Video Beat - AMAZING RACE LUNAR NEW YEAR PIG OUT - February 2008

James Loving - National Radio Text Service

To help celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year AXN will televise all of the Amazing Race USA edition this Thursday and Friday. Every Saturday the network is also televising four episodes back to back of Amazing Race Asia 2. - Fighting and arguments in the house spice up The Contender Asia - NBA & NFL GAMES ON TV - Recommended TV Listings

Sunday February 3, 2008

AMAZING RACE USA & ASIA LUNAR MARATHON

If you haven't had your belly full or missed episodes of both the Amazing Race USA and Asia you can pig out on both shows as they are being televised in repeat special editions on ANX. To help celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year AXN will televise all of the Amazing Race USA edition this Thursday and Friday. Every Saturday the network is also televising four episodes back to back of Amazing Race Asia 2.

The Amazing Race USA 12 spanned 30,000 miles in 21 days, making it the shortest Amazing Race course since Season 8. The race covered 4 continents, visiting 10 countries. The shortened filming schedule was initially attributed, in part, due to the removal of non-elimination legs, which would have been a first on the Race. However, host Phil Keoghan told Kynt & Vyxsin in Leg 7 that there are two non-elimination legs in this race.

The penalty for coming in last place on a non-elimination leg changed. Additionally, most seasons without "To Be Continued" or "superlegs" have 4 non-elimination points. Hence, this race was removed 2 non-elimination legs thus reducing the number of episodes by 2.

Early in the race the bright brother and sister team Azaria & Hendekea were consistent winners finishing 1st three times in the first four legs. They started to draw resentment from one of the other teams. The pressure mounted between the brother and sister and they began to argue and that became their undoing as they surprisingly were eliminated from the race. There was no non-elimination for them.

TK and Rachel won the race. They did so in stealth like manner. They finished first only one other time during the race that being in the ninth leg. They had problems from the start by making poor decisions, suffered bad luck when they were U-turned by another team and had to go back to their last task thus losing time. That was topped off by their finishing last on one leg only to find that it was a pre determined non-elimination leg of the race.

One of the most colorful teams was Kynt & Vyxsin who also received the non-elimination privilege. The pressure of the race also brought about fighting between the two and they were eventually eliminated.

One of the most interesting teams was Nicolas, 23 & and his 69-year-old Grandfather Donald. Donald did the heavy dirty work while Nicholas picked up the slack by carrying his grandfathers bags after the elder was exhausted from doing the the tough tasks.

As grand pop pointed out he is 45 years older than most of the contestants that participated in the race. An interesting note is that Nicholas currently works as an airline pilot based out of San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The Asian father/daughter team of Ron and Christina drew a major portion of air time. In part it was due to a human behavior problem as Ron 57 kept yelling at his 26-year old daughter and embarrassing her in front of spectators and the other teams. By his inconsiderate behavior you would think that his daughter was idiotic. She endured it and reassured her father that she loved him while occasionally pointing out that he should not yell at her. It raised the question… what is the problem?

Since Ronald was constantly traveling for work throughout much of his daughter's formative years, Christina hoped the Race would allow her father--a self-proclaimed workaholic--to stop and smell the roses and provide them with some meaningful time together.

Ronald is a first-generation immigrant and eldest of five. He works as a Vice President of sales for a paper packaging company. During his thirty-one years of marriage he raised two independent daughters. Christina is Ronald's youngest daughter and she holds degrees from both Duke and Princeton. Both of the schools require brains and excellent grades to be accepted. She once served in the State Department and often expressed that her father could be as diplomatic as she. Neither are strangers to the unpredictability of international travel as they have both lived and worked abroad.

By the end of the race Christina was rewarded for her patient efforts as Ron gave his daughter the RESPECT that she deserves and admitted that the experience helped make him a better person. This is a series worth watching particularly when you view it from the human behavior standpoint.

AMAZING RACE ASIA

This show is down to its final four contestants with one more elimination to see what three teams will race to win the US $100,000 prize.

The big surprise is the performance of Collin and Adrian where one is deaf. Adrian has a hearing disability and relies on sign language to communicate with his teammate, Collin. The Singaporeans minds are keen and their energy high as the have finished first in the last two legs.

The Thai team of Paula and Natasha were supported by promos with their pictures by Thai beer company Singh Beer. The ads have been on the air for the past few weeks. That didn't help them as they were eliminated last week after receiving a non-elimination privilege the previous week.

Again… four episodes this show is being televised back to back on Saturdays on AXN. There are two female and two male teams remaining representing the Philippines, Singapore (2) and Malaysia.

AMERICAN IDOL WITH SIMON 'THE MERCILESS' COWELL WHA-CHEW KNOW ABOUT MUSIC?

Oh please for the love of COWELL (Mike is busy) Simon the Merciless is challenged last season by an AI applicant after Simon said NO…. The angry applicant responded, "WA-CHEW KNOW (translation - What do you know) ABOUT MUSIC."

The clip is a now much repeated promo of the show.

Simon said NO to a 16-year old girl who was a top 20 finisher of American Idol Juniors TV show in which she participated in when she was 12-years old. She entered the audition room full of confidence and greeted the judges and confirmed her previous AI JR experience. Simon told her that she was precocious. What does that mean she asked? The judges laughed and she sang her song.

She had a good voice but…. Simon said NO and suggested that she should go to Hollywood and pursue a career as an actress. Paula and Randy agreed. The disappointed AI hopeful walked out of the audition room in a tirade and noted that she gave up an opportunity to sing the national anthem at a Boston Red Sox baseball game to take the time to come and audition for American Idol. AI host Ryan Seacrest couldn't console her. She then walked into the sunset and joined a growing list of AI rejections.

But wait…. Paula is finally fighting with Simon and things are back to normal. We can now go to sleep and rest well knowing that all is good in AI land who continue to search during the audition stage in various US cities in search of the next American Idol. Schedule below.

THE CONTENDER ASIA

This show started off slow but is picking up some steam as the 29-year old French Muay Thai Champion Rafik Bakkouri created some dissention in the ranks including his own teammates of which he picked after he was named a captain. For champion and the other team captain John Wayne Parr chose to fight Rafik in hopes of getting him off the Contender show and out of the house that they share.

Parr won but wasn't impressive in doing so. The show offers the public to select who they would like to see return to fight the champion of the show. At this juncture Rafik would be a top draw of viewing interest.

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. NFL (National Football League) from the USA is televised on a delayed basis Saturday at 12:30 PM and Sunday at 6 PM on the CNBC channel

BOXING

The ULTIMATE FIGHTER SEASON 1 is currently being televised Monday through Friday on AXN at 9 AM Thailand/Cambodia time and 10 AM in the Singapore/Hong Kong time zone. This is the series that features current UFC star Forrest Griffin.

TV SCHEDULE

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

MONDAY

9:00 AM - ULTIMATE FIGHTER season 1 - AXN

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

8:00 PM - AMAZING RACE ASIA - AXN

12 MIDNIGHT - AMAZING RACE ASIA - AXN

TUESDAY

9:00 AM - ULTIMATE FIGHTER season 1 - AXN

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

700 PM - AMAZING RACE ASIA - AXN

WEDNESDAY

9:00 AM - ULTIMATE FIGHTER season 1 - AXN

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

5:00 PM - AMERICAN IDOL - Star World

7:00 PM - AMERICAN IDOL - Star World - repeat of 5 PM telecast

8:00 PM - CONTENDER ASIA - AXN

10:30 PM - AMERICAN IDOL - Star World - repeat of 5/7 PM telecast

11:00 PM - CONTENDER ASIA - AXN - repeat of 8 PM telecast

THURSDAY

9:00 AM - ULTIMATE FIGHTER season 1 - AXN

11:00 AM - CONTENDER ASIA - AXN

12 NOON - AMERICAN IDOL - Star World - repeat of previous day

5:00 PM - AMERICAN IDOL - Star World

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

7:00 PM - AMERICAN IDOL - Star World - repeat of 5 PM telecast

8:00 PM - AMAZING RACE ASIA - AXN

10:30 PM - AMERICAN IDOL - Star World - repeat of 5/7 PM telecast

FRIDAY

??:?? AM - NBA GAME - Star Sports

9:00 AM - ULTIMATE FIGHTER season 1 - AXN

11:00 AM - AMAZING RACE ASIA - AXN

12 NOON - AMERICAN IDOL - Star World - repeat of previous day

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

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

SATURDAY

7:30 AM - CONTENDER ASIA - AXN

??:?? AM - NBA GAME - ESPN

12:30 PM NFL (National Football League) game from the USA (delayed) - CNBC

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

5:00 PM - CONTENDER ASIA - AXN

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

9:00 PM - JAY LENO - CNBC

10:00 PM - AMAZING RACE ASIA - AXN

12:00 AM - CONTENDER ASIA - AXN

SUNDAY

10:00 AM - AMAZING RACE ASIA - AXN

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

6:00 PM - NFL (National Football League) game from the USA (delayed) - CNBC

6:00 PM - AMAZING RACE ASIA - AXN

9:00 PM - JAY LENO - CNBC

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