Season 20 of The Amazing Race Starts Tonight Sunday February 19 on CBS

It seems like only a few weeks ago I watched Ernie & Cindy be the first to cross the finish line in Atlanta on The Amazing Race 19.

I don't know if I am ready to start another Amazing Race, but my DVR is set to record tonight's premiere of The Amazing Race 20 at 8/7C on CBS.

I don't think there are any football games on that might muck up the launch of The Amazing Race, but I added a couple hours to the record time anyway.

Near as I can tell there are no casting stunts on this iteration of The Amazing Race, unlike the previous iteration, which saw Survivor millionaires, Ethan Zohn & Jenna Morasca be the first to get eliminated from the race.

UPDATE: Season 20 of The Amazing Race is off to a good start.

Survivor's Ethan Zohn's Hodgkin's Lymphoma Cancer Has Returned

Jenna Morasca & Ethan Zohn

I may have not liked Survivor winners, Ethan Zohn & Jenna Morasca, taking a slot on the current season of Amazing Race.

I may have liked it when Ethan & Jenna were the first team to be eliminated from the race.

I was surprised to see a headline this morning that told me that Ethan Zohn's cancer has returned. Ethan had been in his 20th month of remission from Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

Ethan learned on September 14 that the cancer had returned to his chest, the lung area specifically.

Jenna was at Ethan's side when he got the bad news.

On October 18 Ethan began a new form of chemotherapy called SGN-35, which only targets the cancer cells. Which means this time Ethan won't lose his hair.

After 12 weeks of chemotherapy Ethan will undergo a stem-cell transplant, getting the stem-cells from one of his brothers.

Even though he is in the midst of being treated for cancer, again, Ethan is going to run in the New York City Marathon on November 6, raising money for his Grassroot Soccer charity.

I may not have wanted Ethan & Jenna to win the Amazing Race, but I definitely hope Ethan wins his latest battle with cancer.

Has Stunt Casting Cast Survivor & The Amazing Race Out of the Nielsen Rating's Top 20?

For the second week in a row neither Survivor or The Amazing Race are in the Top 20 of the Nielsen Ratings.

With The Amazing Race winning the Emmy, again, for Best Reality TV Program, I would have thought the show would not have a viewer drop-off.

Were viewers annoyed at the stunt casting of Survivor millionaires, Ethan Zohn and his girl friend, Jenna Morasca?

I know I was not pleased with that particular piece of stunt casting. But then Ethan & Jenna became the first racers eliminated, which was a good thing.

I think Survivor's problem might also be stunt casting. That and the Redemption Island gimmick.

Bringing back "Coach"  and Ozzy for a third time is a real big turn-off to a lot of viewers, according to what I've read on various forums.

And then you add the stunt casting of Brandon Hantz, simply because his uncle is Russell Hantz, when the nephew obviously has some serious mental health issues. Well, this is not a lot of people's idea of good train wreck TV.

Brandon's creepy fixation on the evils of temptation in the form of scantily clad female fellow tribemates is beyond a little disturbing. Brandon's bizarre breakdown at last week's Tribal Council and all the other instances of him verbalizing the idea that he is redeeming the family name after the damage Russell did, well, this just makes no sense.

Russell's first time on Survivor won him "Fan Favorite" and $100,000. Most viewers found Russell highly amusing, particularly on his first season. Russell remained amusing, for the most part, on Heroes vs. Villains. And then when he returned a third time, on the first iteration of Redemption Island, he was not on the island long enough to wear out his welcome.

I am considering not watching Survivor South Pacific tonight.

Ethan & Jenna First Eliminated From The Amazing Race After Short Changing Orphans

Reading what fans were saying on the Interwebs I know I was not alone in not liking that Survivor winners Ethan Zohn and Ethan's girl friend, Jenna Morasca, were on Season 19 of The Amazing Race.

Ethan & Jenna have been on Survivor twice, and both had won the million dollar prize.

I'm sure a lot of viewers were pleased to see Ethan & Jenna eliminated from The Amazing Race, on Episode 2, somewhere in Indonesia, after failing to hand over all their money to kids in an orphanage.

Which was sort of ironic due to Ethan's apparent penchant for doing charity work, saying something like, "Charity is what I'm all about."

This was the first double elimination in Amazing Race history. The double elimination also eliminated Ron Zeitz & Bill Smith, domestic partners, who, apparently, had traveled a lot, but who did not fare so well on The Amazing Race.

The older couple, Bill & Cathi Alden, who did not fare too well in the first episode, coming in real late in last place, fared much better in Episode 2. The team knocked out their Speed Bump penalty and made it to the Pit Stop ahead of Ethan & Jenna and Ron & Bill.

I wonder if the elimination of Ethan & Jenna will cure CBS of crossover stunt casting? When Ethan & Jenna were revealed as racers on Season 19 a lot of people verbalized the hope they'd be eliminated first. Sort of ironic that that is what ended up happening.

The Amazing Race Season 19 With Survivor's Ethan & Jenna Premieres Sunday, September 25 at 8/7C

I am currently non-plussed with Survivor and its now constant returning of past Survivors for one more shot at the game and the million bucks, this time with Coach & Ozzy, both back for their 3rd try to be the sole Survivor.

The Amazing Race has done stunt casting in the past. Rob & Amber, also from Survivor, come to mind. Rob & Amber were actually quite entertaining on The Amazing Race.

A couple times The Amazing Race has cast people who were on Big Brother. I remember no names.

And now on the 19th Season of The Amazing Race, premiering next Sunday, September 25 at 8/7C, The Amazing Race has gone for a bit of Jump the Shark level of bad casting.

Ethan Zohn and his girlfriend, Jenna Morasca.

Ethan won the million dollar prize on Survivor: Africa. Jenna won the million dollar prize on Survivor: The Amazon. Both were on Survivor: All Stars. Which Jenna soon quit to go home to be with her mother.

Methinks Ethan & Jenna have had more than their fair share of fun on CBS Reality TV Shows. Me also thinks it would be a far better thing to give a chance to one of the thousands upon thousands of regular folks who send in audition tapes.

Like me and the Queen of Wink.

Me and the Queen would be far funner, funnier and better racers than Ethan & Jenna. And neither of us has yet won a million dollars on a CBS Reality TV Show.

I really do not think viewers are going to react well to watching Ethan & Jenna racing on The Amazing Race. Though, having them be the last to the mat on the first leg would be satisfying. Seeing them first to the mat on the final leg would be maddening.