Reality TV fans, get ready for another great summer of reality TV! This summer looks like it will be full of great shows and some interesting new series. Check out the ones that have already been announced:

On the Lot (premiered Tuesday, May 22 at 9PM ET/PT and Thursday, May 24 at 9PM ET/PT on Fox)

The Academy (premieres Thursday, May 24 at 8PM ET/PT on FOX Reality)

5 Takes: Latin America (premieres Saturday, June 2 at 10Pm ET on Travel Channel)

Criss Angel: Mindfreak (premieres Tuesday, June 5 at 10PM ET/PT on A&E)

So You Think You Can Dance 3 (premieres Thursday, May 24 at 8PM ET/PT and Wednesday, May 30 at 8PM ET/PT on Fox)

Big Brother 8 (premieres Thursday, July 5 on CBS)

Ghost Hunters (premieres Wednesday, June 6 on SciFi)

The Simple Life Goes to Camp (premieres Monday, May 28 at 10PM ET/PT on E!)

The Next Food Network Star (premieres Sunday, June 3 at 10PM ET/PT on Food Network)

The Next Best Thing (premieres Wednesday, May 30 at 8PM ET/PT on ABC)

Reunited: The Real World Las Vegas (premieres Wednesday, May 30 at 10ET/PT on MTV)

Pirate Masters (premieres Thursday, May 31 at 8PM ET/PT on CBS)

Hell’s Kitchen 3 (premieres Monday, June 4 at 9PM ET/PT on Fox)

America’s Got Talent 2 (premieres Tuesday, June 5 at 9PM ET/PT on NBC)

Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List (premieres Tuesday, June 5 at 10PM ET/PT on Bravo)

American Inventor 2 (premieres Wednesday, June 6 at 9PM ET/PT on ABC)

Last Comic Standing 5 (premieres Wednesday, June 13 at 9PM ET/PT on NBC)

Top Chef 3: Miami (premieres Wednesday, June 13 at 10PM ET/PT on Bravo)

Age of Love (premieres Monday, June 18 at 10PM ET/PT on NBC)

Shaq’s Big Challenge (premieres Tuesday, June 26 at 9PM ET/PT on ABC)

Hey Paula (premieres Thursday, June 28 on BRAVO)

HGTV Design Star 2 (premieres Sunday, July 22 at 10PM ET/PT)

Solitary 2.0 (premieres August 11 on FOX Reality)

The Biggest Loser (premieres August 21 on NBC)

Who Wants to be a Superhero 2 (premieres Wednesday, July 25 at 9PM ET/PT on Sci Fi Channel)

Reality TV, TV, Television

I’m thrilled again that the TJs were in one of my favorite cities to visit, Memphis. It’s just about 5 hours drive from my home in St. Louis, so I’ve been there for long weekends several times. I can’t wait to see what they do there. Last week they were in Miami (meaning that they were in Miami at the same time I was there for a wedding.) I can’t wait to see what they think of the Midwest.

First, the TJS decided to take a suggestion from the message board and go on a riverboat ride on the Mississippi. The TJs were impressed by the fall foliage, the slower pace and what they described as a place full of history. Then they all tried to spell Mississippi. What a hoot! That’s ok, I doubt that I could spell rivers in their countries any easier.

While the other TJs enjoyed the view, Zach went to the captain’s area and talked to the captain. They were all impressed by the old styles of boats on the river. And they didn’t know what the paddle wheel was called. I think it would be just as foreign to one of us to go to their countries and try to name the local types of boats. It’s interesting what we take for granted, isn’t it?

The local hostels were all full the week they were in Memphis, so they went to an inn and made a deal with the owner to let them stay for a price they could afford in exchange for doing chores during their stay. (Now, why can’t I ever get a deal like that? Oh, yeah, it probably has something to do with the fact that I don’t travel with a camera crew…) The suite they got was spectacular! What a deal!

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Hey, folks! The TJs really do read and answer the message boards! Apparently, Zach had put up new photos from Miami and the Discovery folks had just not had time to upload them to the site when I posted about the TJs in Florida.

I went out to the message boards and asked Zach about the ETA on the photos and he got right back to me. (And the photos got posted too!) Lena put some photos out from the Florida leg of the trip too, so I’ve picked several from each of them for your enjoyment.

Lena & Jaime get ready to party in Miami.

The fire dancer at the Full Moon Party.
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The TJs first get to Miami and the weather was fabulous. (I just got back from Miami last Sunday evening, so I can attest to the beautiful weather!!) Zach (from the Philippines) said that it felt like he was coming home, since he’s used to the warm weather and palm trees. Their hostel is in the middle of South Beach.

The message boards tell them to go to Mangos where they will watch and maybe even learn some hot salsa dancing. They got a private Latin dance lesson so they could go join the rest of the club in dancing. Bevis was the fastest learner and Tim seemed a little out of his element.

The next morning they started the day at an internet cafe to check the message boards. The TJs went shopping, but had a tough time finding things on their budget of $50 a day.

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Last week, the TJs went to Washington D.C. to find out about our nation’s capital. It was interesting to see their viewpoint as non-Americans.

Bevis thought there were too many trees, Tim thought the Washington Monument looked like a giant phallic symbol (write your own joke here…), Lena was expecting as serious city filled with politics and scandals. Let’s see what they found when they started to explore.

Again, they only have $50 a day to survive on, and anyone who’s ever been to D.C. knows that won’t go very far. They find a hostel to stay in and arrive just before Halloween. The place is decorated with skulls and a coffin. They had never celebrated Halloween before, so they were happy to see the decorations.

First they went to explore the monuments, starting with the Lincoln Memorial. Jaime thought Lincoln looked like a kindly grandfather looking down and protecting people. Tim thought Lincoln looked happy but still protects his people. Zach got the impression that Lincoln represents what America is all about: truth, freedom, liberty, justice…ideals that are dear to him too. Tim said that it’s important to look out for your brothers of all ethnicities. Lena said that America is all about opportunity and hope.

The TJs are aware of how patriotic Americans are and how important their politics are to them. I think this a an interesting view from the outside. It’s not easy for us here in America to know what the rest of the world must think of us. (That’s one of the cool things about this show, we see it from the outsiders’ viewpoint.)

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The TJs leave the desert and head 3400 miles north for the cold of Anchorage, Alaska. The TJs had never experienced snow before and when they arrived, it was snowing in Anchorage.

While at the airport, they hop onto the internet and get the suggestions from the web site. some of the ones they seem interested in are whale watching, glacier hiking and dog sledding. cool! They were also told to expect to eat lots of salmon.

Outside the airport, they are in awe of the snow covered mountains in the distance. Then they go to the local hostel, where they’ll be staying.

The message board suggests a local club that they should check out and they go there for the evening. The tradition of the place is that they all have to take off underwear or bra, sign it and staple it to the wall. The girls say they aren’t wearing any, so they get out of it, but the guys are disappointed.

They find out that they will get money if they are able to eat a super hot pickle. Zach takes the challenge and gets one down. He said that he had seen a show where a guy ate seal fat with excrement and was sure that that had tasted better than the pickle he just ate. YUCK!!

A girl came over to Tim and told him she would give him $100 to take off his underwear. He did and they stapled them to the wall. Jaime said that “When in Alaska, do as the Alaskans do.”

Zach said it wasn’t fair, all Tim had to do was take off his underwear and he had to eat one of the worst foods on Earth.

Back to the message boards and find a message offering them a complimentary our with Kenai Fjords Tours of Alaska by sea. Meanwhile, the hostel owner offers them a ride up to Mount McKinley. Zach and Lena go with the hostel owner to the snow and the rest go to tour the fjord by sea.

The group is from the tropics so the cold is a new experience for them. The sea tour shows them sea otters, bald eagles and sea lions. Bevis is disappointed because he wants to see a poler bear.

Zach and Lena go to a musk ox farm. They are raised for their under fur, called qiviut. Apparently, qiviut is the most expensive, rarest and highly prized material for knitted items. A qiviut knit hat costs as much as $200. The TJs are thrilled to have seen the musk oxes and seem to be having a great time.

On the boat, the TJs meet a man who is a real-life eskimo. He tells them that his people have the right to kill whales to eat. They ask him a lot of questions about his culture and it’s very interesting. What a great experience it must have been!

Zach and Lena got their first chance to play in the snow. They were surprised at how it was not as fluffy as they expected. The TJs are so in awe of the the view of the mountains that they are sure that’s why Anchorage has no tall buildings…it would block the view.

They go see the dogs that are training for the Iditarod sled dog race. They volunteer to clean up dog poop in exchange for half price for a dog sled ride.

The TJs were excited because they were able to have a true Alaskan experience. Except for Bevis, that is. He didn’t like seeing the dogs have to pull them around. He’s the animal lover of the group.

They got food at the grocery store to make dinner and one of the items they tried was sausage made with reindeer meat. I guess they have to try the local cuisine, right?

Zach talks Bevis into renting bikes and going for a ride. They hope to see a moose because they heard that it’s common for a moose to wander into town this time of the year. THe owner of the bike rental shop tells them where it’s most likely to see a moose and they set off. After hours of biking, they manage to see some moose grazing near the path.

A couple the TJs met in Vegas lives in Anchorage and invited them to dinner at their house. The husband hunted and killed a bear and they have a bear rug in the middle of the living room floor. That’s real Alaska.

The wife, Edie brought out all of her handmade quilts. The TJs are excited at seeing real American culture in the quilts.

Then they get to have their first home cooked meal on the trip, moose stew. They loved it and I wonder what it tastes like.

Before they leave town, they get to take one luxury excursion. With the help of the locals, they decided on glacier hiking.

The next day, they go to the glacier to hike. They don boots with spikes for traction and take off with their guides.

The TJs loved the people of Alaska and the wonderful sites in nature. Watching their adventures made me want to go there too.

Be sure to go check out all of their photos and blog entries of their trip on the Travel Channel site and read the message boards to see what folks are telling them to do on their trip.

This week, they are in Washington, D.C. Stop by and leave them a message telling them where they should go while they are there. And remember, we all get to decide what city they visit last. Go let them know what you think.

Photos from Zach Yonzon’s Photos from the Road.

5 takes usa, Reality TV, Television, TV

In the tradition of 5 Takes: Europe and 5 Takes: Pacific Rim, the Travel Channel launches its new series, 5 Takes: USA. The big difference this time is that the TJs (travel journalists) are all from Asia and have never been to the US before. We get to see ourselves through fresh eyes. What a treat! The past two seasons of 5 Takes were loads of fun, and this one would be just as interesting.

The other big thing about this show is that we, the viewers, get to log on to the Travel Channel’s web site to tell the TJs about the things they should do while in each location. And we get to choose the last city they visit. This is truly an interactive adventure that we all get to play a part in. Be sure to go make your suggestions to the TJs!

The TJs who get to explore the US on only $50 a day are: Bevis, a 22-year-old Taiwanese filmmaker; Jaime, a 28-year-old ad exec from Singapore; Lena, a 26-year-old radio broadcaster from Indonesia; Tim, a 24-year-old fashion model from Melbourne, Australia; and Zach, a 33-year-old writer and comic book artist from the Philippines. They each have their own blog at the Travel Channel site where you can follow their journey by reading each person’s point of view.

Zach is delayed joining the group because of bad weather in the Philippines. The rest begin the time in Las Vegas. They get a place to stay (the Sin City Hostel) and set forth to see the sights of Vegas.

The first night there, three of the TJs walk the famous strip and marvel at the sights. Then the next day they got an invitation on the message board to go to Treasure Island for the famous buffet.

They each have different strategies to tackling a buffet. Zach says that he’s avoiding carbs so he won’t fill up right away.

Jaime examines a tool used to crack crab legs and doesn’t have a clue what it’s for. How cool! We Americans think our ways are the ubiquitous ways. It’s fun to see that it must be just as disorienting to come here for the first time as it would be for us to go to their homes.

Apparently, in other parts of the world, Americans are thought to eat huge servings of things. Zach points to his plate and mentions that it would feed a whole family in his country. (And we wonder why obesity is such a problem here…)

When shown chocolate Malt-O-Meal and grits, Jaime said that it looked like someone had just vomited it out. Tim said that it was just fundamentally wrong. I hate to tell them this, but I would agree about those two things.

Then, the TJs were witnesses to a drive-through wedding (along with “Elvis”), pay homage to Siegfried & Roy, and go to learn blackjack and roulette at the Luxor. While in Vegas they had to try fried Twinkies and went shopping.

Tim went AWOL and didn’t return from almost 24 hours and had his stuff confiscated by the hostel. Dissention began between the TJs over it, so let’s see how things go for the rest of the journey.

Jaime and Lena get a chance to pretend to be a show girl in La Femme. Then Bevis took the stage and was a natural as a pretend show girl.

Zach’s 33rd birthday was celebrated by transforming Bevis into “Elvis.” Then they get to go to and Elvis impersonator’s show for free.

They got a cooking lesson by the head chef at the Bellagio Hotel, Julian Serrano to celebrate Tim’s birthday. What are the chances that two of the TJs are Libras with birthdays the same week?

Each week they are allowed one splurge thing to do. They choose to go on a helicopter ride through the Grand Canyon. It looked magnificent!

Next week (or should I say, this week) they are in Anchorage, Alaska. If you know of any terrific things they should do while they are there, be sure to log in and let them know. Then tune in to see how the week was.

I love the freshness of this show and the fact that it lets me virtually travel and see new things from a different perspective. Check it out!

And remember, all the things aired each week actually happened in the previous week. What a cool concept!
Photos from Zach Yonzon’s Photos from the Road.
5 takes usa, Reality TV, reality-tv