12 Things That I’m Looking Forward To In September

Posted on September 1, 2022 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Welcome to the month of September! Here are twelve things to which I am looking forward!

October — Let’s just admit it. Around these parts, the best thing about September is that it leads to October and TSL’s annual month of Horror! It’s not just that I spend September looking forward to Halloween. It’s also that I spend September selecting and watching all of the horror movies and reading all the books that I’m going to review in October! There’s nothing more fun that watching all the pieces that make up the jigsaw puzzle that is October fall into place.
Labor Day — How can you not be excited by our most confusing holiday? Not only does it involve a long weekend and a chance to see family but it also officially signals the end of wearing white. Plus, Labor Day is the official start of campaign season and this year, I’m actually paying attention to the midterms.
After Ever Happy — The After saga comes to a close. Will the world’s most boring couple manage to stick together? Will that pretentious British dude ever stop feeling sorry for himself? Will the American girl finally realize that she doesn’t have much of a personality beyond whoever she happens to be dating at the moment? And how foolish will people on Twitter act over this movie? The previous After films all made my list for the worst films of the year in which they were released. Will After Ever Happy keep the streak alive?
Pinocchio — It’s easy to be cynical about remakes but the trailers look adorable!
Blonde — Finally, after all the hype about the NC-17 rating, we’ll get to see Blonde for ourselves! That said, it is kind of funny the Blonde was rated NC-17 but it’s going to be showing on Netflix, which anyone can watch whenever they feel like it. Is Netflix going to be like, “Hey, if you’re not 17, stop watching right now!?” In the streaming era, ratings feel like a left-over relic from the past.
Don’t Worry, Darling — Much like Blonde, we’ll finally get to see what all the controversy is about. Personally, I kind of suspect this film will be overshadowed by all the personal stuff involving Olivia Wilde, Harry Styles, Shia, Florence, and that Ted Lasso guy.
A Jazzman’s Blues — Has Tyler Perry finally made a good film? We’ll find out soon.
The Venice and Toronto Film Festivals — The Venice festival has just begun. Toronto will start next week. And the Oscar picture will suddenly become much clearer.
The Return of Ghosts — The second season of Ghosts begins on the 29th!
The End of Big Brother — This season hasn’t been as bad as other seasons but it’s still getting a bit exhausting and I’m glad that it will be wrapping itself up in another few weeks. I’m also looking forward to the end of The Bachelorettes but I have to admit that the show pretty much ended for me the minute that Meatball didn’t get a rose.
New Seasons of Survivor and The Amazing Race — Yay!
Retro Television Reviews — This is a new feature here at TSL. I’ll be launching it tonight, around 5:30 central time. Keep an eye out!

What are you looking forward to in September?

Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 8/21/22 — 8/27/22

Posted on August 27, 2022 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Again, this week was mostly about getting ready for October. Here’s a few thoughts on what I did watch:

Allo Allo (Sunday Night, PBS)

Once again, Rene was mistaken for dead. He even attended his own funeral, while disguised as Officer Crabtree. Crabtree, of course, retired to Madame Fanny’s old bedroom, which led to all sorts of chaos when Fanny showed up. It was, needless to say, a crazy time in Nouvion.

The Bachelorette (Monday Night, ABC)

Hometown dates! Who cares? Meatball’s not on the show anymore. Gabby appears to be heading for another heartbreak while Rachel just can’t catch a break. First, hardly any of the men wanted to date her. Then, Tino’s family decided that they all hated her. This is a messy season and it’s hard not to feel that it’s not going to end well for either one of the Bachelorettes. Next week’s Men Tell All should be interesting and hopefully, Meatball will make a case for why he should be be the next Bachelor.

Big Brother (Everyday, CBS and Paramount+)

I’ve been writing about this season over at the Big Brother Blog! This season was going well until production came up with one of the worst twists in the history of the show. Jasmine and Joseph are both gone. Jasmine lost her fake limp and her fake accent when she was evicted. For all the excitement over the Leftovers building a strong and positive alliance, it now appears that the show could very well be won by yet another unlikable showmance. Do these words make sense to anyone who doesn’t watch Big Brother?

The Challenge (Wednesday Night, CBS)

Bye, Leo. I’m still predicting a Tyson victory.

Full House (Sunday Evening, MeTV)

The first of Sunday’s episodes found DJ requesting that she finally be given a room of her own, which was a totally justifiable request considering how much older she was than her sisters and that Michelle, for some reason, had an entire room to herself while DJ was expected to share with Stephanie. While DJ prepared to move and Stephanie dealt with feeling rejected, Becky and Jesse went to childbirth class, which was being held in the living room for some reason. Becky got mad at Jesse because Jesse was being insensitive and talking about Elvis. I assume they resolved the issue. The second episode featured Danny freaking out because DJ was growing up and getting interested in boys and asking him to respect her privacy. They worked it out.

Inspector Lewis (YouTube)

On the episode that I watched on Tuesday, David Soul played the murder victim. Hathaway solved the mystery while Lewis dealt with a toothache.

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (Hulu)

On Wednesday, I watched “Conscience,” an episode from season 6 of NBC’s long-running legal show. Kyle MacLachlan gave an intense performance as a man on trial for shooting and killing the 13 year-old who had previously murdered his son. It was a good episode, thought-provoking and well-written. It was an example of what the Law & Order franchise used to be like.

On Saturday, I watched a second episode from season 6. In “Doubt,” Benson and Stabler found themselves dealing with a case in which a woman accused her teacher of raping her. The teacher insisted it was consensual rough sex. The episode ended before the verdict was read, leaving it to the audience to try to decide who was telling the truth.

Mike Judge’s Beavis and Butt-Head (Paramount+)

This week’s episode started with Butt-Head getting prescribed a new, grape-flavored medication that caused him to become so nice that Beavis freaked out. Perhaps the funniest part of this segment was Butt-Head asking Mr. Van Driessen to lunch and then listening attentively while Van Driessen talk about the teacher’s union. The second part of the episode featured the return of Smart Beavis and Smart Butt-Head, who provided us with a look at a universe where Beavis and Butt-Head were middle-aged. Butt-Head was obese and could barely walk. Beavis was an alcoholic with broken teeth. It was realistic and kind of depressing. However, it’s always nice to Smart Beavis and Smart Butt-Head. “Very droll, yes.”

Night Flight (NightFlight+)

This was apparently an old 80s TV show that used to run on the USA network and which took a look at entertainment news. I watched two episodes on Friday, largely as historical research. The first episode dealt with the 1986 Academy Awards and featured a lot clips from the nominees. The second episode was from 1984 and it dealt with music videos that had been deemed too violent to be aired on MTV. The second episode was fun because it claimed to be a serious look at music video violence but instead, that was just an excuse to show the videos. Cecil B. DeMille would be proud.

The Office (Weekday Nights, FaveTV)

I discovered two things this week. Number one, I discovered that there’s a station called FaveTV. Number two, I discovered that they air The Office late at night and early in the morning. I watched two episodes on Wednesday night and Thursday morning. The first featured Michael and Dwight hanging out with Ryan in New York City. Ryan attempted to talk to them about his drug use. Michael started talking about how he couldn’t understand The Wire. Dwight sang an Amish lullaby. The second was the classic episode in which Stanley demanded to know, “Did I stutter!?” This is one of my favorite episodes, both because of the final conversation between Stanley and Michael and for the B-plot of Pam forgetting her contacts. I could relate. Even though I can watch these episodes anytime I want on Peacock and I own the entire series on DVD, it was still kind of fun to watch it on an ordinary channel. It made me feel nostalgic for the day before instant gratification.

Open All Hours (Sunday Night, PBS)

Arkwright continued to cheat his customers while Granville wondered if there was anything more to life beyond being an indentured servant.

Scenes I Love: Have a Happy Day With The Brady Bunch

Posted on August 22, 2022 by Lisa Marie Bowman

I came across this on YouTube yesterday. I’m not really a fan of either Happy Days or The Brady Bunch but put them together and you have …. well, you have this performance from The Brady Bunch Variety Hour.

This is somehow so bad that it actually becomes brilliant. And what a great way to begin the week! These days are ours!

A few things that I noticed about this video:

Supposedly, of all the Bradys, Robert Reed was the most enthusiastic about doing the Variety Show because he always wanted to be on Broadway and this was his chance to sing and dance. Unfortunately, Reed had no experience with either singing or dancing and it’s kind of obvious. But, at the same time, it’s kind of sweet how much he throws himself into it. Plus, he keeps looking at Florence Henderson for encouragement. It makes for a nice moment.

Speaking of trying really hard, Barry Williams was apparently told that he would be the star of the show and that it would help him launch his musical career. It didn’t work, of course. That said, he and Maureen McCormick always seem to really throw themselves into the song. They’re trying really hard. Maybe a little too hard, to be honest. Fake Jan, on the other hand, could really sing and dance.

Finally, Alice appears to be a little …. off. Supposedly, Ann B. Davis was pretty much retired and spending all of her time working as a church secretary when she was contacted about the show. She wasn’t particularly enthused about it but she did it as a favor to “the kids.” My first reaction, when I saw this video, was to assume that she was drugged up before going on stage but, on second viewing, it just seems like she’s trying to get it over with as quickly as possible.

Happy days indeed, I guess.

Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 8/14/22 — 8/20/22

Posted on August 20, 2022 by Lisa Marie Bowman

I came home on Monday and I ended up spending most of the week making plans for our annual October horrorthon. So, I have not watched much. (Well, I have watched a lot of the Big Brother Live Feeds, I will admit to that.) Here’s a few thoughts on what little I did watch this week:

The Bachelorette (ABC, Monday Night)

Eh. Everyone went to Amsterdam and learned about sadomasochism. Considering that they’re voluntarily on a reality show, it would seem that should be something that they all should already know about. Logan was kicked off the show because he failed his COVID test. Gabby not only has better men than Rachel but she also gets to go on more interesting group dates. It’s just not the same without Meatball.

Better Call Saul (AMC, Monday Night)

Better Call Saul came to a close last night with one of the best finales that I’ve ever seen. As someone who spent this entire final season convinced that there was no way that Jimmy/Saul/Gene was going to still be alive at the end of the show, I couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief when it turned out that everyone in prison knew who he was and loved him. It was a great wrap-up and here’s hoping that Bob Odernkirk finally gets his Saul Emmy.

Big Brother (CBS and Paramount+, All The Time)

Well, so much for the Leftovers! They were a fun alliance while it lasted but Kyle would rather get laid than actually win the game. What’s funny is that there’s no way Alyssa is going to be as interested in Kyle once they’re no longer locked in the House together and she actually has other options. This relationship is going to be almost as short as their sex sessions. (“I’m not very good at sex,” Kyle told her, after lasting 45 seconds. KYLE, YOU’RE ON THE LIVE FEEDS, SWEETHEART! YOUR MOM IS PROBABLY WATCHING!)

Thursday’s episode was two hours long and it turned out to be a disaster. I’m assuming that they were originally planning on doing a double eviction on Thursday but, for whatever reasons, they changed their minds at the last minute and basically had use every piece of filler they could find to fill out the time slot. Either way, most Big Brother viewers felt a bit betrayed by production this week.

I’m still writing about the show over at the Big Brother Blog.

The Challenge (CBS, Wednesday Night)

Well, so much for Kyland. With Kyland’s elimination, that means that all of the former members of the Cookout are not out of the Challenge and Alyssa is the last member standing of the Big Brother 23 cast. Myself, I’m hoping that Tyson wins. Why not? He represents an entertaining era of Survivor that I fear may be over now that the show seems to be determined to be “the nice reality show.” Go Tyson!

Inspector Lewis (YouTube)

On Tuesday, I watched another episode of Inspector Lewis. YouTube warned me that this episode was “age-restricted,” which was not a warning that I had ever seen on this show before. Anyway, it turned out that the age-restriction was because Lewis and Hathaway found themselves investigating a series of BSDM-style murders. It was a bit of a sad episode, to be honest. Oxford is a dangerous place.

Mike Judge’s Beavis and Butt-Head (Paramount+)

Oh, poor Beavis! He really does deserve a better best friend. This week’s episode found Beavis actually making a new friend but, unfortunately, the guy turned out to be even more obnoxious (if a bit more articulate) than Butt-Head. Beavis’s frantic efforts to get away from his new friend were hilarious. For that matter, I also laughed when Beavis and Butt-Head ended up getting stuck in a giant glue trap that they had set up to try to catch the racoons that were breaking into their kitchen. How are those two still alive?

Great Moments In Television History #22: Steve Martin’s Saturday Night Live Holiday Wish

Posted on August 14, 2022 by Jedadiah Leland

As Lisa already posted, today is Steve Martin’s birthday.

I think everyone who loves comedy has a favorite Steve Martin moment. A lot of people would cite his performance of King Tut on Saturday Night Live or maybe one of the many skits where he played a wild and crazy guy with Dan Aykroyd. Other remember him as The Jerk or playing Cyrano in Roxanne. I’ve always liked his performance in Bowfinger, in which both he and Eddie Murphy were in top form.

However, if I had to pick my favorite Steve Martin moment, it would be his holiday wish from SNL‘s Christmas ’86 episode. Even though it’s rare that anyone has anything nice to say about Saturday Night Live’s 1986 season, Steve Martin’s Holiday Wish is such a classic that it’s been included in almost every SNL holiday special since it originally aired. Is it too early to share a Christmas wish list? Not when Steve Martin is the one doing the wishing and it’s a great moment in television history!

Previous Moments In Television History:

So, I Watched Girls of Summer (2008, dir. by Max Tash)

Posted on August 14, 2022 by Dazzling Erin

I was looking for a baseball movie to help me get over the Losing Season Rangers Blues.

I settled for a softball movie.

I won’t make that mistake again.

Jake McBride (Tom Pilleri) makes a bet that he can turn a group of models into a championship softball team. The only problem is that none of the models know how to play softball, except for Christine (Sasha Formoso) and Jake’s cousin, Holly (Tarah DeSpain).

Christine and Holly, I liked. Everyone underestimated them because they were girls and they proved all of the boys wrong. Plus, Tarah DeSpain was believable as an athlete. Those were the only characters that I liked. None of the other models had any personality and Jake was a jerk even when he was doing the right thing. Who is dumb enough to bet that much money on a softball game? The humor was frat boy humor and the movie looked like it was filmed on someone’s phone. A League of their Own, this was not.

Girls of Summer did not make me feel better about the Rangers currently being 50-63 for the season. In fact, it made me feel even worse because, as bad as the model were, they at least had a winning season. But then I remembered that the Athletics were 41-73 and I felt better. One good thing about the AL West is that, even when the Rangers aren’t having their best season, there’s usually at least one other team doing worse. Go Rangers!

Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 8/7/22 — 8/13/22

Posted on August 13, 2022 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Being up at the lake this week, I haven’t watched a lot but here’s a few thoughts nonetheless.

Allo Allo (Sunday Night, PBS)

Allo Allo was a bit weird this week and I think it’s because Sunday’s episode was the first episode of the show’s final season. Watching it, it was pretty obvious that the show’s writers and directors had run out of new ways to hide the painting and, for the first time, the show felt like it was kind of going through the motions. Apparently, the show’s star, Gorden Kaye, was in a very serious car accident before the 9th series was filmed and, when the episode started with Rene’s traditional recap, I couldn’t help but notice the very prominent scar on his forehead.

As for the episode, everyone in Nouvion knows that the Allies will be invading at any minute. The Resistance is awaiting liberation. The Germans are making plans to flee. (And, because Richard Gibson declined to return to the role, Herr Flick has had plastic surgery.) Officer Crabtree still cannot speak French. And Rene has been abducted by the communist resistance.

The Bachelorette (Monday Night, ABC)

The dates in Bruges were wonderfully romantic and I loved the fireworks display that ended Aven and Rachel’s date. But then it was time for the Rose Ceremony and …. Boooooo! Meatball did not get a rose. I’m over this season.

Better Call Saul (Monday Night, AMC)

This week, Bob Odenkirk and Carol Burnett proved themselves to be dramatic powerhouses. With Kim telling Jimmy to turn himself in and Howard’s wife now having the true details of Howard’s downfall, it’s slightly frightening to think of where this is all going to end up leading. There’s only one episode left and I’ve pretty much given up on Jimmy/Saul/Gene getting a happy ending out of this.

Big Brother (All Week, CBS and Paramount+)

Seeing Daniel, one of the most annoying houseguests in the history of the show, get voted out really made my week. For those of us who are still angry over the way the show catered to bullies like Paul during season 19 and Jackson during season 21, this latest season of Big Brother has been cathartic. I’ve actually been enjoying writing about it over at the Big Brother Blog.

The Challenge (Wednesday Night, CBS)

Derek X. became the latest cast member of Big Brother 23 to get eliminated from the show. For all the talk about how strong the cast of Big Brother 23 was, they kind of suck at The Challenge.

Full House (Sunday Evening, MeTV)

The first episode featured Michelle graduating from preschool. Jesse took it upon himself to turn Michelle and her classmates into a band called …. I am not kidding — Jesse’s Little Rippers. They performed a horrific rendition of Twist and Shout. Could no one tell Jesse that not everything was about him and his lameass band? The second episode featured Aunt Becky discovering she was pregnant and worrying that this might make it difficult for Jesse to go on tour with the Rippers and …. well, I’m not going to repeat myself. Seriously, everyone deserved better.

Inspector Lewis (YouTube)

A gossip website led to multiple murders in Oxford. Lewis was stunned to discover the Internet could be such a dangerous place. Hathaway towered over everyone else on the show.

Mike Judge’s Beavis and Butthead (Paramount Plus)

Beavis and Butthead nearly died twice in the latest episode of their show. First, they got trapped on a roof. Then they got trapped on a piece of wood that sailed out to sea. Actually, they were still stranded when the show ended so they might be dead now. That’d be a shame. They really don’t seem to mean as much harm as they cause.

Open All Hours (Sunday Night, PBS)

Granville painted something silly on the window of the shop so Arkwright beat him up in the stockroom. Then the milk delivery came by and Nurse Gladys Emmanuel pulled up in a hearse or something. I don’t know, it was a weird episode.

Artwork of the Day: Sports Action (by Chester Bloom)

Posted on August 12, 2022 by Dazzling Erin

by Chester Bloom

Happy Baseball Fans Day!

Two Looks at the Office: The Office: The Untold Story of the Greatest Sitcom of the 2000s: An Oral History by Andy Greene and Welcome to Dunder Mifflin: The Ultimate Oral History of The Office by Brian Baumgartner and Ben Silverman

Posted on August 10, 2022 by Lisa Marie Bowman

The American version of The Office was so good that it has led to not one but two oral histories! And I’m such a fan that I’ve got both of them.

The first oral history that I read was Andy Greene’s The Office: The Untold Story of the Greatest Sitcom of the 2000s. First published in 2020, Greene’s book was full of interesting facts and anecdotes, though a careful reading revealed that a lot of the “oral” part of the oral history was lifted from old interviews, DVD commentaries, and an article that Greene had previously written. The book was notable for 1) establishing that Steve Carell is one of the nicest guys in show business, 2) putting the blame squarely on Jeff Zuker for Carell not returning after Season 7, and 3) getting some of the behind-the-scenes people to talk about why seasons 8 and, to a lesser extent, season 9 were so uneven.

The other oral history, which was published earlier this year, was Welcome to Dunder Mifflin. It was written by Brian Baumgartner (who played Kevin Malone on the show) and Ben Silverman, one of the show’s producers. Probably because Baumgartner and Silverman were both involved in the show, they apparently were able to get a lot more people to talk to them personally. Unlike Greene’s book, which relied heavily on previously published interviews, Welcome to Dunder Mifflin features recent interviews with people like Steve Carell, Jenna Fischer, John Krasinski, Rainn Wilson, Angela Kinsey, Craig Robinson, Ed Helms, Amy Ryan and many others. In fact, nearly the entire cast seems to have been interviewed for Welcome to Dunder Mifflin. Presumably because their schedules wouldn’t allow it, neither BJ Novak or Mindy Kaling are interviewed and their absence is definitely felt. Also not interviewed is James Spader but that’s not really a surprise. (Spader played Robert California during the season of The Office that everyone seems to agree was the worst, Season 8.) While everyone in both of the oral histories is quick to compliment Spader as an actor and a person, there’s a general agreement that the show never figured out what to do with the Robert California character and that Spader’s vibe didn’t quite meld with the show. One gets the feeling that his time on The Office is something that Spader is more than happy to put behind him.

(Personally, of all the celebrities who were brought in to “interview” for the management position after Steve Carell left the show, I thought Ray Romano was the one who seemed like he would best fit in with the show’s ensemble. Then again, I always felt that the best solution would have been to cast some total unknown for as Michael’s replacement and then keep him off-screen as much as possible. But I’m getting distracted. Someday, I’ll post my big ‘What the Office Should Have Done’ screed. Of course, it’ll be like 20 years too late but whatever….)

The books are both full of love for The Office but they each take a somewhat different approach. The Untold Story takes a very structured and very chronological look at the show and focuses a lot on what went on behind the scenes, both on set and with the network. (If you didn’t already dislike Jeff Zucker, you will after reading Greene’s book.) Welcome to Dunder Mifflin takes a far looser approach to the material and focuses more on what it was like to be a part of television’s funniest ensemble. Welcome to Dunder Mifflin is full of interviews of people gushing about how much they loved working together and how proud they were to work on The Office and what’s interesting is that, even though you’re just reading their words on the printed page, you never doubt that they’re totally telling the truth. Perhaps because it was Baumgartner who was doing the interview, the cast seems to let down their guard in a way that you really don’t see very often when it comes to performers talking about their time on a classic show.

Welcome to Dunder Mifflin focuses on the positive aspects of being on the show. Whereas The Untold Story spends a lot of times on Seasons 8 and 9 and on the difficulty of integrating James Spader and Catherine Tate into the main cast, Welcome to Dunder Mifflin devotes only a few pages to those seasons and instead focuses on the Carell years. One thing that both of these oral histories have in common is that Steve Carell comes across as being the nicest guy who ever lived. How nice is Steve Carell? I’d rather live next door to him than Tom Hanks. Actually, I take that back. I would want Carell next door and Tom Hanks living across the street. It’s a big neighborhood.

Both of these oral histories nicely compliment each other. If you want a chronological history of the show, Greene’s book is for you. If you want a book that focuses on what it felt like to be a member of The Office crew, Welcome to Dunder Mifflin has you covered. I would recommend buying both and getting the full Office experience.

And remember, there’s no party like a Scranton party.

Book Review: “My Ox is Broken!” Roadblocks, Detours, Fast Forwards and Other Great Moments from Tv’s ‘the Amazing Race’ by Adam-Troy Castro

Posted on August 8, 2022 by Lisa Marie Bowman

I will be the first to admit that I probably watch too much reality television.

Of course, I will also defend myself by saying that I don’t watch as much as I used to. I limit myself now. The Bachelor, the Bachelorette, and Bachelor In Paradise are the only dating shows that I still watch and I have to admit that I find them less and less interesting with each passing season. (Some of that, to be honest, is because I cringe whenever I see people talking about the “Bachelor Nation.” Just because I watch the same show as you doesn’t mean that I want to come over to your house and watch you get drunk on box wine.) I still watch Survivor but I have yet to watch any episodes of the Hulu Kardashian show. The only reason that I recently watched Selling Sunset was because I was checking out the shows that had been submitted to the Emmys. I haven’t really been emotionally involved with Big Brother for a while now, though I do still write about it because I love my readers.

That said, I still absolutely love The Amazing Race and I make no apologies for that.

The premise behind The Amazing Race has always been a simple one. Teams of two are sent on a race around the world. During each leg of the race, they have to complete tasks before they can continue on their journey. At the end of each leg is a pit stop. Finish first and you’ll get a prize. Finish last and you’ll probably be eliminated from the race. Each season has featured little tweaks to the formula but the basics have always remained the same, which is one reason why The Amazing Race‘s fans have remained loyal to it for over 22 years.

What is the appeal of The Amazing Race? It’s more than just seeing who wins and who loses. It’s seeing how the teams, who always start out very confident, handle being outside of their comfort zone. I’ve lost track of how many athletic, cocky teams were eliminated from the race because they failed to properly communicate with their taxi driver. How many teams have gone from being in first place to being dead last just because their flight was delayed? The most recent season of the Amazing Race was actually put on hold due to COVID quarantines. Filming stopped in 2020 and then resumed over a year later, with the remaining teams returning to their last pit stop. The Amazing Race is unpredictable and it takes exactly the right mix of athleticism, intelligence, confidence, and luck to survive it. The Amazing Race is about skill and communicating and seeing the world and I absolutely love it. A good deal of the Race’s popularity is also due to host Phil Keoghan, who actually seems to be sincerely invested in the racers and their journey. That’s quiet a contrast to most reality competition hosts. Just as snarky Jeff Probst was the perfect host for Survivor (or, at least, he was before he decided to get all weepy and sincere these past few seasons), Phil Keoghan is the perfect host for The Amazing Race.

My Ox is Broken! is a perfect companion to The Amazing Race. Admittedly, the book was published in 2006 and, as a result, it only covers the first 9 seasons of the Race. But those were some truly great seasons and reading the book today is a wonderful way to relive the excitement of Rob and Amber going from dominating Survivor to nearly winning The Amazing Race, Colin and Christie narrowly losing the fifth season, and the dysfunctional couples who made up the sixth season. Author Adam-Troy Castro takes a look at everything that made those first 9 seasons so much fun and he’s also honest about the show’s occasional missteps. Full of recaps, interviews, and lists (you know how much I love lists!), this book is an essential for anyone who loves the Race.