Thanksgiving Reality TV Marathons and More News from Reality Blurred

A long holiday weekend is ahead, and between Thanksgiving and shoving other people at stores, you'll no doubt feel a need for escape. Thankfully, TV networks have us covered, airing marathons of reality shows all day Thursday and on Friday. So kick back and relax with everything from 'Mythbusters' to 'Keeping Up with the Kardashians,' and include everything in-between.

And in the meantime, catch up on stories from Reality Blurred you might have missed this past week, and see what is worth watching during the week ahead.

The Past: last week's most-read Reality Blurred stories

1. 'Amazing Race 18' will be an all-star season and is now filming; teams identified
2. What shocks the 'Survivor' tribe? Episode listing reveals it
3. Chase says 'Survivor' editing faked his immunity challenge loss
4. 'Amazing Race' error impacted multiple teams
5. Why 'The Real World' keeps returning to the same cities

The Forward: Holiday marathons and reality TV picks

Wed., Nov. 24
As usual, 'Survivor' airs a clip show (CBS, 8PM) on which CBS promises "new scenes shed light on the castaways and the decisions they've made during the game," but rarely has that happened; it's usually just a waste of time. However, the preview that's presumably for this episode did a good job of faking us out, appearing even to reveal an immunity challenge winner.

Also tonight, 'The Biggest Loser' airs a two-hour "Where are they know?" special (NBC, 8PM), and it checks in with more than 30 past contestants to see how their weight loss has gone, although I'd guess they won't be asking whether the show gave them eating disorders.

Thu., Nov. 25
It's Thanksgiving, and besides pretending that the parade is more interesting than it actually is, or having awkward interaction with relatives, there's another great holiday tradition: reality TV marathons.

The 'Mythbusters' gang tests myths all day long (Discovery, 9AM-8PM), and those 11 hours are followed by the two-hour "Punkin Chunkin" competition -- yes, it involves chucking pumpkins -- hosted this year by Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman.

Food Networks' Ace of Cakes is ending after its upcoming 10th season, but TLC's similar 'Cake Boss' is still around and will air all day on Thanksgiving, if you want to get into a cake mood (TLC, 6AM-3AM). If you just want to celebrate your inner glutton, watch Adam Richman eat on 'Man v. Food' (Travel Channel, 9AM-4AM). But if you'd rather be inspired to clean, check out 'Clean House's' marathon (Style, 6AM-3AM).

If you need to cheer yourself up after all the family cheer, try the documentary series that follows homicide investigators, 'The First 48' (A&E, 7AM-4AM). There's other escapist television on, too, like an evening with 'The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' (Bravo, 6PM-4AM), which is preceded by eight hours with the 'Millionaire Matchmaker' (Bravo, 10AM to 6PM).

Eavesdrop on people's professions by watching 'Campus PD' (G4, 12:30PM-12AM ), which is basically like 'Cops' except on college campuses. So, you know, crazier. And 'Cops' itself precedes and follows that marathon. There's house porn and awkwardly scripted reality TV with 12 hours of 'House Hunters' and 'House Hunters International' (HGTV, 7AM-7PM),

Elsewhere, you can watch the aspirational series 'The Buried Life' (MTV, 9AM to noon) followed by the bratty series 'My Super Sweet 16' (MTV, noon to 5PM). On MTV's sibling channel, there are marathons of 'Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory' (MTV2, 9AM to 3PM) followed by 'Rob and Big' (MTV2, 3PM-12AM).

And of course, the Kardashians do their part and offer their lives up for entertainment. 'Keeping Up with the Kardashians' (E!, 10AM-12PM, and 3:30PM-8PM) will apparently keep doing that, because the family plans on sharing their lives via reality TV "forever."

Friday, Nov. 26
TV networks offer their own version of leftovers on Friday, with some additional reality TV marathons. There's 'The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' (Bravo, Friday 11AM to 5PM), 'My Super Sweet 16' (6AM to 10AM), and 'Teen Mom' (MTV, 1PM to 9:30PM). Elsewhere, 'Giuliana & Bill' (Style 6AM to 1PM), followed by the network's 'Jersey Shore' rip-off 'Jerseylicious' (Style, 1PM to 8PM)

MTV2 hands over its schedule to 'Jackass' spin-offs: 'Wildboyz' (MTV2, 6AM to 9AM), 'Bam's Unholy Union' (MTV2, 9AM to 2PM), and 'Viva La Bam' (MTV2, 2PM to 11PM) And for a dose of seriousness, check out "Diet Detective" Charles Stuart Platkin's 'I Want to Save Your Life' (WEtv, 2AM to 5AM), on which he helps someone lose weight, but without screaming at them, using a giant scale, or making them perform challenges -- and via which he also really wants to help you.

Later, there's the docudrama series that follows a recession-impacted family, 'Downsized' (WEtv, 8PM to midnight). And on Friday night, the extreme school makeover series 'School Pride' (NBC, 8PM) ends its first, and perhaps only, season as it helps an L.A. school.

Saturday, Nov. 27
The new season of 'The Fashion Show,' which changed its format to be less of a 'Project Runway' clone, airs its first three episodes in a row if you haven't yet checked it out (Bravo, noon to 2PM).

Also tonight, 'Pit Bulls and Parolees' (Animal Planet, 10PM) airs a special episode that will raise money for the rescue center featured on the show. The network promises to give a donation for every viewer that tunes in, so it'd be a good time to check it out or make sure you tune in--especially if you're a Nielsen family.

Sunday, Nov. 28
Having eliminated Chad and Stephanie (who are now married and pregnant), 'The Amazing Race 17' (CBS, 8PM) is down to its final four teams, and they face some challenges in Hong Kong: CBS says some of them "become violently ill during a challenge" while one person "threatens to quit." Knowing the race, those problems will be resolved after a magical commercial break intervenes.

Also tonight, 'Chopped' airs a holiday themed episode on a special night (Food Network, 9PM), asking its three chefs to prepare seasonal food with challenges that include integrating gingerbread and oysters and using only a microwave to cook dessert. 'Paranormal State' concludes its fifth season (A&E, 9:30PM) of searching for evidence of paranormal activity, and for something even scarier, there's Kate Gosselin on a Halloween-themed episode of 'Kate Plus 8' (TLC, 10PM).