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Victoria Ahearn

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Here's what's happening today on the small screen:

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© 2007 American Broadcasting Com

ABCHosted by British comedy sensations Ant and Dec, ‘Wanna Bet?’ premieres tonight with celebrities wagering on stunt-performing contestants.

* With the speedy rate at which reality TV talent shows are cropping up these days, it seems nearly everyone eager to take their hidden talents and tricks beyond YouTube and onto a national stage will have had their turn at doing so in the next few years. The latest offering in the rapidly growing genre is Wanna Bet?, which has its premiere tonight with celebrities betting on the success or failure of wild stunts delivered by ordinary Americans. The money raised goes to charities. (A, ABC)

* Other talent competitions on the schedule include Canadian Idol, where the Top 9 perform rock 'n' roll tunes (CTV); How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?, which boots off another hopeful (CBC); Nashville Star, featuring another round of performances (E, NBC); and High School Musical: Get in the Picture, airing its semifinal and final rounds. (CTV, ABC)

* If the huge success of The Hills and Laguna Beach has taught us anything, it's that many younger viewers love watching pretty, filthy rich teens partying, flirting and shopping. Living on the Edge, premiering tonight, is much in the same vein only it takes place in England's Alderley Edge. (MTV)

* And if the guilt from such guilty pleasures is too much to bear and you yearn for something of substance, there's Stargate: Atlantis (The Movie Network, Movie Central) and The Diviners, based on Margaret Laurence's Governor General's Award-winning novel. (APTN)

Victoria Ahearn is a syndicated columnist.