Siberia

Reality competitions in which contestants undergo a certain amount of torture for the promise of cash are old hat by now, so viewers not in on Siberia's twist can be forgiven for watching most of the first episode with only half their attention. Contestants fighting over food and beds, one dude lying around and tanning, a chick who gets what she wants by flirting with the male contestants -- ho hum. It comes off as blah but also reads as real. Well, real faux reality that is, which makes the scary happenings, when they start happening, all the scarier. It does appear as if the cameras have caught a reality far more interesting than the competition they were supposed to be filming.

Siberia could move along a little more briskly. It looks and sounds a lot like Lost, but things are a bit slower and talkier. Nonetheless, if only for surprising a jaded bunch of viewers with an interesting idea, Siberia deserves a look. But if you let older tweens watch, make sure to sit with them so they're not unduly surprised by the show's twist -- or by the ominous music and Blair Witch Project-like quick camera cuts and eerie noises in the night.