What really differentiates CBS reality TV is that word "Quality". Most other networks seem to think of the genre in an exploitive way and go for cheap thrills and cheaper production but CBS kicked off the reality craze by red-lighting producers that wanted to produce compelling reality dramas that have more to do with a study of sociology and strategy than trying to attract the voyeur and the lowest common denominator (Temptation Island anyone?).

I readily admit I'm addicted to all three of CBS's hit reality shows and look forward to each season with excitement. Part of it for me is the competition involved in each of these shows but a bigger part is the study of human behavior. Within the first few episodes you always have the heroes and villains, that's human nature and you spend the rest of the season rooting for your favorite hero and watching the real drama unfold each week.

While Survivor will always be my favorite, The Amazing Race comes in high on my list as well. I'm a relative new comer to the show, I first started watching last season with the family edition but within the first episode I was hooked. It was a bit like Survivor in the strategy and competition and you definitely had heroes and villains! Halfway through the season I grew to detest the phony "Christian" family from Florida. Every other word out of their mouth was Jesus this and Jesus that, which is fine but the Jesus phrases were always followed by the big contradictions where they bad mouthed all of the other teams. Hardly Christian behavior and they kept wondering why everyone hated them. I am far from an anti-Christian but phoney ones are a big turn off and besides I think Jesus has better things to do then help you win a contest, so stop praying for him do so! Ultimately one of my favorite teams won, so I was happy.

Now the premier of the new season is just a few days away and I'm getting excited again, wondering which team will be the heroes I'll root for and which will be the villains I'll root against. You never know until the show airs. I thought I was going to get a sneak peak when CBS sent our editor a screener for this season. I got really excited when he told me but was a bit bummed when the tape arrived and it was in Beta format. I guess the format is still standard with TV (thank God 8-tracks are not sent out for album reviews!) but try as I might to trackdown someone with a betamax machine and I had no luck. So instead of having a proper review of the new season you are being treated to my ramblings. Despite the disappointment at not getting my preview and writing a proper review, I can wait a couple more weeks like the other millions that make up the shows fanbase.

Here is what I do know about this upcoming season. It will kick off with a 2 hour premier at 9:00 PM EST/PST on Tuesday February 28th. This season the show returns to the two member team format and will once again be a global race with the teams visiting five continents in hopes of winning the million dollar prize.

The Teams (excerpts from CBS.com):

(The married couple) Lake & Michelle are a close-knit married couple from Hattiesburg, Mississippi. They met as freshmen in college and have been married for 13 years.

Lake is a dentist who has limited traveling experience outside of the United States. Michelle is a stay-at-home mother of three who works part-time in Lake's office.

(the hotties) Danielle & Dani are childhood friends hailing from Staten Island, New York. The two beauties met over 10 years ago and have been inseparable ever since.

Outgoing and talkative, Danielle recently graduated from St. Johns University with a degree in Speech Pathology. Dani recently graduated at the top of her class from Wagner College. Armed with bold personalities and a fearless attitude, the duo believes that anything is possible with good looks and thick accents, which they aren't afraid to use if it helps them to win the $1 million prize.

(the hippies) BJ & Tyler are bohemian best buds who first met four years ago during the Semester at Sea program, where they shared the experience of sailing around the world.
BJ is a graduate of Harvard University, while Tyler graduated from UC Santa Cruz after completing two semesters abroad--one in Hungary, the other in South Africa. Both have traveled the world extensively and speak several languages including Spanish and Japanese.

(the jock couple) Ray & Yolanda have been dating for five years. An accomplished athlete, Yolanda ran track with Ray's cousin at the University of Florida. One day while visiting his cousin at the track, Ray was introduced to Yolanda, but it wasn't until later that the two were reacquainted and exchanged phone numbers.

(the business men) John & Scott met in high school and have been friends for more than 25 years. The men differ in that John admits to being too controlling at times where Scott is not controlling at all.

John, who is single, lives in Boston, Massachusetts, where he works as a wealth manager and artist. Scott, who is in sales, currently resides on Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

(the unmarried couple) David & Lori are a couple from Manhattan, Kansas who have been dating for three years. Although Lori is ready to get married, David would like to get his career off the ground before he ties the knot.

Describing himself as intelligent and compassionate, David is also a musician who is very involved with his local underground music scene, David's many bands have released three full length CDs and have played in several local music festivals and venues across the country.

(the jocks) Jeremy & Eric, best friends from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, met while running college track at Johnson County Community College. Both are admittedly cocky, very competitive and strong athletes. They are avid volleyball players who frequently compete in local tournaments.

(the old folks) Fran & Barry have known each other for 45 years and have been married for over 40. The proud parents of two children, this adventure-loving couple makes their home in Summit County, Colorado. Although they travel a lot, the word "vacation" is not a frequently used term in their home. They prefer to refer to their trips around the world as "adventure travel."

(the sisters) Lisa & Joni are sisters who have lived apart from one another for almost 20 years. After their father passed away, Joni opted to stay in Texas with their mom, while Lisa moved to Florida. The sisters hope their experience on THE AMAZING RACE will help them to reconnect with one another and make up for lost time.

(the Southern couple ) Joseph & Monica have been dating for the past three years. This fun-loving couple met at a local bar in Fayetteville, Arkansas during college when Joseph claims he "just about broke his neck when Monica walked through the door." Joseph describes himself as confident and funny, while Monica is independent and tenacious. Born and raised in the South, the couple shares a love of country music, wakeboarding and traveling. Joseph's proudest accomplishment has been building and selling his first home.

(the mom and daughter) Wanda & Desiree are a mother and daughter Team with a close-knit bond. Both women have a great sense of humor and enjoy shopping, traveling and cooking. Wanda, a corporate trainer, is married and lives in Smyrna, Georgia. Fluent in Spanish, Desiree resides in New York City where she works as a writer.