The first season of the Mark Burnett TV Series The Contender was, for me, a defining moment. I'd not been a fan of the "reality tv" shows that I felt plagued the airwaves and dumbed down America. After watching one episode, I was hooked. The drama, coupled with spectacular edits of boxing matches to great mood music, was the perfect storm. This led me to watch other (what would properly be called game) shows such as the Amazing Race, and another Burnett production and the uncontested champ of the genre, Survivor. I still feel as though The Contender was the best among the mentioned shows, but a rematch of the title fight (along with a few others) and super shady judging doused my enthusiasm for the second season. What I'd like to see in the second season, which begins tonight (in a ridiculous 10pm timeslot, especially for a 2 hour season premiere), is an apology from whoever was responsible for the judging in the title rematch and the matches that occurred previously in that event. Regardless, I'll probably watch it... to see if the formula can be recaptured. Burnett certainly appears to have a magic touch in this area.