The Amazing Race, sometimes referred to as TAR, is a reality television game show in which teams of two people (with one exception), who have some form of a preexisting personal relationship, race around the world in competition with other teams. Contestants strive to arrive first at “pit stops” at the end of each leg of the race to win prizes and avoid coming in last, which carries the possibility of elimination or a significant disadvantage in the following leg. Contestants travel to and within multiple countries in a variety of transportation modes, including planes, taxis, rental cars, trains, buses and boats. The clues in each leg point the teams to the next destination or direct them to perform a task, either together or by a single member. These challenges are related in some manner to the country or culture where they are located. Teams are progressively eliminated until three teams are left; at that point, the team that arrives first in the final leg is awarded a large cash grand prize, usually one million U.S. dollars.
Created by Elise Doganieri and Bertram van Munster, the original series has aired in the United States since 2001 and has earned seven Primetime Emmy Awards, including all six “Outstanding Reality-Competition Program” awards that have been given. Emmy-award-winning New Zealand television personality Phil Keoghan has been the popular host of the show since its inception. Hollywood mega-producer Jerry Bruckheimer has been TAR’s main producer. The show has branched out to include a number of international versions following a similar format.
[edit] The Amazing Race around the world
The original version of The Amazing Race is the American version, which debuted on CBS in September 2001. In October 2005, CBS optioned The Amazing Race for franchising to other countries. Buena Vista International Television-Asia Pacific (BVITV-AP) and Sony Pictures Television International’s AXN Asia announced an Asian edition of the race, billed as The Amazing Race Asia, that same month.[27] Applications ran from February to the end of March 2006.[28] Filming was begun in June. Its first season premiered on November 9, 2006 and concluded on February 1, 2007.
During 2005, AXN Central Europe announced a version of the show to be called The Amazing Race Central Europe. Applications are closed with the submission of 2,500 applicants, with filming expected to have occurred in 2006 and broadcast from September 2006.[29] The show has yet to air and has been pulled from AXN’s website, fueling rumors of cancellation.
In addition, a South-American independent production company announced in late 2006 that it would be producing a Brazilian version in 2007, to be called The Amazing Race: A Corrida Milionária, and to be aired in a purchased time slot in the Brazilian network RedeTV!. Applications were open from January until July, and filming occurred during August and September. The first season premiered on October 13, 2007 and concluded on January 5, 2008.[30]
On April 8, 2008, Israel’s television Reshet had licensed to produce the local version of the show, known as Ha’Merotz La’Million (The Race to the Million in English). It will be filming across Asia and scheduled to be premiered later this year.[31]
On October 15, 2008, a Latin American version of the show was announced by the Discovery Channel Latin America in association with Disney. The show is to be filmed in early 2009 for broadcast late in that year across Latin America and the Caribbean. [32]