Set Your Tivos

I am very, very excited. I just happened to notice that The Cannonball Run 2001 is back. Sort of. The Fox Reality Channel is airing reruns of the short-lived but much beloved series all this week. In case you haven’t heard of the show, it’s certainly worth checking out. Think of it as a predecessor to The Amazing Race. Basically, mismatched teams of three race across the U.S., but unlike The Amazing Race: Family Edition, the show depends on kitschy challenges and crappy jalopies to provide all the drama and fun. Perhaps the best element of the series, however, is the casting: one team features two frat guys stuck with an old black lady named Princess. Another group has a guy racing with his girlfriend — and his ex. And before it was even fashionable for reality stars to prolongue their existences by reappearing on show after show, The Cannonball Run served as a reality whore pioneer by featuring a team of Sue Hawk (Survivor: Borneo), Jeff Varner (Survivor: Outback), and Kaya (Temptation Island). Maybe if enough people tune in to the reruns this week, my dream of a Cannonball Run resurrection will come true.

For the three of you that get Fox Reality, the show will be airing all this week at 8 PM (EST) and again at midnight. (Click here to check local listings.)