Poll Results - What Show Should Win The Emmy For Outstanding Reality-Competition?

This is always my favourite category because it contains one of my favourite shows. Course the category isn't for everyone. As my friend Toby puts it "I'm giving this category a pass. Sorry, Brent, it's a vanilla/chocolate thing. I can't stand reality shows. Not too crazy for reality in general when it comes down to it....." Well yeah Toby, as the saying goes "reality bites." Still we did get nine votes, and while it's not as big a turnout as we had in the acting categories, it's relatively healthy. In a tie for fourth place with no votes are Dancing With The Stars and Top Chef. In a tie for second place with two votes each (22%) are Project Runway and American Idol. But the winner is The Amazing Race with five votes (56%).

I think that this is probably the result that will happen on the 16^th. I didn't before the nominations were announced. I honestly thought that with the dramatic finish of Survivor: Fiji that that show would get a nomination and that the battle between Earl, Dreamz and the surprising Yau Man would dominate what I thought was a lacklustre Amazing Race All Stars. But Survivor didn't even earn a nomination.

So if I think that the most recent season of The Amazing Race was lacklustre why do I think that it will probably win? I'm not really enthusiastic about Top Chef or Project Runway which seem to be basically the same show with only the subject matter changed. I would much rather watch Hell`s Kitchen than Top Chef because of the dramatic nature of the former (actually I watch both – hated Marcel, thought Elia and Elan should hook up). And while I don`t watch American Idol I`m given to believe that maybe the franchise may be running out of steam. The "season of Sanjaya" didn't exactly please the fans. I could actually see Dancing With The Stars doing well in voting simply because it's a fun show that I think half the people at the ceremonies would love to participate in if only they could find the time. But then again I think you could say the same thing about The Amazing Race – half of the members of the TV Academy would love to run The Race if only they had an open month or so.

As I say I think that last year's two season of The Amazing Race were somewhat lacklustre. The producers tinkered with the challenges and rules and it seemed to reduce the physical nature of the show. Worse – in my mind – was the introduction of the Intersection which had teams working together (whether they wanted to or not) but also allowed teams to use two Fast Forwards in a season which has never occurred before. I honestly think that this tinkering with the format hurt the show. That said, it still stand head and shoulders above much of the Reality-Competition genre, particularly the shows that have been nominated against it. It's intelligent and challenging, not locked to a single location like just about every other show that would qualify for this category, and there is always the sense that not only could anyone do it but that anyone could win it. In the end, even a lacklustre season of The Amazing Race is the gold standard that other reality-competition shows have to try to match.

New poll up shortly