Amazing Race starts tomorrow - Tuesday, July 6th
 

Just thought I'd throw out a reminder. I know there are quite a few fans here.

Thanks for the reminder. I've been looking forward to this.

I only hope I can remember to watch it each week this season. I always seem to miss more episodes than I see. It is a great show, though.

Thank you, Clifton! :-D

I know I will draw scorn and contempt with this but, I have never watched the Great Race and I know nothing about it.
Would anyone like to tell me about it ? Is it entertaining to all or only those who love Reality shows (not me!)..or is it like a Game show?
Thanks ((F))

Sorry, I meant Amazing Race, there was a movie called The Great Race..I was out in the sun too long today :)

Scarlett - I think you would really enjoy The Amazing Race. It is a reality show but it is shot all over the world. Some of the footage is "amazing."

Last season they had almost one entire episode on Venice alone, seeing parts that most tourists wouldn't have the opportunity to see. It's very well done. In the beginning it's hard to keep track of who is who because there are so many couples participating but every week a couple is eliminated.

Give it a try.

I've been hearing the promo spots, but thanks for the note anyway, Clifton.

I'm trying to think of all European countries they've been in, and haven't been in, on all the previous shows. I know they've been in France (including Paris & Les Baux) and Italy (including Rome & Venice and a town near the Dolomites) and the Netherlands (Amsterdam), but I can't recall other European countries (although I'm sure they must've been in England and probably Spain as well.) Anyone?

One of my favourite shows, it's been too long since the last one!

My calendar has been marked since the last thread and I'm "primed and ready."

I dislike reality shows intently Scarlett, but this one is not the same at all. We have enjoyed two series and are looking forward to the new one. I don't remember if they have been in England and Spain (I don't think so on the two we have watched).

Wonder who we'll cheer for and dislike this time! Happy watching everyone!

OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Love the show. So happy it won the Emmy last year so I knew I could expect back on again. I love the Amazing Race better than Survivors. Always keeps you on your toes. Can't wait to see what happends tomorrow.

OK, Thank you :)

Thanks so much for the heads up. I don't get channel 2 so I haven't seen any promos for it. I'll make sure to have my friend TIVO it for me. It is such a great show.

If you really, really, really like The Amazing Race and would like to discuss it more, here are a couple of reality television message boards where the show is already being discussed in depth.

http://www.elitestv.com/discus/messa...tml?1089084916

http://tvclubhouse.bomis.com/forum/m...tml?1089082288

I've had my VCR set for this since they announced the date. But it's on later than usual, 9:30pm and this episode is 90-minutes. Also noticed that it will be repeated Saturday night. Don't know whether it will continue to be shown on Tuesday and at 9pm or return to it's original Thursday at 8pm. We'll just have to check our TV listings. Also understand that this is a longer show with participant hitting additional (more days) destinations, and something about what happens to those who are eliminated. Tonite will tell what's new, what's different. They depart from the Santa Monica pier in Los Angeles.

As to jenV not receiving Channel 2, not knowing where you live, it's the CBS network and might come in on another channel in your city/town. Channels don't line up the same everywhere in the country.

The Chicago Tribune has a feature on it today -- says it will move to 7pm on Saturdays after the premiere tonight. What a lousy time slot. In the past, it's been up against West Wing, which was always a problem in our household.

Yeah !

Scarlett, Amazing Race fans gather no scorn.....welcome to the club.
In a nut shell, 11 teams of 2 people pack a knapsack and meet at a starting point which tonight, as someone has said, is the Santa Monica pier. There, they are given some money and an envelope containing instructions to make their way, by whaterev means they choose and can afford with the cash they have been given, to the next surprise destination where another envelope awaits with the next set of instructions. And so they span the globe. There are mad dashes to airports, trains stations, cabs, bikes, rickshaws, frantic perusing of schedules and maps, etc. Along the way, to get more clues, there are mental and physical games to play, puzzles to figure out, shopping lists in foreign languages to buy and sometimes eat (anyone remember China ?), clues to find (treasure hunt style, such as under a reef or hidden in an archaeological ruin), famous landmarks to spot from on high (remember Lenny and Karen searching for the ?Dome? by telescope from the Eiffle tower ?), bungee jumping, hang gliding in Brazil, local dancing and singing to participate in, etc. all in order to find the next clue envelope. Some of the contestants are genuinely moved to tears by the emotion of what the see in parts of the world they never knew existed. Others seem just in it for the race and the prize.

At the end of each episode, the contestants must get to a pit stop (once a beautiful winery in S. Africa ) where they feed and rest for 12 hours before receiving their next envelope and cash and setting off again. The last team to each pit stop (usually) is eliminated, and the last team standing at the end of it all gets a million. There?s lots more to the game as you?ll see (fast forwards, detours, etc.) but the contestants have fun (and irritate each other) while we get to see destinations that quickly get added to our ?must see? lists. I too detest reality shows but this one is different.

As far as European countries that they?ve been to, besides those listed already, I recall Portugal (where they had to move barrels of Port), Scotland (where they couldn?t understand the locals? directions), England (Cambridge, where they had to punt, and a brother- team fell in the river to the delight of the laughing onlookers), Switzerland (Grindelwald I think ?, Zack carrying whiney Flo across an alpine meadow to the pit stop).

They seem to go to Africa, Asia and Australia a lot more frequently than elsewhere but this time, I?m hoping that they will feature South America and Eastern Europe. I know that they go to Banff, Canada at some point, as I happened to visit the location of their roadblock there in March just days after they had passed through. The locals weren?t telling !

I think its time we put up a couple of Fodorite teams for the next audition. Any takers ? (Giovanna, Capo, ??...):)

Yes, it's back!

I've seen some places I would love to visit and some I wouldn't (the subway in India last season).

According to the article I read in the newspaper, the teams covered 75,000 miles in about a month.

I don't think I would do well on the race, but maybe I could be a part of the production company?

And they are off with the first team eliminated! I think this is going to be a good one. The pit stop hotel reminded me of Las Hadas in Manzanillo, Mexico. I've already started liking and rooting for some teams and taken an instant dislike to one of the two brothers, with his sexist comments about the "girls not being aggressive and not too bright." I very much enjoyed tonight's episode and look forward to the whole season.

Giovanna - I have to agree! I was SO hoping the two brothers would get eliminated (they annoyed me :) ) The "zig" looked like fun though :D

Well, I watched it last night for the first time ever, and I'm hooked. What a fun show! The two brothers got on my nerves as well. But I like the twins and the "little person". Carrying that side of beef looked PAINful!

Can anyone tell me where they started and where they went last night?

I was too busy watching turtles hatch on the beach and missed it!

Will it be airing on Saturday's from now on?

Love that show! I've also started to like / dislike certain teams for no real reason in some cases. (That couple who call themselves Christians - what's with his hair?!!) I was also amazed at the 'little person' - I couldn't believe how strong she was.

I've suggested to my husband that we try out for the show. 2 problems - 1) you have to be American (he is, but I'm not) and 2) you have to reside in the US (and obviously we don't).

Interesting to see how the stress affects all of them. My husband said that we would be known as the 'soon to be separated couple' if we did actually end up on a show like that!

Statia: They started in Santa Monica and went to various places in Uruguay. According to a previous post, they will now air Saturday nights. Almost sounds as if the network is trying to dump the show, giving it a bad time slot. Hope I'm wrong!

Warning, this might be a spoiler for those who haven't watched.

If I remember right, the couple who arrived first at the pit stop (and had to go back to get the route marker) took longer in the casino than the anoying/sexist brothers. Was there another part to the mission before heading to the pit stop? I think the brothers came in 5th, but should have been ahead of the first couple that missed picking up the route marker.

Yes, I'm hooked. Can't wait for the next episode.

Lance is in YELLOW even though they changed the rules to help his rivals compete.

I also was annoyed by the couple who seem to feel that as Christians they have a leg up in the competition! God is personally watching over them to make sure they do well in a contest. Sorry, don't want to antagonize anyone.

One of the female contestants is the runner-up on the first Big Brother show, which I've never watched. She supposedly did some terrible things on that show and was widely disliked by viewers. Does anyone know the details? She certainly was horrible to her boyfriend in the first Amazing Race episode.

Giovanna and ncgrrl, thanks for the update. I'll try to be sure and catch it this Saturday.

Also, Susan, thanks for the sign up info. My husband and I have thought of signing up before, but we no longer live in the US, so I guess that nixes that idea.

Saw the show last night for the first time after learning that Kami and Karli were contestants. They're daughters of a guy I used to work with, and often hung around the office doing odd jobs for a number of us. Good kids. Wonder if I could get an inside line on who wins.......

Dabodin : I think they're going to find out pretty soon that God helps those who help themselves !

Too soon to choose favourites, but I was impressed by the Bowling moms and irritated by the twin sisters. Imagine walking right past a clue box while saying " I know it must be here somewhere. We're probably walking right past it..." Duh!

Where's the BEEF ?

The 2 cousins (one a little person) had me in fits with the side of beef ! I sure hope that the taller one doesn't come down with Mad Cow disease as she thought she might from carrying it. Unbelieveable when she asked her little partner to carry it instead...and she did. That side of beef was almost as big as she was. However for all their apparent 'we-can-do-everything' attitude, they whined a lot about people not helping them.

Next week's preview showed them 'Tango'ing the night away.

Scarlett did you watch ?

According to the cbs site....

The premier will be re-run again Sat at 8pm ET

The regular time-slot will be on Tuesdays at 10 pm ET

Here is the preview from their site:


Tuesday, July 13 10PM ET/PT

One delayed Team gets angry, thinking another Team intentionally misled them with bad information.

Frustration and fighting erupt when a Team switches Detour tasks halfway through. Will they fall far behind the other Teams?

Tempers flare when an all-out sprint between two Teams leads to a standoff for a taxi.

A Team member's strategic mistake leads to tense talk, testing that Team's relationship.

beachbum......the contestants sign non disclosure contracts before they even start.The contracts are as thick as phone books and their liability is $15M....The enforced silence is rumored to be a major contributing factor on the breakup of the relationship of the winners of AR4 following their win.

My favourite line in the show when Donny & Alison find out they needed to take a ferry to Gorriti Island, Donny says "I guess we have to take a boat."
Hmmm....what kind of "ferry" did he expect? The Tooth Ferry?

What I want to know is why they don't get access to some basic travel information, like a map or a foreign language phrase book, or even the resources to find them like the internet (what a product plug for some PDA manufacturer!). I think they should have more that depends on your brain or your heart like learning about a local culture or making a friend with a local person to get ahead and not so much on touching gross things.

dabodin> I also wonder . . if they praise their xian god when they do well, will they also curse that god if they fail?

Tully: Thanks for the schedule. Glad to hear they will continue their Tuesday night time slot! We will be in Hawaii on the 13th, but barring something fantastic going on, I will be watching the next episode.

I have to say and I may anger some, but is God really going to watch out for someone who is playing a game for money on tv? That sounds like alot of mumbo jumbo to me.

laurie ann
You are absolutely right on. I have thought that many times when wathcing. It should be more about what can happen when you're trying to navigate (under pressure) in a foreign environment. It should be more about logistics--we can carry sides of beef in the US for cryin out loud. Here in Texas people do that all the time...<grin>

Sorry--I hit the wrong button...

>>What I want to know is why they don't get access to some basic travel information, like a map or a foreign language phrase book, or even the resources to find them like the internet<<
laurie,
In past seasons, players were shown using maps and guidebooks. While I don't think the producers provide them, the players can choose to buy them along the way using their limited funds. Some players use the cellphones of their cabdrivers to make airline arrangements. Last year's finale showed some players using another traveler's laptop during an airport wait to find research their destination. I think much of this is cut out by the producers since the producers think it is less exciting than touching gross things.

Dabodin:

Alison (partnered with her sometimes boyfriend Donny and currently in first place on AR), was the runner-up on the last season of Big Brother. During BB, she flirted incessantly, and kissed, cuddled, etc. with a blond guy from Oklahoma (forgot the name) -- all the while crying during the individual interviews about how much she loved Donny and missed him. In addition, she lied to about every other person in the house, and was a general b*tch and know-it-all, not very well liked during BB.

Alison's attitude doesn't seem to have improved much on Amazing Race -- I'm pulling for the bowling moms or the internet dating older pair.