Hurrah for the return of The Amazing Race. Due to my ineptitude at reading the TV Guide I forgot to watch episode 1 last week, but lucky for me, there was the obligatory “previously on The Amazing Race” at the start of this week. If you’re new to TAR here’s a few hints for getting into the program. Firstly, don’t try and learn all the couples’ names in the early stages. There’s too many and you’ll get them confused. Although this time, there are some with distinguishing features – the short, stuntmen brothers, the asian american siblings, the mother and son (who is deaf), the blonde flight attendants, the hokey yokels (who sadly were eliminated this evening), and Mike White from School of Rock and his father. That’s all I can remember at the moment, but I’m sure as they gradually whittle them down I’ll start to have some favourites.

Tonight TAR began in Switzerland and moved to Germany and Austria. There were all manner of AMAZING RACE-LIKE challenges, involving running, driving, running, parasailing, running, driving, seguing (yes I invented a word there), cherry pie in the face throwing, running, driving, arguing, mapreading, borrowing mobile phones from extremely obliging swiss taxi drivers, trying to open a castle gate and failing (mike white I’m looking at you!), landing on the pit stop in front of Phil and a welcoming Salzburgian young man in fancy dress Mozart style. Oh…and the compulsory crying, without which no so-called reality TV program can be complete.