Mark Burnett is no dummy. When the "Survivor" producer sees a season of his long-running hit about to go south, he's not above stepping in to try to turn things around and keep viewers tuned in.

And drastic action was definitely needed on "Survivor: Nicaragua." The old vs. young competition just wasn't working, mainly because the old folks kept losing. Plus, celebrity contestant Jimmy Johnson was gone way too soon. (Dang, Coach, we still miss you!)

So producers mixed things up this week, randomly picking new captains and having them select new team members from the other tribe. The result was a more interesting show, with some cocky competitors taken down a peg. (We're looking at you, crazy-hair Marty!) And our three North Carolina contestants? Well, the switcheroo was a big gain for each.

Is there some new prize on "Survivor" this season for being the most awful, annoying person ever to appear on the show? I mean, how else to explain some of the bad behavior we see this week. Sure, past seasons have given us evil Russell, "black widow" Jerri, obnoxious (and naked!) Richard and grumpy Randy. But this Nicaragua group may top them all.

There's NaOnka, a detestable schoolteacher (be afraid if your kid is ever in her class). She's nasty to just about everyone, but she's particularly mean to her tribemate Kelly Bruno, our North Carolina player who is an amputee. "Not even a one-legged person can stand in my way," NaOnka crows. (Nice, huh?)

Let's not forget Marty, who engineered last week's ouster of Super Bowl-winning Coach Jimmy Johnson because he viewed Johnson as a threat in the leadership department. Of course, Marty doesn't seem to have any discernible leadership skills himself, beyond pointing out the flaws in others.

And there's Jimmy T., a fisherman who thinks he's a better leader and coach than Marty or Jimmy Johnson or anyone. Just ask Jimmy T. He'll be glad to fill you in on his strengths. And his experience. And anything else. Because Jimmy T. -- how do we say this nicely? -- doesn't shut the heck up! Ever! For even a second!

They may not end up winning, but two of our three North Carolina contestants on "Survivor: Nicaragua" are considered players to keep an eye on by host Jeff Probst.

Writing in the Oct. 8 issue of Entertainment Weekly, Probst listed Kelly Bruno, right, of the younger La Flor tribe, and Jane Bright of the older Espada tribe among his six players that really bear watching this season.

Of Bruno, the UNC medical student, Probst says she's "obviously an inspiration." But he worries that her tribemates see her as a threat. "They're voting her out because she has an artificial leg and it makes them uncomfortable because they think she'll garner too much sympathy."

Survivor: Nicaragua (8pm, CBS) - NaOnka and local girl Kelly Bruno engage in a small war over the hunt for the hidden immunity idol.

Modern Family (9pm, ABC) - When an earthquake strikes, Cameron and Mitchell see a way out of a costume brunch thrown by their friend Pepper, played by Nathan Lane. Also, Claire is trapped in the bathroom with a plumber and Manny undergoes a crisis of existential proportions on an outing with Jay.

Law & Order: Los Angeles (10pm, NBC) - The detectives are on the case after a cult member is stabbed to death. The cult's leader is questioned, along with the victim's cell mate and Det. Winters' wife, Lori. Terrence Howard has DA duty tonight.

Harry Loves Lisa (10pm, TV Land) - The premiere of a new reality series following the lives of married actors Harry Hamlin and Lisa Rinna. Adrienne has more about the show here.

Steven Seagal Lawman (10pm, A&E) - In the second season opener, Seagal and his team witness a head-on collision and search for a suspect in a double-homicide case.

Terriers (10pm, FX) - What is the best show on TV that you're not watching? This one. The Lindus conspiracy widens around Hank and Britt (left) in tonight's episode, as they have just 24 hours to fix the mess they're in or Mark will no longer be able to protect them (if you watched last week, you know the mess I'm referring to).

Top Chef: Just Desserts (10pm, Bravo) - Forget the challenges, watch to see which pastry chef breaks down in tears tonight. It will happen.

Also tonight, a new season of "Mythbusters" (9pm) starts tonight on Discovery, and new seasons of  "South Park" (10pm) and "Ugly Americans" (10:30pm) begin on Comedy Central. Here's a funny recap of Season 1 of "Ugly Americans."

We've posted a gallery from last week's "Survivor: Nicaragua" (better late than never!) which had former football coach Jimmy Johnson saying adios.

The gallery also features pictures of our three local players, Kelly Bruno (pictured here), Chase Rice, and Jane Bright. Click the photo of Kelly at left to view the entire gallery.

Then check back after this week's episode (Wednesday nights at 8pm on CBS) for a recap and more photos.

So, you're Jimmy Johnson. You've coached football teams to collegiate national championships and Super Bowl victories. You've been a trusted and entertaining TV football analyst. You've made commercials for, ahem, "enhancement" products. (OK, that's probably not your proudest moment.) But still, you've got a lot going for you. So why do you want to be a contestant on "Survivor" and have a bunch of whiny, conniving, 40-and-over reality show contestants question your coaching abilities?

The inane comments of Johnson's Espada teammates on this week's episode of "Survivor: Nicaragua" are enough to make him shake his silver-haired head in disbelief.

Of course, the 30-and-younger La Flor team doesn't behave any better, as Tar Heel contestant Kelly Bruno learns when she gets in a brawl with a teammate that leaves no banana unsmushed.

Suvivor: Nicaragua (8pm, CBS) - A battle erupts over a hidden immunity idol. Tune in to keep track of how our Tar Heel players are doing, then check back here tonight for our recap of the show.

Undercovers (8pm, NBC) - I'm giving this show one more week to amuse me. Tonight, married spies Steven and Samantha (right) go on the hunt for a kidnapped scientist whose captors plan to force her to make a bomb to be used in an attack.

The Middle is Better With a Modern Family in Cougar Town (8pm, ABC) - ABC's solid two-hour comedy block is simply not to be missed (especially that second hour).

Law & Order: SVU (9pm, NBC) - A woman (Jennifer Love Hewitt) objects to having a rape kit done after she is raped repeatedly by the same man. Benson learns that some precincts don't even process their rape kits, but then an L.A. detective (crossover alert! crossover alert!) played by Skeet Ulrich is able to help her with the case.

Law & Order: LA (10pm, NBC) - The latest spinoff from the now-canceled "Law & Order" mothership takes place in Los Angeles, with Skeet Ulrich and Corey Stoll as detectives who investigate crimes. Terence Howard and Alfred Molina will alternate as the district attorneys who prosecute the offenders. The show will also eventually feature Peter Coyote as their poor man's "Jack McCoy." We have no review (read this instead) because NBC wouldn't send us a screener. I wonder if it has anything to do with all my ranting and raving and name-calling from that time they canceled "Law & Order."  Hmmm....

The Defenders (10pm, CBS) - While we didn't buy for a second that Frank Sinatra Junior is that hard a ticket to get in Vegas, we were still charmed by this show's premiere. Tonight, Nick defends a woman accused of running down a jogger while talking on her cell phone.

Terriers (10pm, FX) - Hank and Britt return to the Lindus case, when Lindus himself hires them to break into one of his offices and steal $25,000 from his safe.

We're only on our second week of "Survivor: Nicaragua," but things have taken a decidedly nasty turn on both the 40-and-older Espada tribe and the 30-and-younger La Flor tribe. (The 31-39 demographic is apparently not that important to CBS this season.)

Shoes are damaged. Socks are stolen. Sexual preferences are questioned.

And our North Carolina homeboy Chase Rice finds himself torn between allegiance to his Alpha Male buddy and an increasing attraction to a flirting female. "I am definitely in a mess right now," Chase says at one point. I'll say.

For its 21st season, "Survivor" takes us to "remote, mysterious, dangerous" Nicaragua, host Jeff Probst tells us. And right off the bat, we're treated to a disturbing HD image of birds picking apart some sort of animal carcass.

But that's nothing compared to some of the other oddities we get in the opening episode: A really dumb jock who wears the nickname "Fabio" like a badge of honor. A crazy-eyed fisherman who surely wandered in from the set of a horror movie. And a Super Bowl-winning NFL coach dispensing motivational advice -- when he's not throwing up on national television.

At least our three North Carolina contestants make fairly good first impressions, though there are warning signs about how long two of them will last.

Survivor: Nicaragua (8pm, CBS) - The 21st edition of this CBS reality show begins tonight with a special "old vs. young" competition, featuring former Dallas Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson and three contestants from North Carolina. Be sure to check back with us after the show for a recap.

MasterChef (8pm, Fox) - The winner of the first season is announced. I have no prediction but I'm pulling for 22-year-old Whitney. The winner gets $250,000, a cookbook deal, and the title "America's Best Home Cook."

America's Got Talent (8pm, NBC) - The winner of Season 5 is revealed in a two-hour special.

Big Brother 12 (9pm, CBS) - The jury votes for the winner of the $500,000 prize in the season finale.

Dark Blue (9pm, TNT) - Two new back-to-back episodes with the 10pm episode marking the second season finale. In the finale, the gang tries to stop a terrorist smuggling dirty bomb components into the country.

Ma's Roadhouse (9pm, TruTV) - A new reality series following a Dallas man who oversees a bar, a tattoo parlor, and a motorcycle shop with plenty of input from his opinionated 71-year-old mother, who also manages his bar. Two new back-to-back episodes tonight.

Outlaw (10pm, NBC) - A new pilot starring Jimmy Smits as a Supreme Court justice who quits the court to return to private practice, traveling the country with his legal team taking on controversial cases.

Top Chef: Washington, DC (10pm, Bravo) - The winner (please don't be Angelo) is announced in tonight's finale from Singapore. The winner (please don't be Angelo) receives $125,000.

Top Chef: Just Desserts (10pm, Bravo) - This delicious "Top Chef" spinoff debuts after the D.C. finale. Check out our review.