the Amazing Race continues to hold interest. The most interesting team is the Asian father and daughter. The father has toned down his domineering verbal assaults towards his daughter and is now giving her more respect by talking to her in a more civilized manner. Through it all the daughter deals with it and continues to support her father while occasionally pointing out to him to be more considerate when speaking to her and respect her opinions.

Another interesting team is the grandfather and grandson. The grandson continues to dump the tough more challenging tasks on his 69-year-old grandfather who rises to the challenge. The grandson seems to be afraid to get his hands dirty. Thanks to the elderly part of the team they remain in the race.

AMAZING RACE ASIA

It's almost shocking how much Amazing Race Asia has improved over last season's effort. This year's success is largely attributed to a better cast of contestants who have vibrant personalities. Most interesting is a team from the Philippines consisting of a former US Navy man who is black and his hot blooded Philippine wife who constantly berates him on camera and in front of the other contestants. After a heated tirade between the two one intelligent contestant pointed out to her the he is your husband implying that she should be more respectful towards him.

The tirades continue but she has toned down a bit but not enough. As the Thai team pointed out they would be a good team if they stopped fighting each other. The hearing impaired team is doing well as pointed out by the shows producer before the program began. He felt they have the advantage in situations where there was noise and they could communicate using sign language. This past week they finished in second place.

The dark horse of the race are the Japanese brother and sister team that maintain a low profile no nonsense approach. They seldom draws attention and are determined and focused,

This past week's finish was:

1. Philippine males

2. Deaf team

3. Thai girls

4. Dancing moms from Malaysia

5. Japanese brother and sister

6. Singapore sisters

7. Mixed marriage couple from the Philippines

Who will be eliminated this week and who will make it to the final three to challenge for the US $100,000 first prize? Tune in Thursday nights on the ANX network. Schedule below including repeat shows.

NBA GAMES ON TV

NBA (National Basketball Association) games are televised in the Southeast Asia region on the Star Sports television Network on Friday and ESPN Saturday's. Start times vary depending on the start time in the region of the USA from where the games is televised. This Friday week Kobe Bryant and the Lakers take on the Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James on STAR SPORTS.

TV SCHEDULE

Note: The shows listed are for the Cambodia - Thailand time zone. Check your local listings for time and date in your area.

TFC = The Filipino Channel on the ABS-CBN Network

MONDAY

5:00 PM - LARRY KING - CNN - Airs daily

8:00 PM - AMAZING RACE - AXN (new time)

12:00 PM - AMAZING RACE - AXN (new time)

TUESDAY

11:15 AM - ASAP - TFC (The Filipino Channel) - Please note that this and ALL TFC SHOWS ARE SUBJECT TO TIME SHIFTS.

5:00 PM - LARRY KING - CNN - Airs daily

700 PM - AMAZING RACE ASIA - AXN

WEDNESDAY

5:00 PM - LARRY KING - CNN - Airs daily

THURSDAY

5:00 PM - LARRY KING - CNN - Airs daily

7:00 - PAULA ABDUL REALITY SHOW - Star World

FRIDAY

8:00 AM - NBA GAME

11:00 AM - AMAZING RACE ASIA - AXN

5:00 PM - LARRY KING - CNN - Airs daily

9:00 PM - NBA GAME (Replay of earlier game)

SATURDAY

5:00 PM - LARRY KING - CNN - Airs daily

7:00 PM - AMAZING RACE (USA) - AXN

7:30 PM - HI NET WORTH - (financial magazine show) - CNBC

9:00 PM - JAY LENO - CNBC

10:00 PM - AMAZING RACE ASIA - AXN

SUNDAY

10:00 AM - AMAZING RACE ASIA - AXN

12:00 PM - ASAP - TFC (The Filipino Channel) - Please note that this and ALL TFC SHOWS ARE SUBJECT TO TIME SHIFTS

5:00 PM - LARRY KING - CNN - Airs daily

6:00 PM - NFL GAME - CNBC

7:00 PM - AMAZING RACE ASIA - AXN

9:00 PM - JAY LENO - CNBC

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