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Reality Television News > New Year with a new crop of reality shows


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2 Jan 2008

They come armed with star power (however dimming), bravado and a
favorite charity. They aim to put it all to work as "The Celebrity
Apprentice" premieres with its all-star celebrity lineup of
candidates.

On this new twist on the "Apprentice," now in its seventh season, the
14 contenders will be competing in business-oriented tasks around New
York to raise money for their pet charities, with the final winner
being crowned "Celebrity Apprentice" and delivering a $250,000 bonus
check to his or her favorite cause.

As usual, the tasks will be judged in the boardroom by Trump and his
advisers, who include Trump's children (and colleagues) Ivanka and
Donald Trump Jr., alongside Trump Organization veteran George Ross.

The celebrity contestants include: country music star Trace Adkins,
model-actress Carol Alt, actor-writer Stephen Baldwin, Olympic gold-
medalist Nadia Comaneci, former Playboy Playmate of the Year Tiffany
Fallon, Olympic gold medalist Jennie Finch and media magnate Nely
Galan.

Also, actress-writer Marilu Henner, heavyweight boxing champ Lennox
Lewis, former "Apprentice" star Omarosa, TV personality-writer Piers
Morgan, Ultimate Fighting Champion Tito Ortiz, former "Sopranos"
regular Vincent Pastore, and rock star-personality Gene Simmons.

"The Celebrity Apprentice" premieres Thursday at 9 p.m. EST on NBC.

Other shows to look out for:

Time for another diet of "The Biggest Loser," the reality show that
challenges overweight contestants to shed pounds through a
comprehensive, safe program of diet and exercise, as they compete for
a grand prize of $250,000. Same menu, but this, the fifth season,
comes in a new flavor. Ten pairs of competitors - including a mother
and son, husband and wife, best friends, brothers, a divorced couple,
and two strangers - will be playing not only for themselves, but also
for their respective teammates. Alison Sweeney (NBC's "Days of our
Lives") is host, and contestants work out under the supervision of
professional trainers Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels. The two-hour
premiere airs Tuesday at 8 p.m. on NBC.

You gotta give it extra credit for the title: "How to Look Good
Naked." This Lifetime reality series sets out to demonstrate that -
without shedding (or gaining) - a pound, all women are beautiful,
regardless of their shape or size. With the wildly encouraging Carson
Kressley ("Queer Eye for the Straight Guy") on the case, women are
taught to go from self-loathing to self-loving without interventions
like extreme dieting or cosmetic surgery. During each half-hour,
Kressley guides a woman through a variety of activities, such as
learning to dress appropriately for her body type, choosing the
correct undergarments and understanding the right way to style her
hair and makeup. Can he succeed in helping her true self come
through? Find out when the series premieres at 9 p.m. Friday. Then at
9:30, meet Matt Titus, billed as New York's premiere professional
relationship expert, on the premiere of "Matched in Manhattan." Then
meet elite party planners on the premieres of "Top This Party: Orange
County" (10 p.m.) and "Top This Party: Las Vegas" (10:30).

When a mysterious force weakens "The Core" (enabling communication
among the animals of Animalia), youngsters Alex and Joe and their
Animalian friends embark on a journey to restore stability to the
land. This marks the start of "Animalia," a new weekly series on PBS
Kids Go! targeted at 6- to 9-year-old viewers. As they will discover
along with Alex and Joe, this spectacular land is populated with
talking animals: zebras in zeppelins, hogs on bikes, mice delivering
news bulletins on butterflies' wings, as well as dragons, unicorns
and elephants. Based on the best-selling book by Graeme Base, this
fantasy-adventure series employs whimsical creatures and 3-D computer
animation to tell stories that reinforce language and communication
skills. It premieres Saturday on PBS.

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