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Christianity Today, April 22, 2002 |

Reality Check

"Television shows feature Christians in a race, on a trip, and in a prison"

Ted Olsen | posted 4/22/2002 12:00AM

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Bible-toting Dirk Been gained fame as the Christian on the first Survivor show, but MTV's long-running The Real World has included Christians for a long time. Now, however, "reality" shows are upping the ante when it comes to including religion.

Show:	The Amazing Race CBS
Premise:	Pairs race around the world
Contestants:	Russ and Cyndi Kalenberg, copastors of Agape Christian Center in Brainerd, Minnesota
Prospects:	"We're going to depend on amazing grace for The Amazing Race," they say. They're still in the game at press time, but falling behind.

Show:	Escape from Pentridge Triple M, Melbourne
Premise:	Surviving simulated prison life
Contestants:	Kevin Lee, a Roman Catholic priest from Sydney
Prospects:	Won the competition, $20,000, and a car, converted his strip-club owner "cellmate"—then was suspended from the priesthood for being on the show.

Show:	TruthQuest: California FamilyNe
Premise:	A youth missions trip
Contestants:	A dozen Southern Baptist teens from around the U.S.
Prospects:	No one gets voted off or eats bugs, but producer Martin Coleman promises entertainment. "Seeking a path with God is our reality," he told Fox News.

Related Elsewhere

The official site for The Amazing Race has a profile of all the participants including Russ and Cyndi. The site also has Q&A interviews with the team before the race started and after they were eliminated. RealityTVfans.com also has a post-race interview.

Kevin Lee's prison diary from his stay on Escape from Pentridge is online along with more information on the game.

Baptist Press has an archive of articles on TruthQuest. The official site for the show is up but now only has snappy music and pictures of the participants.

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April 22 2002, Vol. 46, No. 5

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