tv meme, day 11: a show that disappointed you

Probably the best reality competition show you're likely to find (maybe not worthy of every single Emmy, but still good nonetheless), The Amazing Race from its start proved to be a great way to spend a Wednesday night. I mean, where are you going to find a show with such real and raw intensity and excitement as real people racing around the globe? I was assuredly an avid watcher for the first seven seasons. And then season 8 came along...

Now the idea of having racing pairs doubled to groups of four seems like it could create some interesting television drama. The big problem with the season 8 edition was that it took family members in groups of four and had them, as opposed to racing around the world to exotic, often unseen locations, racing around the United States to places like Utah, New Jersey, and, for some real international excitement, Canada. The show had lost all of its other-worldly challenges (which are half the fun anyway) and, since children were involved, the roadblocks and detours were dumbed down to child's play. No dangerous cliff diving or ice-water plunges here, folks. This installment turned me off so much, in fact, that I've never returned to the show since, despite my love and affection for seasons 1 thru 7.