The WB pairs eight hot, socially smart, intellectually dumb women and eight ugly, socially inept, intellectually smart men for Beauty and the Geek 2, which debuts tonight at 9 p.m. ET.

The “ultimate social experiment,” as the Ashton Kutcher-produced show is called, doesn’t force them to try to fall in love, but instead forces them to work together, which results in more genuine affection than The Bachelor usually has. Also, it’s hysterically fun to watch as, for example, a man fails to recognize Kelly Clarkson’s picture while a woman fails to recognize John Kerry.

For the second season, producers haven’t really changed the formulat at all. And the cast is as strong as last year’s. This time, there’s no Richard, but there’s a good group of geeks, such as a guy who can solve a Rubix cube in mere seconds while it’s behind his back. And the women are as airheady as ever. One positive change: Host Brian McFayden has been replaced by a new, even more nondescript white guy.