Nerve Endings Firing Away

After being subjected to a plethora of abject reality shows that require you to do stupid things that you otherwise wouldn’t do in real life, there is finally a reality show we can watch without being ashamed. Or at least by first impression:

“The Scholar, a six-week summer show premiering Monday on ABC (8 p.m. ET/PT), pits teens against one another Survivor-style. The show features a diverse group of telegenic high school seniors from all over the USA. They get a shot at the estimated $250,000 grand prize: a free ride at the college of their choice, tuition, books, room and board, the works.”

The grand prize impressed me the most; it isn’t some suck-up job with a megalomaniac almost-bankrupt businessman but in fact a fantastic foundation for your life ahead. More important, the contestants are intelligent children who simply cannot afford a college education that might just make their life. There are prizes also for the also-rans that include at least four $50,000 in scholarships and surprise trips to Europe. Each contestant walks away with a laptop and a digital camera. Producers subject the 10 to pop quizzes, team challenges and thorny logic problems judged by a “Scholarship Committee”. Of course, free college counseling that will be invaluable not only to the contestants but also for the viewers. It will probably give you an insight into what the top notch colleges expect in their desirable candidates. Of course, we can expect the back-biting and intense rivalry that afflicts all reality shows and blatant college promotions might sour the purist. But at least you don’t eat yucky bugs.

I’ll give it a shot today and let you know if it is worth the hype I am creating.

Update: The show was pretty interesting although the nerds looked pretty enough not be mistaken for nerds. Egos were crushed but one dream was made as Melissa advanced to the next round guaranteeing her at least $ 50K. Davis, the snobbish teenager who wishes to be President stumbled on the simplest of question – Who wrote Gone with the Wind? He is definitely not getting Southern votes if he does run for President. Overall, the show encourages positive criticism and healthy competition.