The Amazing Race starts soon!
 

Just an fyi

This Tuesday starts the next series of Amazing Race. I am curious to see if the group of 4 version will be as good as two in a group.

How many of you secretly desire to be on The Amazing Race ( I openly desire it!!)

Suse

I know a lot of people who have/will be sending tapes. Definitely a fun thrill!

This format seems tricky; not sure. Then again, you get family drama when you get family, so this could be a riot to watch! I read an article on the race which says the race starts in NYC (underneath the Brooklyn Bridge) and ends in the Niagara Falls. There is also the rumor that the teams will only visit locations is North and Central America with every stop being either nature or historical. Less non-elimination rounds and the Yield option will be frequently used and a source of good drama. :-D

FYI: Reruns of old seasons play nightly at 9 pm (and then again at midnight) on the Game Show Network. It's such a great show.

Season 1 of AR (almost 13 hrs worth of playtime) has just been released on DVD - who can forget Team Guido !!

The Sept 30 issue of Entertainment Weekly magazine rates it an A!!

Sounds like a 'must have' for any fan of AR. Can't wait to get my copy.

I think CBS blew it with this season's Amazing Race. No posts on this subject since September. I think most viewers like the European and Asian settings. This season's 4 person teams doesn't seem to be catching on either. Go back to Europe and use the old tried and true pairings - a guy couple or two, fighting heteros, religious African-Americans and feisty seniors.

I agree completely with Zeus. This family edition has been a snoozer. And I ADORE Amazing Race! It took several episodes for them to even get out of the States, and then it was only to Central America. Now they're back in the U.S. again! I really don't care who wins...and that's not like me at all.

Can't wait for the return to the two-person teams (there are so many running around now that it's hard to keep them straight), the foreign locales and all the rest.

I'll bet their ratings are down this time around. Does anyone know?

Just as the show was ending tonight our news station came on with a weather break (severe thunderstorms). When the show came back on, it was over!!

Did the Paoli family get taken out?

Yes!

Oh please next week, let it be the Weavers. If they win this race I don't think I can ever watch it again!!!

Check the thread on the US board. We've been starting a new thread each week, with a dated header for clarity.

What are you all talking about? Is this a US TV thing?

Yes, it is. But Fodor's lets us have this discussion because the show is a contest in which teams race around the world, so there is lots of footage of other countries, and usually the tasks that must be performed are connected to the culture of the country they are in.

I totally agree about this season being a snooze and I LOVE this show. I've even bought the DVD of the first season. But this family edition is a dud...there's too many people to really get to know them...most of the families are not really compelling to watch and the tasks at the beginning were not exactly exciting either. I really look forward to the real Amazing Race coming back on the air.

I was sorry to see the Paolo family come in last. They were the most entertaining of the bunch. Even their yelling was entertaining.

What's with the Weavers? Every 2 seconds they're praying. I call them a bunch of obnoxious hypocrites. I agree with Creflors. If they win I would have a hard time watching the show. I miss the European adventures and hate the foursomes.

I have not been able to make myself watch this one at all. I get my AR fix on the game show network running reruns of all the old seasons. The reson is that I cannot stand the bickering and the way a lot of the parents speak and treat their children.

I have to agree. I have loved all of the previous seasons of AR. This one just isn't as good. Here's hoping next season is better.

Johanna

I have only watched this program on occasion thru the years but I am really enjoying this family edition. I might be enjoying it becasue as I watch, I imagine how my husband, 20 year old college student son, 14 year old eighth grade son and I would do on such an adventure.
Granted, the Paolos were entertaining in an obnoxious way but i give all the families lots of credit for even attempting such an endeavor! Other than that family, the parents seemed to respect their kids. I do beleive those Linz boys are starting to dig the Godlewski sisters!!!
Can't wait for next week... Cioa, L

I completely agree with others here who have posted, this is just not as exciting of a race. I also really miss the travel outside of the US. I love seeing all the places they have raced on previous episodes. While watching a bit last night of the first episode, and thought I wonder when the next segment will begin. I like the family part,We travel frequently with our 2 kids, but I need more exiting distinations.

Travelatte

Do you think it is the new format of the show this season or the show is just wearing thin. I have always been a Survivor fan and I find this season to not be very thrilling either and AR and Survivor have always been favorites of mine

I think it's the new format. There's too many people, they're driving too much and not flying, I like the challenges of finding flights...as the old saying goes..'if it ain't broke, don't fix it'

Zeus, there have been hundreds of posts ib severak threads about AR8 on the US board and even a few on the Latin America one.

Not much reason to discuss this one on the Europe board:-(

Wish the little kids were still in the race!

Keith

I, too, am so dissappointed in this season's AR. We, as Americans have seen hundreds of times(even if only on tv, magazines, etc.) all of the places they have visited so far. Oh, how I long for the European AR and for people that are interesting enough that you want to watch. I must admit that for most episodes this season, I have fallen asleep before I see who gets eliminated. Bring back the old style of Amazing Race.

I am still lobbying for an Amazing Race with teams from different countries.

Keith

Mrs. Paolo said it best last night: "Arizona?? What are we going there for? I wanna go to New Zealand!"

suse, they are next season.

Could someone tell me really simply what this show is about and what network it's on and on what day? I've never seen it. I hear (read) people talking about it, but tend not to pay attention since I don't know what it's basically about, so the detailed comments just don't mean anything to me.

It is on CBS on Tuesday nights.

Up until the present race, it has consisted of two person teams that have some type of relationship (married, related, dating, friends) racing more or less around the world in segments, with the last place team in a segment usually eliminated.

Each segment is a series of fairly straight forward clues followed from site to site. A couple of times in the segment, there are tasks to perform. They have a limited budget for things like taxis and food. Their coach airfares are paid for them.

The overall winner gets a million dollars. The heat winners sometimes get nice prizes as well.

This particular race (number 8) the teams are all related and made up of four people). There are a few children.

This race has stayed all in the US (except for 2 segments in Central America) and most of the travel has been the teams driving themselves.

Most races there is at least one team that seems overly nasty or dysfunctional. That may be exaggerated by the editing.

The unusual thing about race 8 is that all but one of the teams became very close during the race. They still contact each other regularly, and even took care of a team that lost their home to Katrina.

Keith

I love the amazing race, one of the reasons I am going on my backpacking tour is do to my addiction of this show.

I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that the mom and her children don't win..they have to be one of the most annoying family!

As much as I've always adored The Amazing Race, just haven't been able to get into this one. Afraid I forgot to look last night. Who got axed?

Looking forward to the next time around when they get back to the original format. I don't want to see America! Too close to home.

Word is, they come to Toronto, Montreal and Niagara Falls, Canada next week as part of the Finale. Woo Hoo !

The team with 4 sisters got axed last night. They all but admitted that while they love each other, they don't really like each other very much. And said they were disappointed by the way they treated each other during the race.

Thanks for explaining, Keith. I've been out Tuesday nights anyway, but starting week after next, my Tuesday activity is over for the season. I show watch this show one of these days.

While we have watched each episode, this Amazing Race has been the least interesting. It is really hard to root for any of the teams.

All teams act self-righteous, blaming the other teams for being mean or rude. All of them are rude and have said mean things.

Who will win? I really don't care. None of the teams are really that likeable.

Another reason this is a season that isn't great, in my opinion, is that it's been all in the US, for the most part. What I have always loved about the show are the different cultural experiences that each team has had to go through. Watching previous Amazing Races has let me travel vicariously.

Next week happens to be the final episode of this race, cmt.

There should be a new one in the new year.

I didn't come to the the show until about the 5th race. It is the only reality TV show that I have watched for more than a few minutes.

Keith

I agree with Keith. An international Amazing Race would be fun. So would a celebrity Amazing Race. Could you see Stevie and Edie on Amazing Race? Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward? Kathy Lee and Frank Gifford? Brad Pitt and Jennifer Anniston-- better nix that one.

I haven't been watching because it's all U.S. I too like watching the different cultural experiences abroad that the teams face.

Well, they DID get to Canada in the end! But yes, the 2-person format with the major international travel is the draw for me, too. Seems they are back to that for the new reace that begins in February.