MANILA, Philippines?We caught some new shows on the tube recently, and hasten to share these initial notes with you, in case you?re curious about them.

?The Price Is Right? has a new host-gamemaster, comedian and improv pioneer Drew Carey. What?s interesting about this new edition of the ?classic? game show is that it?s so similar to the original, hosted for decades by Bob Barker. In fact, the middle-aged Carey appears to be content with merely sustaining Barker?s style.

The show itself still feeds off some Americans? materialistic beut, rewarding contestants? astute knowledge of product prices with yummy bonanzas in cash and kind. A sort of innovation appears to be the show?s greater stress on diversity in terms of the ethnic minorities represented by chosen contestants. In the distant past, we used to see mostly whites and blacks; these days, there are noticeably more Latinos and Asians factored into the mix.

This could be the production?s way of appealing to those sectors of the US population that are supposed to be increasing in demographic ratio and proportion during this decade. ?The Price Is Right? is telecast weekdays at 6 p.m. on 2nd Avenue.

On the Reality TV front, the new show is Kimora Lee Simmons? ?Life on the Fab Lane,? a daily account of the model-mogul-mom?s hectic workaday life. She has so many enterprises in motion (fashion, jewelry, fragrance, even a Barbie doll that looks like her) that she?s busy from morning till night, and the TV show?s staffers and camera crew run themselves ragged keeping up with her.

Temper tantrums

But, the most harassed people in the show are Kimora?s office and home staffers, who have to put up with her overly exacting standards, unexpected orders and occasional temper tantrums. They may get paid a lot, but they have to take so much flak from their resident diva-doyenne-dominatrix.

On the other hand, Kimora appears to be a great mom, playing with her two young daughters and motivating them to be the best they can be?without baring her fangs.

What do we learn from viewing ?Life in the Fab Lane?? First, that celebrity-moguls don?t get to where they are without insisting on getting what they want. Second, that this can be carried to extremes. And third, if you?re on the receiving end of the mogul?s tirade, grin and bear it, learn as much as you can?and quit before you lose your self-confidence?or your mind!

A much less hectic show to watch is ?I Propose,? a reality program that focuses on longtime sweethearts on the brink of making their love relationship permanent. Each week, one couple is shown preparing for the big day when the swain summons up enough courage or gumption to pop ?the question.?

To make the proceedings more varied and less predictable, each swain sets up the ?popping? scene in a different way. Recently, the ?proponent? opted to first go to cooking school so he could whip up a gourmet meal for his beloved, at the end of which he surprised her with a diamond ring hidden in a chocolate box!

Despite the program?s earnest efforts to make its events interesting, they were only momentarily diverting, since neither swain nor his beloved were particularly idiosyncratic, lively or droll. Oh, well, the final proposal (with our swain going down on one knee, even) still got us in our heart of hearts...

Golden Divas at SMX Theater

The indomitable trio of Pilita Corrales, Carmen Soriano and Carmen Pateña perform their hit ?Golden Divas? show anew at the SMX Theater at Mall of Asia on May 30. The show is produced by Viva Concerts and Events, and directed by Al Quinn.

Emmy nominations

Ellen DeGeneres? popular talk show, ?Ellen,? has garnered eight daytime Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Talk Show/Entertainment and Outstanding Talk Show Host. ?Ellen? airs M-F at 7 p.m. on 2nd Avenue.

Also nominated is Jack TV?s animated ?LXB? lineup of shows, which received nine daytime Emmy nominations. ?LXB? or Legion of Extraordinary Beings is Jack TV?s action-packed animated package, featuring the best cartoons and animated series like ?The Batman,? ?Legion of Superheroes,? and ?Loonatics Unleashed.?