‘Lost’ contestants seek prizes along the way

Imagine being blindfolded, stripped of all your valuables and dropped in a foreign location. You only have a small amount of U.S. currency, a compass, sleeping essentials, toiletries and clothes, and you need to make it back to the States — specifically, the Statue of Liberty.
   NBC’s new unscripted adventure show "Lost" (premieres at 7 p.m. Wednesday) ups the ante with its alleged danger factor. This group - three teams of two people - may be dropped on any continent, and since they’re carrying everything on their backs, resources are limited and the load is heavy.
   Once the disoriented contestants determine their location, they’re given more rations and information about where to go next. They pay locals to for water and motorcycle rides. Similar to MTV’s "Road Rules," it’s a travelogue gone awry.
   The show should appeal to travel aficionados and others who want an encyclopedic history of foreign lands. It does a fine job of boiling down information on exports, median income, population and the like for viewers.
   The paramount element of "Lost" is its prizes along the way: There’s a $200,000 winner at the end of the third episode, and another six people will be dropped in a different location in the fourth episode.
   The series does include the standard, endless walk through the desert, where it seems as if the contestants are never going to get over that last sand dune. Those few scenes could have been edited more carefully, but otherwise, "Lost" moves along briskly.
   MDA telethon
   The annual Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon will air at 7 a.m. Monday on FOX. The event will be emceed by KRIS anchors Cheryl Alexander, Carlos Vergara, Allison Smith and Byron Wood. This year’s Muscular Dystrophy Association Coastal Bend Goodwill Ambassador is a child named Isaac. The fundraising dynamo will make an appearance on the telethon.
   The telethon assists in funding more than $500,000 of MDA-sponsored programs and research in South Texas. MDA is a voluntary health agency working to defeat neuromuscular diseases through programs of worldwide research and public education on local levels.
   Other highlights this week include:
   Sunday
   10 a.m. on Bravo: THIRTYSOMETHING MARATHON A lot of people liked this 1987-91 series, which accounts for its return on cable - and for this Labor Day weekend extravaganza that continues until 8 p.m. tomorrow. Mel Harris and Ken Olin are among the drama’s cast.
   7 p.m. on Showtime: BACK TO THE SECRET GARDEN Based on characters from the children’s book by Frances Hodgson Burnett, this new movie tells the story of an American orphan (Camilla Belle) who learns how to bring the dying secret garden back to life. With Joan Plowright.
   9 p.m. on Cartoon Network: ADULT SWIM The Toon people launch a three-hour, twice-weekly bloc of animation aimed at a somewhat older audience, adults 18-34. Look for the weekday "Adult Swim" at the same time on Thursdays.
   Monday
   8:30 a.m. on PBS: SAGWA, THE CHINESE SIAMESE CAT Based on a book by Amy Tan and set in long-ago China, this new animated series is aimed at ages 5 to 8. Sagwa has a taste for adventure but also appreciates the company of family and friends.
   6 p.m. on Lifetime: LIFE WITH JUDY GARLAND: ME AND MY SHADOWS Originally shown on ABC last season, this music-filled biography divided the critics but received 13 Emmy nominations, including best miniseries and best actress (Judy Davis in the title role). Tammy Blanchard plays the young Garland.
   8 p.m. on PBS: SCHOOL: THE STORY OF AMERICAN PUBLIC EDUCATION Public schools in the United States serve nearly 90 percent of the nation’s children, but increasingly are under fire. This new documentary, narrated by Meryl Streep, looks at the history of this "grand experiment." Concludes at the same time tomorrow.
   Tuesday
   7 p.m. on TCM: HIDDEN VALUES: MOVIES OF THE ‘50s Consumerism and conformity are often mentioned as hallmarks of the 1950s, but this documentary promises a more complete picture. TCM’s Tuesday and Thursday nights in September will follow this theme, starting tonight with a lineup that includes "Rebel Without a Cause" (starring James Dean) and "Blackboard Jungle" (with Sidney Poitier).
   Wednesday
   7 p.m. on CBS: THE AMAZING RACE With all sorts of "reality" attracting viewers, it’s inevitable that shows like this keep cropping up. Here, 11 teams of two, guided by host Phil Keoghan, vie for $1 million in a round-the-world race.
   7 p.m. on PBS: SISTER WENDY’S AMERICAN COLLECTION The popular nun and art commentator visits six outstanding museums across the country for this three-night follow-up to her earlier programs from Europe. Continues at the same time next week.
   Thursday
   7 p.m. on MTV: VIDEO MUSIC AWARDS Jamie Foxx hosts the annual event, which will be shown live from the Metropolitan Opera House in New York. Fat Boy Slim leads the contenders with nine nominations.
   Friday
   7 p.m. on NBC: THE REVENGE OF THE WHALE A sperm whale became the hunter off the coast of Chile in 1820, sinking the whaling ship Essex and starting an epic struggle for survival by 20 men crammed into three tiny boats. Narrator: Liam Neeson.
   10:35 p.m. on ABC: NIGHTLINE Ted Koppel begins a five-part report on the war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which is said to have taken more than 2.5 million lives in the last three years. At various times, governments of six other nations have been involved in the fighting, but there has been relatively little reporting about it.
   Saturday
   8 p.m. on NBC: GET SHORTY Hollywood and its foibles are in the spotlight in this entertaining 1995 movie starring John Travolta, Gene Hackman and Rene Russo.
   8 p.m. on HBO: X-MEN To stop bad guys from taking over the world, sometimes you need mutant superheroes. This 2000 action movie is based on the popular comic book and stars Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Hugh Jackman and Halle Berry.
  
   Contact pop culture/media critic Ricardo Baca at 886-3688 or bacar@caller.com
  

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