The Amazing Race All-Stars,Top Design and A.I. voting begins

The Amazing Race All Stars edition started last Sunday,which brings back great teams from past seasons like Unchenna and Joyce and the Coalminer couple,David and Mary(Yah!). But,it also has folks that I couldn't stand,like the Beauty Queens and Rob & Amber(Boo!). The first leg of the race had teams going to Ecuador and most of the struggle was in finding the right airline. I was worried that Dustin and Kandace would resort to their usual line cutting tricks but they didn't get the chance.

Since I've only watched a few seasons of TAR,a good number of the teams are unfamilar to me such as the couple who got eliminated,John Vito and Jill. I do like Kevin & Drew from season 1;those guys are very New York and hopefully will give Rob and Amber a run for their money:




The challenge this week for Top Design was to create a living/work space for interior design students,using items bought at garage sales. The prize for the winner was first pick of a carpenter to work with for the rest of the competition. Carisa clashed with the person she had selected,particularly over a large rolling desk for the room that didn't work out and since she won the challenge,I don't think she'll work with that gal again. It was a good room even tho it didn't have enough of the storage space the client wanted.




Felica got dismissed for her take on colorful,which consisted of a grannie looking afghan and necktie fabric pasted to the wall. Speaking of Granny,Michael has such little old lady taste;the colors he used to create a"bright,happy"room looked exactly the way Judge Jonathan Adler described them-"Grape and banana"!



Ryan really deserved to be kicked to the curb,not only for his room which looked like something from the set of a bad indie movie,but his whole attitude. When he went before the judges to discuss his design,he sneered at those who would use fabric swatches and paint chips(key tools of the trade)and answered the question"do you really want to be a designer?" by saying"Only if I can make my own rules!".

Dude,if you want to be an avant garde artist,be an artist. A good portion of interior design work is creating a look and feel that's pleasing to your clients. If you want to just take off and do your own thing,there's a place for that. Just not in a field where people would actually have to live everyday in the environment you put together straight from your weirdy brain. Not everyone lives in a Tim Burton world,buddy boy!

The voting began on American Idol and the girls wowed the crowd this week while the boys went to sleep. Gentlemen,you need to step up and bring your A game here! That goes for you,too,Chris Sligh and Sanjaya. I'll give Sanjaya abit of a break,due to his age but only so far:



It was hard to chose from the ladies who was best but Lakisha Jones ended the night on a high note with her take on"And I Am Telling You". Simon was right,she totally threw down the gauntlet:



Four contestants were knocked off this week and Vote for The Worst is doing it's best because Antonella should've been sent home for that godawful rendition of "I Don't Want to Miss A Thing" and Alaina's version of "Brass in Pocket" was a complete and utter trainwreck. She didn't have the voice or the attitude to carry that song off at all. Song choice is important,people. Here's a direct compare and contrast for your listening pleasure:

Alaina's Attempt



The Way Brass in Pocket is Supposed to Sound



Musical AI guests for this season were announced and we're getting the likes of Diana Ross,Gwen Stefani,Barry Gibb and Tony Bennett to help the contestants out. No Abba,as some had hoped due to a chance remark by Simon during an audition. That would have been cool. Speaking of Simon,his quips are really in top form this time. Telling Amy Krebs that she had"the personality of a candle" would be too harsh if it wasn't a teeny bit true. Ryan Seacrest's wardrobe choices are getting as weird as Paula's. That night when the guys sang,I looked at him and said"Justin from Ugly Betty called-he wants his vest back."

Random Notes:

Heroes: Now that Peter is getting in control of his abilities,he's becoming a force to be reckoned with. I hope that Claude will return for some more tutoring sessions because as guest star Stan Lee(in his usual quirky cameo) would say"With great power comes great responsibility." Simone found that out the hard way. I was watching this episode with my mom and this scene had us both saying at the same time"Cool!"



I really hope Mohinder catches on that his new partner is not all that he seems. Dude,the two of you meet up with a lady with UberEars who tells you that she first had headaches when her powers first started and the next day,she's dead meat on the floor and your buddy"Zane" is in desparate need of Excedrin. Connect the dots,la la la! We may get some answers out of Mr. Bennet next week with Matt and friends raiding the family homestead.

The Riches:I've been seeing promos for this show for awhile now(mainly because I'm still watching Dirt,why I am for the life of me,I really can't say)and may not bothering getting into The Black Donnellys since both show will be sharing the same timeslot. Eddie Izzard and Minnie Driver star as the driving force of a con artist family who may have bitten off more than they can chew by stepping into the wealthy home and life of a dead man who had moved into a new neighborhood before his demise.

Here's the newest one-see for yourself and decide if Monday nights at ten should be spend at NBC or F/X this March: