PASADENA, Calif. - Remember Rob Mariano and Amber Brkich? Rob and Amber? She won a million bucks on Survivor and he won her? Later they got robbed on The Amazing Race?

The reality love birds were working the press tour to promote The Rob And Amber Project, being developed for the Fox Reality channel, a fledgling U.S. service barely on the radar down here.

The show is about Mariano trying to become a Vegas card shark, or, as critics were referring to it, "see Rob give back all of Amber's money."

"I've always loved poker and I've always wanted to play professionally," says Rob. Ironically, Amber stood with her hand in his pocket through one interview scrum.

Still, don't bet against the Rob Father. While the reality gravy train seems to be slowing down for most contestants, Mariano says he and Amber are still milking their 15 minutes five years after their first Survivor run. "You guys keep buying," he said, "so we keep selling."

TENOR OF THE TIMES: Italian tenor Vittorio Grigolo, dubbed "Il Pavarottino"("Little Pavarotti") by Pavarotti himself, treated critics to a mini concert Wednesday night. The 29-year-old singer was at press tour to promote Great Performances' Vittorio: Dreams Of Rome and belted out several hammy love songs, including Maria from West Side Story and something by Stevie Wonder (hey, it was in Italian).

Many of the PBS matrons in attendance seemed entranced as much by his too-tight trousers as his voice. You have not lived until you have sat in a room full of horny PBS women. It is like witnessing a pledge break at a male strip club.

The dude was later seen playing the piano in the hotel lobby, and, still later, skinny dipping in the hotel pool. Go Italy!