Upcoming Reality shows in 2008

Big Brother 9 (premieres Tuesday, February 12 at 9PM ET/PT on CBS)
Thanks to the writers strike, this long-running CBS reality series will — for the first time ever — air a non-summer edition. The show will once again air thrice weekly, and since it’s making Big Brother history by being broadcast in the spring, the show’s producers are promising it will be different and stand-out from any previous installment. Also expect a heated swimming pool and any contrived scenario that might maximize bikini use during the “chilly” Los Angeles winter.

Survivor 16 (premieres Thursday, February 7 at 8PM ET/PT on CBS)
Although CBS still isn’t confirming that Survivor’s next edition will feature another group of returning “all-stars” castaways, it sure does seem to be shaping up that way — especially when you consider the lame Survivor 16 title CBS has initially given the show.

Paradise Hotel 2 (premieres Monday, February 4 at 9PM ET/PT on MyNetworkTV, and with a TV-MA version at 1AM ET on Fox Reality Channel)
This sleazy Big Brother-like reality series is back after more than four years off the air, featuring a mix of 11 male and female singles living, playing and hooking-up with one another in a secluded resort for the chance to win a cash prize. Whether or not the participants’ experiences can be considered “paradise” remains to be seen, however home viewers following their exploits should find it entertaining.

American Idol (premieres on Tuesday, January 15 and Wednesday, January 16, with both two-hour broadcasts beginning at 8PM ET/PT on Fox)
Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson have gushed that the seventh-season of this Fox mega-hit will include some of the best talent ever to grace the Idol stage — and no, that doesn’t mean Fox has decided to replace Ryan Seacrest — although if the strike doesn’t end by the time the show’s semifinals begin, viewers will presumably get to see how charming and funny he really is without the aid of writers. (For the record, Dancing with the Stars host Tom Bergeron seemed to handle it just fine.)

The Biggest Loser 5 (premieres Tuesday, January 1 at 8PM ET/PT on NBC)
So much for building anticipation, as NBC will debut the fifth season of this weight-loss reality series exactly two weeks following its fourth-season finale. Contestants trying to shed the pounds will be competing while paired in teams with somebody they have a pre-existing relationship with — and they’ll have to do so without former Red Team trainer Kim Lyons — who replaced Jillian Michaels prior to the third season only to be replaced by Michaels prior to the fifth season.

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