TELEVISION

Abstract

For example, in the first new show, a ditzy Dutch couple arrive in Singapore, and straight away they're required to hunt for pink orchids, after which they try to get some of the shy locals to sing the country's national anthem. It's all in good fun.

Travel Goes Hollywood Marathon

CTV Travel, Sunday, Feb. 29, starting at 6 p.m.

Call it either an alternative or an addendum to the mindless glitz of this Sunday's Oscars broadcast: a six-hour run of travel programming in which each program is related to the movies and Hollywood.

The marathon starts with Discover the World: Los Angeles , which provides an extensive look at the city's most famous sites and landmarks.

Next up: Inside Travel: Travel Celebrity Style (7 p.m.), which demonstrates how the rich and famous use their holiday time.

Likewise, The Luxury Travel Show (7:30 p.m.) profiles L.A.'s hottest -- and most expensive -- hotels and resorts, and Celebrity Homes Road Trip (8 p.m.) meanders through Beverly Hills and other posh neighbourhoods.

You want more glamour? Movie Lovers Road Trip (9 p.m.) revisits famous film sets from the past, ranging from Gone with the Wind to Animal House .

And finally, Top Ten Southern Californian Beaches (11 p.m.) goes up and down the Pacific coastline in search of the best beaches and bronzed bodies. Hey, you can find out who won the Oscars on the news later anyway.

Extreme Cuisine: Hot & Spicy

Food Network, Sunday, Feb. 29

9 p.m.

This hour-long special spans the world in search of the absolute hottest dishes and foods in existence.

Included in the sojourn is a trip to an Indiana firehouse, ironically enough, where creative firemen have concocted their famous Chili Pepper Hot Sauce; a visit to Phoenix, Ariz., to taste what is widely considered the world's spiciest mustard; and a side trip to Mexico to sample some fiery tequila that comes with a price tag of $500 (U.S.) a bottle. Can you feel the heat?

Chasing Time

National Geographic Channel, Tuesday, March 4, 6:30 p.m.

A welcome new season of the lively "travel challenge" series starts this week. The clever concept remains the same: Two-person teams are dropped into cities around the world where they take part in complicated scavenger hunt related to various landmarks and the locale they're in.

For example, in the first new show, a ditzy Dutch couple arrive in Singapore, and straight away they're required to hunt for pink orchids, after which they try to get some of the shy locals to sing the country's national anthem. It's all in good fun.