There was no thread about the season as a whole, so here it is.

I only started watching last season, but it seems to me there's been quite a shift in tone this year. Huge emphasis on product placements, more time boring us to death with the weigh-ins that never end, and Shocking! Scandals! like the recent waterloading scandal.

It's disappointing. The show used to get me so psyched about working out -- I'd do my weights during the show, and if it'd been a few days since I've done cardio it'd be the kick I needed and I'd go out for a run right after the show -- but now it just bores me, and I don't care about any of the contestants. Am I alone?

caroline2, they've just started showing this latest US version of BL in Australia (yeah, only about two months too late, and I've already been quite spoiled for the results). I had been looking forward to it because our local version has more fillling than Erik's stomach before he lost all that blubber last season, but from the sounds of it TPTB have made it as dull as ours. And speaking of shifts in tone, our S1 was pretty motivating, but our S2 seemed to be all about backstabbing and bitchery. Have they also been showing more of that? It's such a turn-off to me.

caroline2, you're not alone. I don't watch Survivor and I'm not interested in having TBL turn into one more Survivor knock-off.

And like you, I hate all the product placement. I would much rather see generic good advice on food choices and exercise--not "Buy [brand name]! It's great!" That's what infomercials are for--at least they're upfront about what they are.

I'm OK with the product placements. It's the cost of having a luxury like Tivo. I've never seen the previous seasons, but this show just seems like your standard, lowest common denominator reality show. The contestents could just as easily be on Survivor with the silly challenges and the focus on gameplay. It really does seem like the exercise is a second thought in the editing.

Hey, I don't have TiVO. Can I get a special dispensation from the product-placement?!?!?!?

You know, I didn't really have a problem with the product placements (the makers of the products are probably providing most, if not all, of the prizes and such), but I recently got The Biggest Loser Workout 2 DVD and when I went to watch one of the extra features which showed Bob, Suzy, and Matt making a few recipes from the TBL cookbook, Matt (I think it was Matt), just referred to using turkey, and Bob pointed out that they were using Jennie-O brand turkey.

I'll let the Jennie-O product placement slide because I love the turkey burgers. But I will not forgive the Quaker Weight Control oatmeal mini-mercials because those taste like ass.