"Just when I thought that I was out they pull me back in..."
-Michael Corleone, "The Godfather, Part III"

CBS reality series "Rock Star" will return for another go around this summer, and this season's winner will get to front a brand new supergroup featuring former members of Mötley Crüe, Metallica, and Guns N' Roses. Drummer Tommy Lee (Crüe), bassist Jason Newsted (Metallica), and guitarist Gilby Clarke (Guns) will use the Mark Burnett-produced show as a forum for selecting a lead singer for their new band, Supernova.

Last year's series, of course, featured surviving members of INXS and their search for a replacement for the late Michael Hutchence. And I became hopelessly addicted to the show, to the point where this blog featured practically nothing except posts about the competition.

And I'm looking forward to more of the same this year (though it just won't be the same without sweet Suzie McNeil). [Zap2it] Metal Mavens Back CBS' 'Rock Star' (via TV Squad)

Last night I finally got around to watching Tuesday's premiere of "The Amazing Race 9." As is usually the case in the early stages, the producers have opted to portray each team in the broadest possible strokes, playing up each and every exaggerated behavior displayed by contestants.

That particular strategy is brilliant because it helps the audience quickly overcome the challenge of distinguishing between 11 different teams in just 2 hours time. Viewers can just slap a quick label on each team (e.g., "The Nerds," "The Hippies," "The Frat Guys," etc.) and everyone becomes instantly memorable.

The problem with that approach, however, is that when each team's most over-the-top behavior is used to define them, everyone comes off as pretty unlikable from the start. In fact, the only team that didn't get on my nerves during Tuesday's episode was David & Lori ("The Nerds"). They never bickered. They never belittled each other or other teams. They never made fun of the locals. They never boasted about how much better they were than everyone else. And that's why I'm rooting for them. But can they win?

Here's how I'm handicapping this season's teams.

THE FRONTRUNNERS...

Joseph & Monica
Received practically no air time in the premiere, usually a positive omen because it suggests the producers are going to let us get to know them slowly over the course of the entire race. They finished in the middle of the pack Tuesday, but didn't really hit any big speed bumps along the way. That kind of consistency pays off in the long run.
Pro: Under-the-radar success has produced a lot of past winners.
Con: Youth may hurt them when dealing with adversity.
Odds: Even

Ray & Yolanda
As with Joseph & Monica, we learned very little about them in Tuesday's episode, meaning they should stick around awhile. These two exude a quiet confidence under pressure. They also seem to work very well together, though sparks could fly later.
Pro: Combination of intelligence and athleticism usually a huge advantage.
Con: Appear a bit standoffish, which could hurt them when interacting with locals.
Odds: 5 to 2

BJ & Tyler
These two hippies get along really well together, and their appearance could cause other teams to dismiss them initially. With more strong finishes like Tuesday's, that will change quickly.
Pro: Teamwork, teamwork, teamwork.
Con: Obsession with their wacky image could conflict with race goals.
Odds: 4 to 1

THE CONTENDERS...

Eric & Jeremy
Self-avowed slackers, these two are easily the strongest team in the race, physically speaking. Their frat boy posturing wears a bit thin, but a friendly interaction with a helicopter pilot on Tuesday suggests they may be more down to earth than initially portrayed.
Pro: Physical tasks should be a breeze.
Con: Too easily distracted by attractive female competitors.
Odds: 7 to 1

David & Lori
Far and away the most likable couple in the race, nothing seems to frustrate them. This kind of amiable team is a rarity these days on "Race," so let's hope they stick around for awhile.
Pro: Grace under pressure could catapult them into the lead quickly.
Con: Lack of competitive drive.
Odds: 10 to 1

Lake & Michelle
This season's terrible twosome. Embracing just about every stereotype about gender roles in the deep south, Lake is as big a jerk you can get to be without being a career criminal. Fittingly, another team has already nicknamed him "Scott Peterson."
Pro: Extremely self-reliant.
Con: Bickering teams may progress far, but they rarely win.
Odds: 15 to 1

THE LONG SHOTS...

Wanda & Desiree
One of the more likable twosomes this year, it's nice to see a parent/child team that actually gets along well. Let's hope they don't start wearing on each others' nerves.
Pro: Excellent team interaction.
Con: No one to handle physically demanding tasks.
Odds: 20 to 1

Danielle & Dani
By opting for the motorcycle task on Tuesday, these ladies quickly illustrated a tendency to make bad decisions. Worse yet, they seem to be treating the race as their own personal dating service, a strategy that has instantly killed the hopes of every team that has tried it.
Pro: Sex appeal.
Con: Everything else.
Odds: 30 to 1

Lisa & Joni
While their exuberance is endearing, at times it smacks of Ugly American-ism. These two struggled often in Tuesday's premiere, and are already frontrunners for elimination in the race's second leg.
Pro: Good attitudes often carry weak teams farther than expected...
Con: ...but winning takes a lot more than a good attitude.
Odds: 50 to 1

Fran & Barry
When both members of a team repeatedly walk within two feet of a clue box and don't see it, the situation is pretty dire. "Race" producers should be commended for always finding room for sexagenarians on the show, but it's about time they cast an older team that can actually contend.
Pro: After 40 years of marriage, they know their strengths and weaknesses well.
Con: Knowing is only half the battle.
Odds: 100 to 1

ALREADY GONE...

John & Scott
Possibly the least competitive team ever cast on "The Amazing Race." At the very least, let's hope John has finally overcome his fear of flying.

"That show, 'The Amazing Race?' Is that show about white people?"
- Zach Galifianakis

Ever since "Rock Star: INXS" wrapped up its competition last September, my life has been reality show free. That drought will finally end Tuesday night with the return of CBS's "The Amazing Race."

I skipped the last edition of the show, the dreaded "Family" version, because I had little desire to watch parents and children play a watered down version of the game. Thankfully Tuesday will mark a return to normalcy for "Race," with teams once again consisting of just two members.

More importantly, all of the contestants will be adults. Part of me really hopes there are no assholes or religious zealots this time around, but deep down I know that those crazy contestants probably enhance my emotional involvement with the show. After all, if everyone was nice, I wouldn't care as much who won and who lost. But if there have to be jerks, I'd rather they be medium-sized jerks like Colin and Christy rather than over-sized jerks like Jonathan and Victoria.

CBS already has the website up for the new season, including team bios. Rest assured, I'll be posting regularly throughout the show's run.

NBC has yet to officially cancel floundering "Friends" spin-off "Joey," but one of its stars is already making alternate plans for the fall season:

"Joey" co-star Andrea Anders is not waiting for the ax to fall on the NBC sitcom, which is on hiatus and not expected to return for a third season.

Instead, she has joined the cast of CBS' comedy series "The Class."

Smart move. Anders, who played Joey's next-door neighbor and sometimes love interest, was the one consistently good thing about "Joey."

[Yahoo! News] "Joey" co-star jumps ship to CBS comedy

The long overdue finale of "Rock Star: INXS" airs tonight on CBS, which means that by this time tomorrow the band will finally have a "permanent" replacement for it's late front man, Michael Hutchence. Since I've been making predictions for most of the show's run, it's only appropriate that I make public my prediction of who will win tonight.

The only way MiG Ayesa wins is if the show is rigged (i.e., the band selected him before the contest even began). If that's the case, then all parties involved did a horrible job of promoting this guy to anyone other than Australians. MiG would be a horrible fit for INXS. His two strongest areas of comfort appear to be vocal theatrics and sappy love songs, two things not normally associated with INXS (thank God). Hopefully the fix isn't in. Assuming it's not, MiG should be going home a loser.

If MiG is too soft, then Marty Casey is just a bit too hard. He never quite seems to have full control of his voice, and when he falters, he alternately resorts to screaming and whining. Throughout the competition, Marty has made a big deal about meeting INXS "half-way" stylistically, but after 25 years of playing together, I find it hard to believe that these guys have any desire to meet halfway with anyone. In addition, I sincerely hope that INXS has paid attention to the way Marty has treated his current bandmates, The Lovehammers, during this competition. For one thing, he seems to have no problem dropping them like a stone in order to get the INXS gig. Yet, he claims in interviews that if he loses, he'll just go back to playing with them. (Why they're waiting around for him, I don't know.) For another thing, he used one of the Lovehammers' own original songs, "Trees," as a major part of his quest to leave them behind. This ensures that the song will forever be associated with Marty Casey alone rather than with The Lovehammers as a band. Loyalty is not this guy's forte. Surely the members of INXS will recognize all this and send Marty home a loser.

That leaves J.D. Fortune. I've consistently pointed out that this guy doesn't have a very strong singing voice. But when a song falls within his comfort zone, he usually nails it. Fortunately for him, that comfort zone overlaps quite a bit with INXS's. Sure, he sounded awful singing "We Are the Champions" several weeks ago, but that wasn't exactly INXS territory anyway. Of the remaining contestants, J.D. is the only one who really knows how to work a crowd, both during songs and between them. Simply put, he's the only real "rock star" left. That's not to say he doesn't have serious issues. Apart from his limited vocal range, his personality is a bit abrasive, and he has a tendency to be manipulative and dishonest. But if this competition really is about finding the best fit for INXS, J.D. has to be the best guy for the job. Or at least the best guy left.

Predictions...

Winner:

Eliminated:

The "Rock Star" Graveyard...