Mindless TV reviewed

I decided to take the plunge into mediocrity and watch "The Real Gilligan's Island". It's horrible. And I mean that in a good way. So far I've watched three of the eight episodes, and the only true highlight was watching the amazingly red-state Millionaires get tossed out. That was nice. Otherwise, the challenges are stupid, the plot opportunities nonexistent, and with the Beavens' ejection (Donna Beavens would have been an Omarosa-esque reality show villainess but she's just too crass and stupid for even that), virtually all the cattiness has been extinguished.

The pluses of the show: other than the Beavens, it's a pretty likable bunch of folks doing their best in an excessively contrived setting. The two Gilligans are both nice "regular guy" types, the Maryanns were both pretty girls with nice personalities, the other Millionaires (the Stearns, an LA couple) seem like fun sorts (and Mindy Stearns is quite a hottie), and I liked both Professors - though the gay professor (of Sociology) was a little overbearing. But he's gone already. I even like the Gingers (Rachel Hunter and Nicole Eggert) - Nicole is a little New-Agey, but not unbearably so. I haven't really got much of an impression from either Skipper - partly because one of them collapsed early with a cardiac scare and left the game (he's OK, and doing the publicity tour), so they haven't really had to focus on the other one at all.

It's a show I'll keep watching to the end, but It's going into the category of "shows I watch while I'm doing something else". So don't ask me about the plotline - I'm not paying enough attention. Except when either Rachel or Mindy puts a bikini on (Nicole and the remaining Maryann are both way too skinny for my liking). Then I'll pay more attention...