I saw an advertisement last night pitching NBC’s premier of yet another “reality” series. This one is called the “Biggest Loser.” I looked it up on the web to see whether the description of the show there sounded as appalling as it did in the advertisement.

The idea of the show is to find 24 overweight contestants (some are way, way overweight) and split them into two teams of 12 and then to have the teams compete in various “challenges.” I don’t know what the winners “win”. Perhaps a whiff of a protein bar. And, in a display of concept non-originality that only can be accomplished by network television, the roles of the show provide that each week the team will vote one of their members off the island team. The series will end with the person losing the most weight (I am assuming that it is percentage of body weight) winning $250,000.

What good fun it will be to watch the fatties compete in a stair climbing challenge and to watch them jiggle, gasp and sweat during their fitness-trainer led exercises. The trailer on the web even promises some crying fatties and some arguing and angry fatties. Fatty alliances are also in the offing.

Apparently there will even be systematic exposure of some of the super corpulent to “temptations,” which appear to consist of several tables brimming over with desserts. A real laugh riot, I tell you. We can all howl hysterically while one or more of the ample contestants mentally and emotionally struggles with the seductive power of an éclair or a big piece of chocolate cake.

I figure this to be a surefire hit among those people who would buy a ticket to a dwarf tossing contest or those who find it entertaining to watch people eat maggots on “Fear Factor.”

I’ll be taking a pass on this one. Oh, and I think I’ll also take a pass on the potato chips.