nomadreader

I absolutely adore the concept of Pirate Master , and I'm thrilled for Christian Okoye to get another few moments in the spotlight, but after watching the first two episodes, I'm slightly bored. This program has all the right pieces of good reality television, but it falls flat. After two episodes, I still only know three of the pirates by name. I don't even know the name of the chesty blond who has her bathing suit top blurred out by the censors during most of the second episode. The actual search for the pirate treasure is the weakest part of the program. From my limited understanding of the Survivor formula, it's quite similar. I find people traipsing around the wilderness quite dull, and it's most of the reason I've never managed to get into Survivor . Still, the power of captain and the possibility of mutiny should lead to intriguing strategy. Despite the weak attempts at mutiny so far (although the compass part was quite brilliant in the first episod...

All of the networks have now announced their fall television schedules, and I'm more excited about pilots than I've been in years. Thankfully, for once, there are rarely more than two shows I want to watch scheduled for the same time. Laurel's TV Picks has a fantastic (Central time) grid for each day of the week. There are good-looking new shows, the return of almost every show I like (goodbye, Jericho ) and an ingenious plot development for One Tree Hill . The senior class of main characters will graduate from high school this spring. When One Tree Hill returns in January, our gang will be out of college. Gone is the awkward transition that has killed far too many teenage-based shows. It's a win-win situation. The stars get to be their own age on screen. I think this development is brilliant, and if it's successful, I daresay other shows will follow-suit. I also hope CBS and the other networks have learned their lessons with quality new shows like Jeric...

CBS has announced the contestants for Pirate Master . I was scrolling through a standard reality contestant list of receptionist, make-up artists and bartenders when I stumbled upon CHRISTIAN OKOYE , or my favorite running back ever. I promptly and proudly updated his wikipedia listing . Now I only hope he will make me proud. I wasn't sure I could more excited about this program. Watch out, Big Brother , you may competition for my summer reality tv crown this year.

I am ridiculously excited for Mark Burnett's latest reality show, Pirate Master. The premiere date is set for May 31. A summer with Big Brother and Pirate Master ? Oh, CBS, I am falling a little more in love with thee. The description from the CBS press release: " Pirate Master will send 16 modern-day pirates on a high seas adventure where they will live as buccaneers and travel around the Caribbean island of Dominica in search of hidden treasure that will total $1 million. Over the course of 33 days, these pirates will live aboard a massive 179 foot, square-rigged barque which carries 12,500 square feet of sail. Each week, the pirates will embark on extraordinary expeditions where they will decipher clues along the way in search of missing treasure. Gold coins -- real money which the pirates may take with them beyond the show -- will be awarded after each expedition, but only to some. The gold will play a key role as pirates strike deals with each other or plead for long...