LAST EDITED ON 03-17-04 AT 05:56 PM (EST)

The biggest problem the show has right now is A) no one gives a crap about any of the characters, B) the "rules" are insane.

The past two Mondays of ratings -- from the first two episodes that aired without an American Idol lead-in -- have to be a wakeup call to a FOX network that only a month earlier was drawing 15-18 million for a Big Fat Fiance show in the same exact timeslot.

Given that, the first thing I expect to happen is some REAL BIG BAD APPLE that causes like half the cast to be washed away in favor of some contestants that people might exactly care about. The only question is if those replacements will be some of the former Paradise Hotel folks or if FOX will want to keep the Paradise Hotel alumni's away from this thing so that it doesn't taint what everyone would assume would be the launching of a "Paradise Hotel 2" replacement series in time for the summer.

Maybe they can get some of the former Big Brother folks to move in -- their CBS contracts are all well past by now and after a few years, at least some of them must be tired of hanging out at Belly's every day... and let's face it, four grand a week is more $$$ than any of them are likely to be making anytime soon.

For a $200,000/year salary they should be able to have gotten MUCH better talent.

-SB