New show Bear Grylls is Running Wild, Tuesdays 8:00 PM on Fox. I was pretty critical about how Get Out Alive culminated, and it was pretty clear that he simply does not know how to run that kind of show, but this seems more in his wheelhouse. Each week he takes one famous name on a highly personalized trip through the wilderness, and in the process they open up about themselves and what they hope to gain from the experience. There is no competition and no prize (so I won’t be talking about the season finale here), just two people and the great outdoors. Think a much nicer and less injurious Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test or a nonculinary Gordon Ramsay’s Road Trip. If you need some inspiration for your next outdoor adventure or just want to see some stunning vistas, it’s worth a watch.
Oh, and in case you haven’t heard, Masterchef season 16 is on! (Wednesdays, 7:00 PM on NBC. The theme is “Global Gauntlet”, and it’s going to have five chefs each from four different regions of the world, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Africa, and Americas. This week is the final prelim, for Americas. The selection, ahem, process is that the judges bring in one contestant at a time, give a hard yes or no on the spot (it has to be unanimous now, oooooh 
), and they keep going until they’ve accepted five. At first I thought this process was horribly unjust because the order they bring the contestants in has a grossly disproportionate effect on their chances of making it, and there inevitably is going to be a time they go, this one’s good, but what if there’s someone better, what if, what if, what if, sorry, can’t take the chance, gotta say no, and if it turns out there isn’t someone better, oh, we’d love to bring you back but the rules say we have to take the later constant even if they’re inferior, saww-reeeee, better luck next time! But then I remembered, this is Gordon Ramsay; he’s not going to sabotage his own project. There’s been some grumbling on Primetimer that the judges already know who’s they’re giving aprons to and the initial cook is just for show, pointing to some dishes with obvious errors that got accepted, and I think that’s pretty close to the truth. And if you’re concerned that signing up for personality instead of ability (which this medium does all the time) means there are going to be pathetic day one flameouts, well… yeah, and that’s exactly what they want. The anudda wun bi da dus beast is ravenous. Someone has to be the first on the chopping block, and better a hopeless bum than a potential contender. Ever wondered why Dancing With The Stars always signs up one or two plodding klutzes who couldn’t trot out an excuse? That’s why.
Also, season 21 of America’s Got Talent is confirmed for June 2, so be ready to hear all about it from me by around September! 