TVSquad

HarperCollins, ABC, and BBC Worldwide are getting together to create a book you've all been waiting for: a fitness guide based on the hit show Dancing with the Stars.

According to the press release, the book "will reveal for the first time how some of the stars and dancers got into the best shape of their lives. Included will be healthy recipes and simple dance moves as well as never before seen pictures and quotes from the stars and their partners."

Yeah, because I've always wondered how Tucker Carlson stays in such great shape.

(S03E01) I don't watch that much reality television, but I like this one because it seems to work for the contestants. And maybe for viewers too: last season I watched and got inspired, losing fifty pounds myself. So I've been looking forward to this.

But wait a minute: Jillian Michaels -- the tougher of the two trainers in earlier seasons is gone, much to my disappointment. Had I paid attention when she announced her departure months ago, maybe I wouldn't have tuned in tonight. I really like how she drove the men's team last year, and they seemed to love her too. That, and this time there are fifty contestants to wade through. One from each state in the union. The obese nation theme gets a lot a play early on. But fairly quickly they're whittled down to a manageable group of 14: seven men and seven women. Unlike last year, they are not divvied up into teams based on gender. The other 36 will continue the challenge on their own at home. However, the parade of fifty hopeful contestants marching down the hill to the Biggest Loser Ranch is an impressive sight. (Spoilers after the jump.)