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Reality TV: Fall season
Friday, August 29, 2008

September will bring a new bunch of reality shows for the fall season. Here's a look at what's coming up next month on network and cable TV.

"America's Next Top Model 11," Sept. 3, 8 p.m., the CW.

Tyra Banks is back with a new bevy of beauties for the two-hour, cycle 11 premiere of "Top Model." Fourteen model-hopefuls, including many students and just one go-go dancer, will claw their way to the front of the catwalk for $100,000 and a CoverGirl contract. Judges J. Alexander, Nigel Barker and Paulina Porizkova return. This season's international destination is Amsterdam.

"Top Design 2," Sept. 3, 10 p.m., Bravo.

Thirteen interior designers will compete for $100,000 and a spread in Elle Decor magazine on season two of "Top Design." Season one host Todd Oldham returns, but now as the designers' mentor. India Hicks is the new host, and Jonathan Adler, Kelly Wearstler and Margaret Russell return as judges. Keep your eye on 30-year-old contestant Eddie, who grew up in Greenwich.

"Kitchen Nightmares," Sept. 4, 8 p.m., Fox.

Brash British chef Gordon Ramsay returns for season two of "Kitchen Nightmares,"hitting the road in search of failing restaurants. He'll help clean up and revamp kitchens across America, and rumor has it, a local Italian place is in this season's mix.

"The Rachel Zoe Project," Sept. 9, 10 p.m., Bravo.

Celebrity stylist Rachel Zoe and her team of fashionistas manage her busy life full of starlets, fashion shows and deadlines on this new Bravo series.

"Hole in the Wall," Sept. 11, 8 p.m., Fox.

Another Japanese game show hit comes to America's airwaves. In this remake stunt show, duos must contort their bodies to fit through moving walls with various cut-out body shapes. If the teammates don't quickly twist and turn the right way, they're knocked into a pool of water.

"The Biggest Loser: Families," Sept. 16, 8 p.m., NBC.

Allison Sweeney returns as host, as well as Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels as trainers, for season six. The latest edition of the show will focus on families competing to see who loses the most weight for a $250,000 prize.

"Survivor: Gabon," Sept. 18, 8 p.m., CBS

Season 17 of the CBS series will feature 18 castaways as they outwit, outplay and outlast each other in "Earth's last Eden" - equatorial Africa. Finally, "Survivor" will be broadcast in high-definition, which means the wild animalsand Atlantic coast will look awesome, while the castaways will look even more disgusting after weeks without a shower. According to the Associated Press, host Jeff Probst said unwanted wild animals intruding in filming areas slowed the show's preproduction. Eek!

"In Harm's Way," Sept. 21, 7 p.m., the CW.

This new series features the lives of people with dangerous jobs, including war photographers, oil well cappers, Coast Guard divers and mine sweepers. Why do I think this show will be a bit more "real" than NBC's "America's Toughest Jobs"? "In Harm's Way" moves to Sundays at 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 2.

"Dancing with the Stars 7," Sept. 22, 8 p.m., ABC.

Those dancing feet are back! Season seven contestants include singers Lance Bass and Toni Braxton; Hollywood starlet and reality star Kim Kardashian; Olympians Maurice Greene and Misty May-Treanor; Oscar-winning actress Cloris Leachman; "All My Children" star Susan Lucci; NFL star Warren Sapp; and TV chef Rocco DiSpirito.

"Opportunity Knocks," Sept. 23, 8 p.m., ABC.

Weekly game night goes wild as host JD Roth knocks on one American family's door to surprise them with an impromptu game show. The game's topic? The family. The audience? Their friends, family and neighbors. If the family members know enough trivia about each other and their home, they could win hundreds of thousands of dollars and life-changing prizes sitting in a truck outside their house.

"The Amazing Race 13," Sept. 28, 8 p.m., CBS.

The globe-trotting, five-time Emmy Award-winning hit returns for season 13. Teams of two people with existing relationships will race around the world for the $1 million prize. According to an Entertainment Weekly interview with "Race" producer Bertram van Munster, this installment will feature nearly 40,000 miles of travel through countries such as Cambodia, Bolivia and Russia, and feature a pair of in-debt, 20-something, recent divorcees; and a 60-something hippie couple from Oregon. If you're not watching "Race," you're missing out. It's the best reality show on TV.

"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," Sept. 29, 7 p.m., ABC.

The Emmy Award-winning tearjerker home (and life) improvement show returns for season six. A team of designers, carpenters, builders and volunteers revamps a deserving family's home and property throughout seven days, surprising them with everything from new appliances to custom-made features to a special, secret room, which host Ty Pennington shows off during the final, often emotional, reveal.

First published on August 29, 2008 at 10:03 am