BJ and Tyler, The Amazing Race
Question: I read the CBS upfront news about moving Amazing Race to Sundays at 8 pm/ET. I don't care that they moved the night — again — but why Sunday night? It will be constantly overrun by football games that go long. People who record the show will get to see half of 60 Minutes and miss the end of Race, and I'm afraid it'll begin to lose its audience. This doesn't seem like a good move to me, but maybe I'm worrying prematurely. It is only May, after all. What are your initial thoughts about the new time slot?
Answer: My biggest concern isn't the football overruns, which have been a factor in CBS' Sunday lineup for years. People are used to this and should be able to adjust accordingly — as in: set extra time on the VCR or manually set the DVR, or (here's a thought) watch it live. The biggest hurdle is that Race will be going head-to-head against another powerful reality series already established in the time period, ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, which, like Race, is quite popular with families. There's also the NBC football factor to consider. I was surprised CBS didn't use Race to kick off its Wednesday lineup. If the risky Jericho doesn't fly (and given how CBS treated Threshold last season, I'd say the odds are against it), Race could be moved away from Sunday if it loses more momentum. But at least it's airing at 8 pm/ET on whatever night, which is appropriate.

Also regarding Race, Mike asks: "I was wondering what your thoughts were on The Amazing Race this year. I have been a huge fan of the show sinceits inception. I, too, stopped watching when 'Romber' and the family edition showed up. However, this season has been a true return to form. The show is just as good as its best seasons and seeing this gives me hope that it's not too late, as the creators have returned to what makes the show great: compelling, 'everyman' teams, as opposed to the seasons with models, actors and 'Jonathan the entrepreneur.' The hippies are my new favorite team since Kevin and Drew."

I really enjoyed this latest season, after having nearly bailed during the family edition. Not only were the teams more enjoyable and relatable (the hippies! the nerds!), but the locations again were astounding and gorgeous. Truly amazing. There's no question the show lost a bit of ratings momentum over the last year, and there may be no safe haven for it in the season to come, but it remains a great franchise, and I'm betting it will be a while before CBS sours on it.