Hot Ones

What happens if you hybridize The Amazing Race and Top Chef? There are two possible answers: "nothing good" and "Around The World in 80 Plates". And you know, both of them are true. But, please, don't get us wrong. It's not just another Bravo's disastrous TV show; it's just a cooking reality show, which is not about the cooking. How is it possible? With ease, here we have to lift the curtain off the series' plot. First of all, you have to imagine three clueless chefs walking down the streets of London, doing the classic "pub crawl" and pretending the "drunk Americans". It's pathetic scene, you know. But who are those unfortunate souls? Meet Keven Lee, or how he calls himself Cheven (mix of Chef and Kevin). He represents one of the endangered species of Hollywood private chefs. The next one is Chazz, his real name Chaz Brown from Voorhees, New Jersey, who is repeatedly semi-shocking us with his British accent, that's why it would be better if he kept silence all the show long. Our list would not be completed if we haven't mentioned the Tex-Mex half-naked chief Sai Pituk from Texas, who surprisingly said the she cooks Asian cuisine only. There are another nine contestants participating, that makes total twelve. The television show is divided into two parts. In the first part all of the participants are performing something like scavenger hunt in the uncommon environment of foreign culinary culture (you have to ideate the picture of dozen Americans wander the rows of Borough market; it's must be funny, isn't it?). In the second part of each episode the contestants have to cook (finally!) the local dishes which their tasted in the first part, and as a bisque, the winning team (those who won the "scavenger hunt") gets one secret ingredient, which will be in great help in the "cooking" part. That is most amusing part of the "Around The World in 80 Plates" because judges are the locals, and you should see their faces when they taste black pudding hash cooked by Americans.

"Special Forces: World's Toughest Test" is a television series that follows a group of civilians as they attempt to undergo the grueling selection process to become members of various Special Forces units around the world. The show features individuals from different backgrounds and fitness levels who are put through a series of physical and mental challenges that test their endurance, strength, and strategic thinking. The selection process is designed to push candidates to their limits and see how they respond under pressure.

Ever since Candid Camera way back in TV show history there has been a wicked delight in watching ordinary people be caught up in pranks that wind up being out loud laughably funny. Shows such as Totally Hidden Video, TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes, Pranked, and Punk'd have each had something in common and that was to watch as ordinary people who do ordinary things can be extremely funny when things don't go just quite right. Betty White takes that brand of humor to another level when her crew of blue haired senior citizens turn the tables on much younger people. They play pranks on the young resilient generation and show they still have a broad sense of humor too. Starring and hosted by the venerable 90 year old Betty White who has seen her career blossom and her life become increasingly busy recently gives us the chance to laugh out loud at ourselves through the cameras provided by NBC. If the younger set were to play practical jokes on the seniors the show would lose much of its humor but in this case the senior citizens prevail. Also on Betty White's Off Their Rockers are Madison Dylan (Entourage, Accidentally on Purpose), Elizabeth Carlisle (Pretty Little Liars, Parenthood), Reatha Grey (Baby Boom, The Fabulous Baker Boys), and Ann Benson (A Little Push, Patrick Carman's Dark Eden).

Cooking shows are hot on television now days, creating serious competition among the celebrity cooks as well as prospective winners in various formats on TV. MasterChef features the likes of Gordon Ramsay (Hell's Kitchen, Kitchen Nightmares) along side Joe Bastianich (restaurateur/vineyard owner), and Graham Elliot (chef/restaurant owner) as judges who oversee the contestants who come from a wide assortment of occupations including housewives, doctors, lawyers, private chefs, realtors, and travel writers. From what appears to be a huge crowd in the initial tryouts they whittle the prospects down to 100, then down to 38 or so and put them all to the test. With each contestant offering their "signature" dish to the judges, the competition begins and so does elimination, one by one. It is amazingly difficult to please all three judges as they are diverse in their likes and taste preferences, and the pressure is on to perform and show they have a talent for cooking. The coveted crown of MasterChef will be given to whomever can best please the judges and keep their head about them in the heat of the kitchen.

Those who love to get that fuzzy and warm all over feeling while watching the Home Edition of Extreme Home Makeover will surely appreciate the latest concept in trivia game shows called You Deserve It! The show's premise is that the contestant is not trying to win big bucks or great prizes for themselves but rather for someone they care about, someone who deserves a reward. The true winners in this game show may well be us, the viewing audience! The Pay it Forward concept has become a movement lately with people paying off lay away bills for complete strangers and many more than usual buying gifts for children and adults who would otherwise have a bleak holiday season. This trivia game show finds one contestant per show answering trivial but challenging questions and their reward is making someone else happy. The contestant has chosen a recipient based on their needs. The first episode finds a young woman named Stacey who plays the game hoping to win money for her best friend. The friend, a mother of two, has recently lost her husband. This selfless act of kindness can bring us all to tears as we watch her win for her deserving friend. Not just another game show but rather an uplifting emotional study in human nature.

House of Ho is a reality TV show on HBO Max that focuses on the lives of a Vietnamese American family in Houston. The show premiered in December 2020 and has been renewed for a second season, which was released in August 2022. The cast includes Binh Ho, Hue Ho, Judy Ho, Lesley Ho, Washington Ho, Aunt Tina, Cousin Sammy, and several other individuals.