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The Amazing Race (U.S. TV series)
Encyclopedia
The Amazing Race is an American reality
game show
in which teams of two or four race
around the world against other teams, with the first-place team winning $1,000,000. As the original version of the Amazing Race franchise
, the CBS
program has been running since 2001 and is airing its nineteenth season, which is the second season broadcast in high-definition
. CBS has renewed the series for its 20th season, scheduled to air in spring 2012; the 19th season
is currently airing.
The show was created by Elise Doganieri
and Bertram van Munster
, who, along with Jonathan Littman, serve as executive producer
s. The show is produced by Earthview Inc. (headed by Doganieri and van Munster), Bruckheimer Television
for CBS Television Studios and ABC Studios (a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company
). For all seasons, the series is hosted by veteran New Zealand television personality, Phil Keoghan
.
The series has won eight out of nine Primetime Emmy Award
s for Outstanding Reality-Competition Program
after the category was created in 2003. Although it has moved around several prime time
time slots since its inception, the program has averaged about 10 million viewers per season.
During each leg, teams follow clues from Route Markers—boxes containing clue envelopes marked in the race's red, yellow, and white colors—to determine their next destination. Travel between destinations includes commercial and chartered airplanes, boats, trains, taxis, buses, and rented vehicles provided by the show, or may have the teams simply travel by foot. Teams are required to pay for all expenses while traveling from a small stipend (on the order of one hundred dollars) given to them at the start of each leg. Any money left unspent can be used in future legs of the race. The only exception is air travel, where teams are given a credit card to purchase economy-class fares.
Clues may directly identify locations, contain cryptic riddles such "Travel to the westernmost point in continental Europe" that teams must figure out, or include physical elements, such as a country flag, indicating their next destination. Clues may also describe a number of tasks that teams must complete before continuing to race. As such, teams are generally free and sometimes required to engage locals to help in any manner to decipher clues and complete tasks. Tasks are typically designed to highlight the local culture of the country they are in. Such tasks include:
Teams are penalized for failing to complete these tasks as instructed or other rules of the race, generally thirty minutes plus any timed gained for the infraction. Such penalties may be enforced while teams are racing, when they arrive at the Pit Stop, or at the start of the next leg.
The events of the race are generally edited and shown in chronological order, cutting between the actions of each team as they progress. Footage from the race is interspersed with commentary from the individual teams or members recorded after each leg to give more insight on the events being shown. The show helps to track the progress of racers through a leg by providing frequent onscreen information identifying teams and their placement.
and Bertram van Munster
, with van Munster challenging Doganieri to develop a concept for a TV show in less than five minutes while both were attending a trade convention. With Doganieri's suggestion of a race around the world, the two refined the concept and sold it to CBS. Van Munster has had previous experience with reality television, having been the producer of COPS
, considered to be the predecessor of reality television, during the 1990s.
. Keoghan initiates the starts of the race, introduces each new area and describes each task for the viewer, and meets each team at the Pit Stops along with a local greeter informing the teams of their placement or their elimination followed by a short interview. Keoghan was a television host in New Zealand prior to The Amazing Race, and had traveled the world and performed adventurous feats for these shows. His background led him to apply for the hosting duties of Survivor
. Though Keoghan was on the shortlist, the producers of Survivor chose Jeff Probst
, while Keoghan was found to be a better fit for The Amazing Race. Keoghan's performance as a host has been highlighted by his ability to arch his eyebrows to the arriving teams to increase suspense before revealing their position, and racers and fans of the show often refer to the progressive elimination of teams as "Philimination". Keoghan signed an extended with CBS to continuing hosting The Amazing Race for "several years", according to TV Guide
, shortly after the conclusion of The Amazing Race 18. The contract will also allow Keoghan to develop ideas into shows for the network.
Prior to each race, CBS
and World Race Productions hold casting auditions around the country and accept submissions through postal mail. Once teams have been selected, teams are given a list of countries, including additional countries that are not planned for the race, that they will need to apply for visas for. Teams prepare backpacks for clothing, hygiene, and other personal items; many electronics such as laptops, cell phones, and GPS devices are banned from the race. A few days before the race, teams are sequestered at a hotel for a final review of the rules, before they are finally taken to the race starting line. All teams are compensated for the time missed from their jobs, though the amount is undisclosed and confidential.
Each two-person team are required to be adult American citizens with an existing relationship, including married and dating couples (regardless of sexuality), near and distant relatives, and friends. Most teams that participate are average Americans, but The Amazing Race has included teams or team members with some celebrity status. Notably, contestants from other reality TV shows, including Alison Irwin, Jordan Lloyd
and Jeff Schroeder from Big Brother, and Rob
, Amber Mariano
, Jenna Morasca
, and Ethan Zohn
from Survivor
. Several professional athletes have participated, including the Harlem Globetrotters
Herbert "Flight Time" Lang
and Nathaniel "Big Easy" Lofton, former NFL players Ken Greene
and Marcus Pollard
, professional bull and bronco rider Cord McCoy
, professional snowboarder Andy Finch
, and Ironman Triathalon competitor Sarah Reinertsen
. Numerous beauty pageant participants and winners have raced on the show, including Nicole O'Brian
, Christie Lee Woods
, Dustin-Leigh Konzelman
, Kandice Pelletier
, Ericka Dunlap
, Caitlin Upton
, Mallory Ervin
, Stephanie Smith
, and Brook Roberts
. Other celebrities include father and son screenwriters and actors Mike and Mel White
, professional poker players Maria Ho
and Tiffany Michelle
, a former prisoner of war
from the Iraq war
Ron Young, professional sailor Zac Sunderland
, and YouTube
star Kevin "KevJumba" Wu. Other racers have found fame in part due to their appearance on The Amazing Race. Chip Arndt
, who had raced with his civil partner Reichen Lehmkuhl
, has become an activist for lesbian and gay community
. Blake Mycoskie, based on his experiences traveling to Argentina during the race, later founded TOMS Shoes
with the concept to donate one pair of shoes to poor children in countries like Argentina for each one sold. Dating goth couple Kent "Kynt" Kaliber and Vyxsin Fiala have become models for the Hot Topic
chain of punk/rock culture clothing stores after their appearance on the show.
, the Argentine bank system failed, creating political unrest, and a new country was selected. Similarly, after the Egyptian Revolution of 2011 and the sexual assault of American reporter Lara Logan
, the production staff considered Egypt to be "off the map right now." It is estimated by van Munster that over 2000 people worldwide are involved in the production of one cycle of the race.
Each team is accompanied by a two-man audio/video team that film the team as they race. Unless otherwise indicated, the crew must be able to accompany the team through all travels; for example, teams must be able to acquire four tickets on a single flight or otherwise cannot take that flight. The crews rotate between teams at Pit Stops to avoid any possible favoritism that may develop between a team and its crew.
The production crew, including Keoghan, Doganieri, and van Munster, all typically travel to the next destination of the race ahead of the teams. They work with local agents, representatives, and film crews to prepare for the tasks before the racers arrive, and are in coordination with the audio/video crews to track racers during a leg. At times, the production team has only arrived hours or minutes ahead of teams before they check into the Pit Stop, forcing production to restage the Pit Stop once they are ready.
Most eliminated teams are sent to a resort destination dubbed "Sequesterville", where the teams will wait until the end of the race and flown into the final destination city to be present at the race finale. In later seasons, short web videos hosted by CBS titled "Elimination Station" show the events at this location as new teams arrive and the events that occur during the teams' stay. Other teams, generally the last few eliminated before the final three, are used as "decoy teams", and run the race up through the final leg. Keoghan has also recorded his own videos during the show's filming, used to show what happens behind the scenes to viewers.
The cost of the show has been subsidized by its sponsors, who provide trips and other prizes to teams that arrive first on certain legs, or have their products featured as a task. For example, more recent seasons have been sponsored by Travelocity
, and typically one leg per season will involve a task that includes the Travelocity "Roaming Gnome". In another example, a tea-themed leg in the 18th season
was sponsored by Snapple
who had developed a new limited edition flavor for the show. The Amazing Race has been considered to be a show that incorporates a large number of product placement
s as tracked by ACNeilsen, often being one of the top shows for product placement each year.
Through the 17th season of the Race, the show has used standard-definition television
cameras despite the move of most other prime time shows, including reality television shows like Survivor, having moved to high-definition television
(HD) prior to 2010. World Race Production has cited the cost and fragility of HD equipment as a barrier to its use for the Race. While other scripted or reality shows that film in one location have the ability to replace equipment quickly from a nearby facility, the mobile nature of the Race made the prospect of using HD difficult. The 18th season of the Race, filmed in late 2010, was the first to be filmed in HD. They will be using Sony XDCAM
s, allowing the filming to be transferred directly to digital format and couriered to the editors.
Most race routes in The Amazing Race circumnavigate the globe, starting from one United States city and ending in another. Two exceptions include The Amazing Race 7
where the route was a great circle
, crossing through Argentina, South Africa, and India before returning westward; and The Amazing Race 8
, the Family Edition of the show, which stayed primarily in the United States and Canada with stops in Panama and Costa Rica.
As of the eighteenth season, The Amazing Race has visited 76 different countries.
and The Real World
.
Seasonal rankings (based on average total viewers per episode) of The Amazing Race on CBS
.
: Each U.S. network television season starts in late September and ends in late May, which coincides with the completion of May sweeps.
: Because this edition of The Amazing Race aired during the summer (and outside of the typical television season, which runs September to May), it was not ranked in either the television season preceding it or succeeding it.
: The two-hour premiere was the only episode to air Tuesday at 9:00 pm.
: Episodes aired Tuesdays at 10:00 pm during the entire month of March 2006, and then moved to Wednesdays at 8:00 pm for the remainder of the season to make room for CSI: NY
.
During its first four seasons, even with extensive critical praise, the show garnered low Nielsen ratings
, facing cancellation a number of times. The premiere of the show aired six days before the September 11 attacks, leaving the fate of the show in doubt. Producer van Munster stated that "Once we saw our billboards covered in dust from the 9/11 tragedy, we knew we had a problem". Low viewership of the show was also attributed to it being lost among all other reality television shows at the time and unable to garner similar numbers as Survivor
. The Amazing Race premiered against a similarly themed reality show Lost
on NBC (unrelated to ABC's Lost
show); Lost featured teams of two stranded in a remote area of the world and forced to find their way back to the United States. A vice president of programming at CBS considered The Amazing Race to be "a show that was always on the bubble" of being canceled.
The show was considered to be saved due to several factors: the show was well-received by critics, winning the Emmy for Outstanding Reality-Competition Programming
in 2003 and 2004; consistent viewership numbers; and feedback from the large number of fans representing the young target demographic, including Sarah Jessica Parker
who had called in directly to CBS
President Les Moonves asking to save the show. The fifth season
of the series, which aired from July to September 2004, had very high viewership numbers for that time of the year, averaging 10.7 million with a finale of nearly 13 million, doubling the viewership in the 18-to-34 demographic and won its time slot for every episode. The improved ratings are credited to the particular teams selected for that season. As a result, CBS began airing the sixth season during the "high-profile heart" of the November 2004 sweeps.
A temporary setback struck The Amazing Race after a Family Edition
that aired later that year was not received warmly by viewers, which resulted in lowered viewership. The change in format, with teams of four and allowing for young children to race alongside their parents, hampered the travel ability of the show. Keoghan, though pleased they had tried something different with the show, attributed the poor response to the Family Edition due to too many people to follow and lack of exotic locations. This spilled over to Season 9
where it experienced dismaying ratings of only an average of 9.1 million viewers per episode, a drop from 13 million just 2 seasons ago in Season 7
. The timeslot changing for Season 9 was also attributed to the drop in ratings.
Since the tenth season
, which moved the show to Sunday nights, The Amazing Race has seen further increases in its numbers. It is believed that part of this increase is due to "sports overruns" (football, basketball, or golf) that resulted from games played earlier on Sunday pushing the airtime for The Amazing Race back by some amount on the East Coast along with other CBS programming. In the Sunday timeslot, The Amazing Race follows 60 Minutes
; Variety
states that, while both shows have different target demographics, the crossover audience between the shows is very high based on the average household income of its viewers, and is part of the Races success. In the 2010 season, another reality television show, Undercover Boss
, was scheduled following The Amazing Race; the overall impact of these three shows have helped CBS to regain viewership on Sunday nights. According to Variety
, the average age of Amazing Race viewers that watch the show live in 2009 was 51.9 years, while for those that time-shifted the show, the average age was 39.2 years. In a 2010 survey by Experian Simmons
, The Amazing Race was found to be the second-highest show proportion of viewers that identify themselves as Republicans
, following Glenn Beck
. The season 16
finale, however, was the lowest-rated finale since season 4
.
Although season 18
averaged over 10 million viewers and finished in top 40 most watched shows of the 2010-2011 television season, the ratings dropped and the season 18 finale was the lowest-rated finale in the show's history.
and Australia
are very popular. The Canadian showing on CTV
is commonly one of the top ten most watched shows each week, according to BBM Canada, Australian broadcasts of the episodes on the Seven Network
often fall into the top 20 programs for the week. Episodes of The Amazing Race also air in several other countries shortly after the American broadcast, including Latin America, China, and the Philippines.
AXN Asia
broadcasts The Amazing Race across southeast Asia; the popularity of the show though the service led to CBS allowing for the option of creating international versions of the show in October 2005. The Amazing Race Asia was one of the first versions created, following essentially the same format as the United States version. Other international versions of the show have been produced out of Latin America and Australia.
of the RealityBlurred.com website. The show is often considered to be "travel porn", offering locations that most people would never get to see in their lifetimes. Keoghan offers that:
The show is also considered to be successful in it does not rely on the typical tropes of reality television, where players are trying to avoid becoming too much of a target to be voted off by their fellow contestants; in The Amazing Race, a team's success is primarily based on their own performance. At the same time, the reality show setting can bring out unbecoming behavior, often leading to the stereotypical idea of ugly American tourists.
The show is known for a dedicated fan base that keeps in touch with the show's producers and contestants. While a race is being run and filmed, fans of the show watch for news or spotting of the racers and attempt to track their progress in real time, enhanced by recent social media tools, leading production to figure out ways to masquerade their presence in any city. Despite this, fans readily track the Race as it is being run across the globe. In the 19th season
, one contestant had lost her passport at a gas station while getting directions to Los Angeles International Airport
. Though spotted by their A/V crew, they could not inform the contestant but instead alerted production, who prepared for an early elimination of the team at LAX. A bystander found the passport, and after he posted about it on Twitter
, he was directed by a fan tracking the Race's progress to take the passport to the airport, returning it before the scheduled flight and keeping the team in the race. Coinciding with the broadcast finale for each season, fans from the website Television Without Pity arrange for a "TARCon" event in New York City along with the season's teams and other former racers.
for the first seven years after the creation of the award in 2003
against other, more popular reality TV shows such as Survivor
, Dancing with the Stars, and American Idol
. Its streak was ended in 2010 when Top Chef
won the Emmy for this category. Host Phil Keoghan
revealed in an interview that the show's loss that year made him and the producers realize that they will have to try harder to win the Emmy again. In 2011, the show won in the category again for the eighth time. After its seventh consecutive win, some in the media, including Survivor host Jeff Probst
suggested that The Amazing Race willingly drop out from the competition in future years, similar to Candice Bergen
declining any further nominations after her fifth Emmy win for her role in Murphy Brown
. Donald Trump
, host of The Apprentice
, has stated that he feels that The Amazing Race does not deserve to win the number of Emmys it has won, believing that "they know how to politic the Emmys". Van Munster has stated that it is "not likely" he will pull the show from future Emmy awards, considering that it reflects on his and his crew's hard work and high standards. The show has also been nominated and won several times for technical production (Creative Arts) Emmy awards, for Cinematography and Picture Editing for Non-Fiction programs, whereas it has only been nominated for Sound Mixing and Sound Editing for Non-Fiction programs. The show has been nominated in the same five categories for three years consecutively, a trend which continued with the 2007 Primetime Emmy Awards
.
The production staff of The Amazing Race has been nominated each year since 2004 for the Producers Guild of America
's Golden Laurel award for Television Producer of a Non-Fiction Program, and won this award in 2005.
Bert Van Munster has been nominated six times for the Directors Guild of America
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Reality Programs award for The Amazing Race each year between 2005 and 2010, and winning the award in 2007.
Due to its favorable portrayal of gay couples, The Amazing Race has been nominated in 2004 and 2006 for, but not won, the GLAAD Media Award
Outstanding Reality Program. It has received a similar nomination for 2009.
in the North America region, The Amazing Race 1
and 7
. The 2nd season
was released through Amazon.com
's CreateSpace "manufacture-on-demand" service. The 3rd and 4th seasons have been confirmed for release through Amazon.com's CreateSpace. Races since The Amazing Race 13
have been made available on iTunes Music Store.
home game console has been also been produced as well as an iOS version.
Two books have been written by fans of the show; the first is written by Adam-Troy Castro
, titled "My Ox Is Broken!": Detours, Roadblocks, Fast Forwards and Other Great Moments from TV's The Amazing Race", which features an introduction from Season 8
racers Billy and Carissa Gaghan. The second book is "Circumnavigating the Globe: Amazing Race 10 to 14 and Amazing Race Asia 1 to 3" written by Arthur E. Perkins Jr.
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
game show
Game show
A game show is a type of radio or television program in which members of the public, television personalities or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving puzzles usually for money and/or prizes...
in which teams of two or four race
Racing
A sport race is a competition of speed, against an objective criterion, usually a clock or to a specific point. The competitors in a race try to complete a given task in the shortest amount of time...
around the world against other teams, with the first-place team winning $1,000,000. As the original version of the Amazing Race franchise
The Amazing Race
The Amazing Race is a reality television game show in which teams of two people, who have some form of a preexisting personal relationship, race around the world in competition with other teams...
, the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
program has been running since 2001 and is airing its nineteenth season, which is the second season broadcast in high-definition
High-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
. CBS has renewed the series for its 20th season, scheduled to air in spring 2012; the 19th season
The Amazing Race 19
The Amazing Race 19 is the nineteenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 19 features several teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world. The 19th season premiered on September 25, 2011.The nineteenth cycle started on...
is currently airing.
The show was created by Elise Doganieri
Elise Doganieri
Elise Doganieri is the Co-Creator and Co-Executive Producer of the CBS reality show The Amazing Race. Doganieri's other credits include serving as show producer of ABC's "Profiles From the Front Line" as well as producer and story editor on the pilot for Paramount's "Wild Things."The Amazing Race...
and Bertram van Munster
Bertram Van Munster
Bertram van Munster is the co-creator and executive producer of The Amazing Race. He is also the creator of Profiles from the Front Line and was the Executive Producer on Oprah's Big Give and Take the Money and Run ....
, who, along with Jonathan Littman, serve as executive producer
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
s. The show is produced by Earthview Inc. (headed by Doganieri and van Munster), Bruckheimer Television
Jerry Bruckheimer
Jerome Leon "Jerry" Bruckheimer is an American film and television producer. He has achieved great success in the genres of action, drama, and science fiction. His best known television series are CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CSI: Miami, CSI: NY, Eleventh Hour, Without a Trace, Cold Case, The...
for CBS Television Studios and ABC Studios (a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
). For all seasons, the series is hosted by veteran New Zealand television personality, Phil Keoghan
Phil Keoghan
Philip John "Phil" Keoghan is a New Zealand-born television personality, best known for hosting the U.S. version of The Amazing Race on CBS, since its 2001 debut. He is also the creator and host of No Opportunity Wasted, which has been produced in the United States, New Zealand, and Canada...
.
The series has won eight out of nine Primetime Emmy Award
Primetime Emmy Award
The Primetime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American primetime television programming...
s for Outstanding Reality-Competition Program
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Reality-Competition Program
Outstanding Reality-Competition Program is a Primetime Emmy Award given out during the primetime telecast since 2003.The Amazing Race won consecutively every year since the category's inception until Top Chef ended its streak in 2010...
after the category was created in 2003. Although it has moved around several prime time
Prime time
Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast programming during the middle of the evening for television programing.The term prime time is often defined in terms of a fixed time period—for example, from 19:00 to 22:00 or 20:00 to 23:00 Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast...
time slots since its inception, the program has averaged about 10 million viewers per season.
Overview
The Amazing Race is a reality television competition, typically between eleven teams of two, in a race around the world. The race cycle is divided into a number of legs, normally twelve; each episode generally covers the events of one leg. Each leg ends with a Pit Stop, where teams are given a chance to rest and recover before starting the next leg twelve hours later. The first team to arrive at a Pit Stop is often awarded a prize such as a trip, while the last team is normally eliminated from the race. Some legs are non-elimination legs, where the last team to arrive may be penalized in the following leg. Some races have featured double-length legs, where there is no rest period at the Pit Stop and teams continue to race. The final leg of each race is run by the last three remaining teams, and the first to arrive at the final destination wins the show's prize, one million dollars. The average length of each race is approximately 25 to 30 days.During each leg, teams follow clues from Route Markers—boxes containing clue envelopes marked in the race's red, yellow, and white colors—to determine their next destination. Travel between destinations includes commercial and chartered airplanes, boats, trains, taxis, buses, and rented vehicles provided by the show, or may have the teams simply travel by foot. Teams are required to pay for all expenses while traveling from a small stipend (on the order of one hundred dollars) given to them at the start of each leg. Any money left unspent can be used in future legs of the race. The only exception is air travel, where teams are given a credit card to purchase economy-class fares.
Clues may directly identify locations, contain cryptic riddles such "Travel to the westernmost point in continental Europe" that teams must figure out, or include physical elements, such as a country flag, indicating their next destination. Clues may also describe a number of tasks that teams must complete before continuing to race. As such, teams are generally free and sometimes required to engage locals to help in any manner to decipher clues and complete tasks. Tasks are typically designed to highlight the local culture of the country they are in. Such tasks include:
- Route Info: A general clue that may include a task to be completed by the team before they can receive their next clue.
- Detours: A choice of two tasks. Teams are free to choose either task or swap tasks if they find one option too difficult. There is generally one Detour present on each leg of the race.
- Roadblocks: A task only one team member can complete. Teams must choose which member will complete the task based on a brief clue about the task before fully revealing the details of the task. Most races limit the number of Roadblocks one team member can perform. There is generally one Roadblock present on each leg of the race.
- Fast Forwards: A task that only one team may complete, allowing that team to skip all remaining tasks and head directly for the next Pit Stop. Teams may only claim one Fast Forward during the entire race.
- Intersections: Tasks that require two teams to work together until otherwise instructed.
- Yields: A station where a team can force another trailing team to wait a pre-determined amount of time before continuing the race. Teams may only yield any other team once per race.
- U-Turns: A station, located after a Detour, where a team can force another trailing team to return and complete the other option of the Detour they did not select. Teams may only U-turn any other team once per race.
- Speed Bumps: A task that only the team saved from elimination on the previous leg must complete before continuing on the race.
Teams are penalized for failing to complete these tasks as instructed or other rules of the race, generally thirty minutes plus any timed gained for the infraction. Such penalties may be enforced while teams are racing, when they arrive at the Pit Stop, or at the start of the next leg.
The events of the race are generally edited and shown in chronological order, cutting between the actions of each team as they progress. Footage from the race is interspersed with commentary from the individual teams or members recorded after each leg to give more insight on the events being shown. The show helps to track the progress of racers through a leg by providing frequent onscreen information identifying teams and their placement.
Season summary
| # | Start line date | Finish line date | Winners | Teams | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 The Amazing Race 1 The Amazing Race is the first installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race... |
Rob Frisbee & Brennan Swain |
||||
| 2 The Amazing Race 2 The Amazing Race 2 is the second installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 2 featured 11 teams of two with a pre-existing relationship in a race around the world... |
Chris Luca & Alex Boylan Alex Boylan Alex Boylan is known as a reality TV contestant, TV show host and producer. He first came to public attention as part of the winning team together with his friend Chris Luca in the second season of the reality TV show The Amazing Race in 2002... |
||||
| 3 The Amazing Race 3 The Amazing Race 3 is the third installment of the reality television show, The Amazing Race. This season featured 12 teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world, making it the first season to have 12 teams... |
Flo Pesenti & Zach Behr |
||||
| 4 The Amazing Race 4 The Amazing Race 4 is the fourth installment of the reality television show on US television The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 4 featured 12 teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world... |
Reichen Lehmkuhl Reichen Lehmkuhl Reichen Lehmkuhl, , is an American former reality show winner, model, and occasional actor... & Chip Arndt Chip Arndt Chip Arndt is an American gay activist, best known as a winner of The Amazing Race 4 in 2003 with former partner Reichen Lehmkuhl. The team was the first out gay couple to win a reality television competition... |
||||
| 5 The Amazing Race 5 The Amazing Race 5 is the fifth installment of the American reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 5 featured 11 teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world.... |
Chip & Kim McAllister |
Introduced the Yield and non-elimination penalty | |||
| 6 The Amazing Race 6 The Amazing Race 6 is the sixth installment of the reality television series The Amazing Race. It premiered on November 16, 2004, and concluded on February 8, 2005.Freddy Holliday & Kendra Bentley were the winners of this Race.... |
Freddy Holliday & Kendra Bentley |
||||
| 7 The Amazing Race 7 The Amazing Race 7 is the seventh installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 7 features 11 teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world... |
Uchenna & Joyce Agu |
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| 8 The Amazing Race 8 The Amazing Race 8 is the eighth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race... |
Nick, Alex, Megan, & Tommy Linz |
Family Edition Included children as young as 8 years old |
|||
| 9 The Amazing Race 9 The Amazing Race 9 is the ninth installment of the American reality television show The Amazing Race. This season featured eleven teams of two with a pre-existing relationship in a race around the world to win one million dollars. The show premiered on Tuesday, February 28, 2006 and concluded on... |
B.J. Averell & Tyler MacNiven Tyler MacNiven Tyler MacNiven is an American filmmaker and reality television contestant.-Stanford University Admission Campaign:MacNiven first received attention in 1998 when, while a senior at Woodside High School in Woodside, California, he launched a political-style campaign to supplement his application to... |
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| 10 The Amazing Race 10 The Amazing Race 10 is the tenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 10 features twelve teams of two with a pre-existing relationship in a race around the world.... |
Tyler Denk Tyler Denk Tyler Denk is an American male model notable for his appearance on tenth season of The Amazing Race, which he had won along with teammate James Branaman... & James Branaman |
Introduced the Intersection | |||
| 11 The Amazing Race 11 The Amazing Race 11 is the 11th installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race... |
Eric Sanchez & Danielle Turner |
All-Stars Featured returning favorite teams, and a new team that began dating after their first season |
|||
| 12 The Amazing Race 12 The Amazing Race 12 is the twelfth installment of winning reality television show The Amazing Race.The 12th season premiered on November 4, 2007 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. It took the timeslot of the canceled CBS series Viva Laughlin. The finale aired on January 20, 2008 at 8 p.m... |
TK Erwin & Rachel Rosales |
Introduced the U-Turn & Speed Bump | |||
| 13 The Amazing Race 13 The Amazing Race 13 is the 13th installment of the reality television competition series The Amazing Race. It featured 11 teams of two, each with a preexisting relationship, in a race around the world.... |
Nick & Starr Spangler |
||||
| 14 The Amazing Race 14 The Amazing Race 14 is the fourteenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 14 featured 11 teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world.... |
Tammy Tammy Jih Tamara Tien-Jan "Tammy" Jih is an American lawyer and contestant on the 14th season of The Amazing Race, an American reality television game show. She and her brother, Victor Jih, were the winners of the competition.-Early life and career:... & Victor Jih Victor Jih Victor Hao-jan Jih is an American lawyer and contestant on the 14th season of The Amazing Race, a reality television game show produced by CBS. He and his sister, Tammy Jih, were the winners of the competition and one million dollar grand prize.... |
||||
| 15 The Amazing Race 15 The Amazing Race 15 is the fifteenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 15 featured 12 teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world.... |
Meghan Rickey & Cheyne Whitney |
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| 16 The Amazing Race 16 The Amazing Race 16 is the sixteenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 16 features eleven teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world.... |
Dan & Jordan Pious |
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| 17 The Amazing Race 17 The Amazing Race 17 is the seventeenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 17 features 11 teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world.... |
Nat Strand & Kat Chang |
Introduced the Express Pass | |||
| 18 The Amazing Race 18 The Amazing Race 18 is the eighteenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 18 features eleven teams of two – each returning from a previous edition – in a race around the world for a $1 million prize.The eighteenth cycle started on Sunday,... |
Kisha & Jen Hoffman |
Unfinished Business Featured returning teams who lost their first race and wanted to prove they could win |
|||
| 19 The Amazing Race 19 The Amazing Race 19 is the nineteenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 19 features several teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world. The 19th season premiered on September 25, 2011.The nineteenth cycle started on... |
Introduced the Hazard and a double elimination | ||||
| 20 |
Concept
The original idea for The Amazing Race began as a bet between current producers Elise DoganieriElise Doganieri
Elise Doganieri is the Co-Creator and Co-Executive Producer of the CBS reality show The Amazing Race. Doganieri's other credits include serving as show producer of ABC's "Profiles From the Front Line" as well as producer and story editor on the pilot for Paramount's "Wild Things."The Amazing Race...
and Bertram van Munster
Bertram Van Munster
Bertram van Munster is the co-creator and executive producer of The Amazing Race. He is also the creator of Profiles from the Front Line and was the Executive Producer on Oprah's Big Give and Take the Money and Run ....
, with van Munster challenging Doganieri to develop a concept for a TV show in less than five minutes while both were attending a trade convention. With Doganieri's suggestion of a race around the world, the two refined the concept and sold it to CBS. Van Munster has had previous experience with reality television, having been the producer of COPS
COPS (TV series)
Cops is an American documentary/reality television series that follows police officers, constables, and sheriff's deputies during patrols and other police activities...
, considered to be the predecessor of reality television, during the 1990s.
Casting
The Amazing Race is hosted by New Zealander Phil KeoghanPhil Keoghan
Philip John "Phil" Keoghan is a New Zealand-born television personality, best known for hosting the U.S. version of The Amazing Race on CBS, since its 2001 debut. He is also the creator and host of No Opportunity Wasted, which has been produced in the United States, New Zealand, and Canada...
. Keoghan initiates the starts of the race, introduces each new area and describes each task for the viewer, and meets each team at the Pit Stops along with a local greeter informing the teams of their placement or their elimination followed by a short interview. Keoghan was a television host in New Zealand prior to The Amazing Race, and had traveled the world and performed adventurous feats for these shows. His background led him to apply for the hosting duties of Survivor
Survivor (U.S. TV series)
Survivor is an American version of the Survivor reality television game show, itself derived from the Swedish television series Expedition Robinson originally created in 1997 by Charlie Parsons. The series premiered on May 31, 2000 on CBS...
. Though Keoghan was on the shortlist, the producers of Survivor chose Jeff Probst
Jeff Probst
Jeffrey Lee "Jeff" Probst is an American game show host, executive producer and a reporter. He is best known as the host of the U.S. version of the reality show Survivor.-Biography:...
, while Keoghan was found to be a better fit for The Amazing Race. Keoghan's performance as a host has been highlighted by his ability to arch his eyebrows to the arriving teams to increase suspense before revealing their position, and racers and fans of the show often refer to the progressive elimination of teams as "Philimination". Keoghan signed an extended with CBS to continuing hosting The Amazing Race for "several years", according to TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
, shortly after the conclusion of The Amazing Race 18. The contract will also allow Keoghan to develop ideas into shows for the network.
Prior to each race, CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
and World Race Productions hold casting auditions around the country and accept submissions through postal mail. Once teams have been selected, teams are given a list of countries, including additional countries that are not planned for the race, that they will need to apply for visas for. Teams prepare backpacks for clothing, hygiene, and other personal items; many electronics such as laptops, cell phones, and GPS devices are banned from the race. A few days before the race, teams are sequestered at a hotel for a final review of the rules, before they are finally taken to the race starting line. All teams are compensated for the time missed from their jobs, though the amount is undisclosed and confidential.
Each two-person team are required to be adult American citizens with an existing relationship, including married and dating couples (regardless of sexuality), near and distant relatives, and friends. Most teams that participate are average Americans, but The Amazing Race has included teams or team members with some celebrity status. Notably, contestants from other reality TV shows, including Alison Irwin, Jordan Lloyd
Jordan Lloyd
Jordan Hailie Lloyd is an American reality television participant, and the winner of the 11th season of Big Brother. Lloyd has also participated in The Amazing Race 16 and Big Brother 13 reality shows.-Early life:...
and Jeff Schroeder from Big Brother, and Rob
Rob Mariano
Robert Carlo "Boston Rob" Mariano is an American television personality, widely known for appearing in several reality shows, including Survivor, and The Amazing Race with his wife, Amber Brkich Mariano. Mariano won Survivor: Redemption Island and the $1,000,000 prize after competing on the show...
, Amber Mariano
Amber Mariano
Amber Joy Mariano is an American television personality and winner of Survivor: All-Stars, after appearing as a contestant on one of its predecessors, Survivor: The Australian Outback...
, Jenna Morasca
Jenna Morasca
Jenna Morasca is an American actress, former swimsuit model and American reality TV contestant who was the million-dollar grand prize winner of Survivor: The Amazon and previously worked for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling....
, and Ethan Zohn
Ethan Zohn
Ethan Zohn is an American reality television series contestant who won $1,000,000 on Survivor: Africa, the third season of the reality TV series Survivor. He also appeared on the All-Stars edition of the show. After winning Survivor he co-founded Grassroot Soccer, which uses soccer to raise money...
from Survivor
Survivor (U.S. TV series)
Survivor is an American version of the Survivor reality television game show, itself derived from the Swedish television series Expedition Robinson originally created in 1997 by Charlie Parsons. The series premiered on May 31, 2000 on CBS...
. Several professional athletes have participated, including the Harlem Globetrotters
Harlem Globetrotters
The Harlem Globetrotters are an exhibition basketball team that combines athleticism, theater and comedy. The executive offices for the team are currently in downtown Phoenix, Arizona; the team is owned by Shamrock Holdings, which oversees the various investments of the Roy E. Disney family.Over...
Herbert "Flight Time" Lang
Herbert "Flight Time" Lang
Herbert "Flight Time" Lang is an American basketball player for the Harlem Globetrotters.-Career:He graduated from Centenary College of Louisiana in 1998, after a season in which he led the Trans-America Athletic Conference in scoring and won the National Association of Basketball Coaches Slam...
and Nathaniel "Big Easy" Lofton, former NFL players Ken Greene
Ken Greene
Ken Edward Greene is a former professional American football player who played safety for the St. Louis Cardinals and the San Diego Chargers ....
and Marcus Pollard
Marcus Pollard
Marcus LaJuan Pollard is a former American football tight end.-College career:Pollard attended Bradley University, where he played basketball. Bradley did not have a football program at the time he matriculated there...
, professional bull and bronco rider Cord McCoy
Cord McCoy
Cord Jarret McCoy is an American professional bull and saddle bronc rider who is best known as the 2nd place finisher on The Amazing Race 16...
, professional snowboarder Andy Finch
Andy Finch
Andrew Joseph "Andy" Finch is an American snowboarder. His accomplishments include winning the overall U.S. Grand Prix Halfpipe Title in 2003 and 2004, taking first place in the Arctic Challenge in Norway in April 2004, winning the Vans Triple Crown in February 2004, winning the O’Neill Snowboard...
, and Ironman Triathalon competitor Sarah Reinertsen
Sarah Reinertsen
Sarah Reinertsen is an American athlete. She was the first female leg amputee to complete the Ironman Triathlon World Championship in Kona, Hawaii....
. Numerous beauty pageant participants and winners have raced on the show, including Nicole O'Brian
Nicole O'Brian
Claudia Nicole O'Brian is a former beauty queen and Reality TV show contestant from Friendswood, Texas who has competed in the Miss Teen USA and Miss USA pageants....
, Christie Lee Woods
Christie Lee Woods
Christie Lee Woods is an American model, actress and the first woman from Texas to capture the Miss Teen USA crown ....
, Dustin-Leigh Konzelman
Dustin-Leigh Konzelman
Dustin Leigh Seltzer , born February 6, 1982, is a beauty queen and reality television contestant from Puyallup, Washington who has competed in the Miss America pageant and appeared on The Amazing Race 10 as well as The Amazing Race All-Stars.- Pageantry :Konzelman held the Miss San Diego 2005...
, Kandice Pelletier
Kandice Pelletier
Kandice Pelletier is a beauty queen from Marietta, Georgia who has competed in the Miss America pageant and on two series of the reality television show The Amazing Race.-Education:...
, Ericka Dunlap
Ericka Dunlap
Ericka Dunlap is an American beauty pageant titleholder from Orlando, Florida who was named Miss Florida 2003 and subsequently crowned Miss America 2004. Dunlap was the first African American woman to be crowned Miss Florida....
, Caitlin Upton
Caitlin Upton
Lauren Caitlin Upton , also credited as Caite Upton, is an American fashion model and a beauty queen from Lexington, South Carolina. While Miss South Carolina Teen USA, Upton became an Internet meme for her nonsensical response to a pageant question.-Career:Upton became Miss South Carolina Teen...
, Mallory Ervin
Mallory Ervin
Mallory Christina Ervin held the title of Miss Kentucky 2009 and was 4th runner-up to Miss America 2010. In September 2010, it was announced that she competed on The Amazing Race 17 with her father Gary Ervin. The Amazing Race was filmed in May and June 2010 and premiered on September 26, 2010...
, Stephanie Smith
Stephanie Smith
Stephanie Smith is an American Contemporary Christian music singer/songwriter. She is signed to Gotee Records. Her first studio album, Not Afraid, was released on May 27, 2008 digitally and in stores on December 23, 2008. She received national attention on the Winter Wonder Slam tour with...
, and Brook Roberts
Brook Roberts
Brook Roberts held the title of Miss Oregon 2004 and competed in the Miss America 2005 pageant. From 2006 to its closure in 2010, she was a host on Gems TV. In September 2010, it was announced that she competed on The Amazing Race 17 with her co-worker Claire Champlin...
. Other celebrities include father and son screenwriters and actors Mike and Mel White
Mel White
James Melville "Mel" White is an American clergyman and author. White was a behind-the-scenes member of the Evangelical Protestant movement through the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, writing speeches and ghostwriting books for televangelists such as Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, and Billy Graham...
, professional poker players Maria Ho
Maria Ho
Maria Ho is a professional poker player, born in Taipei, Taiwan. She is currently ranked 12th in the world among female poker pros in overall earnings....
and Tiffany Michelle
Tiffany Michelle
Tiffany Michelle is an American poker player and actress, born and raised in Los Angeles, CA.Michelle gained fame when she was the last woman remaining out of 6,844 players in the 2008 World Series of Poker Championship Event, making $334,534 for her 17th place finish...
, a former prisoner of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
from the Iraq war
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
Ron Young, professional sailor Zac Sunderland
Zac Sunderland
Zachary Tristan "Zac" Sunderland is an American sailor who was the first person under the age of 18 to sail solo around the world. Sunderland completed his trip after 13 months and 2 days at sea on July 16, 2009 at age 17...
, and YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
star Kevin "KevJumba" Wu. Other racers have found fame in part due to their appearance on The Amazing Race. Chip Arndt
Chip Arndt
Chip Arndt is an American gay activist, best known as a winner of The Amazing Race 4 in 2003 with former partner Reichen Lehmkuhl. The team was the first out gay couple to win a reality television competition...
, who had raced with his civil partner Reichen Lehmkuhl
Reichen Lehmkuhl
Reichen Lehmkuhl, , is an American former reality show winner, model, and occasional actor...
, has become an activist for lesbian and gay community
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
. Blake Mycoskie, based on his experiences traveling to Argentina during the race, later founded TOMS Shoes
TOMS Shoes
TOMS Shoes is a for-profit company based in Santa Monica, California, that also operates a non-profit subsidiary, Friends of TOMS. The company was founded in 2006 by Blake Mycoskie, an entrepreneur from Arlington, Texas. The company designs and sells lightweight shoes based on the Argentine...
with the concept to donate one pair of shoes to poor children in countries like Argentina for each one sold. Dating goth couple Kent "Kynt" Kaliber and Vyxsin Fiala have become models for the Hot Topic
Hot Topic
Hot Topic is an American retail chain specializing in music and pop culture-related clothing and accessories, as well as licensed music on CD. The majority of the stores are located in regional shopping malls. The first Hot Topic store was opened in 1988 by Orv Madden, who retired as CEO in 2000...
chain of punk/rock culture clothing stores after their appearance on the show.
Filming
Prior to the race, the production team plans out the locations and tasks that the racers will travel, working in conjunction with local representatives, which van Munster had initially had available for a different show. They also consult with ex-military or federal agents that are aware of political matters in foreign areas, who may advise on countries or regions to avoid. Van Munster and others will then travel the proposed course to verify the locations and identify needs for filming for the show. The crew works with local government representatives to assure the safety of the racers while traveling through certain areas of the world. Despite pre-planning, the production crew may be faced with obstacles forcing them to change tasks or even locations. In one situation during the planning second cycleThe Amazing Race 2
The Amazing Race 2 is the second installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 2 featured 11 teams of two with a pre-existing relationship in a race around the world...
, the Argentine bank system failed, creating political unrest, and a new country was selected. Similarly, after the Egyptian Revolution of 2011 and the sexual assault of American reporter Lara Logan
Lara Logan
Lara Logan is a South African television and radio journalist, and war correspondent. She is the chief foreign affairs correspondent for CBS News, and a correspondent for CBS's 60 Minutes.-Personal life:...
, the production staff considered Egypt to be "off the map right now." It is estimated by van Munster that over 2000 people worldwide are involved in the production of one cycle of the race.
Each team is accompanied by a two-man audio/video team that film the team as they race. Unless otherwise indicated, the crew must be able to accompany the team through all travels; for example, teams must be able to acquire four tickets on a single flight or otherwise cannot take that flight. The crews rotate between teams at Pit Stops to avoid any possible favoritism that may develop between a team and its crew.
The production crew, including Keoghan, Doganieri, and van Munster, all typically travel to the next destination of the race ahead of the teams. They work with local agents, representatives, and film crews to prepare for the tasks before the racers arrive, and are in coordination with the audio/video crews to track racers during a leg. At times, the production team has only arrived hours or minutes ahead of teams before they check into the Pit Stop, forcing production to restage the Pit Stop once they are ready.
Most eliminated teams are sent to a resort destination dubbed "Sequesterville", where the teams will wait until the end of the race and flown into the final destination city to be present at the race finale. In later seasons, short web videos hosted by CBS titled "Elimination Station" show the events at this location as new teams arrive and the events that occur during the teams' stay. Other teams, generally the last few eliminated before the final three, are used as "decoy teams", and run the race up through the final leg. Keoghan has also recorded his own videos during the show's filming, used to show what happens behind the scenes to viewers.
The cost of the show has been subsidized by its sponsors, who provide trips and other prizes to teams that arrive first on certain legs, or have their products featured as a task. For example, more recent seasons have been sponsored by Travelocity
Travelocity
Travelocity is an online travel agency and wholly owned subsidiary of Sabre Holdings Corporation, which was a publicly traded company until taken private by Silver Lake Partners and Texas Pacific Group in March 2007...
, and typically one leg per season will involve a task that includes the Travelocity "Roaming Gnome". In another example, a tea-themed leg in the 18th season
The Amazing Race 18
The Amazing Race 18 is the eighteenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 18 features eleven teams of two – each returning from a previous edition – in a race around the world for a $1 million prize.The eighteenth cycle started on Sunday,...
was sponsored by Snapple
Snapple
Snapple is a brand of tea and juice drinks which is owned by Dr Pepper Snapple Group and based in Plano, Texas. The brand was founded in 1972. The brand achieved some notoriety due to various pop-culture references including television shows.-History:...
who had developed a new limited edition flavor for the show. The Amazing Race has been considered to be a show that incorporates a large number of product placement
Product placement
Product placement, or embedded marketing, is a form of advertisement, where branded goods or services are placed in a context usually devoid of ads, such as movies, music videos, the story line of television shows, or news programs. The product placement is often not disclosed at the time that the...
s as tracked by ACNeilsen, often being one of the top shows for product placement each year.
Through the 17th season of the Race, the show has used standard-definition television
Standard-definition television
Sorete-definition television is a television system that uses a resolution that is not considered to be either enhanced-definition television or high-definition television . The term is usually used in reference to digital television, in particular when broadcasting at the same resolution as...
cameras despite the move of most other prime time shows, including reality television shows like Survivor, having moved to high-definition television
High-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
(HD) prior to 2010. World Race Production has cited the cost and fragility of HD equipment as a barrier to its use for the Race. While other scripted or reality shows that film in one location have the ability to replace equipment quickly from a nearby facility, the mobile nature of the Race made the prospect of using HD difficult. The 18th season of the Race, filmed in late 2010, was the first to be filmed in HD. They will be using Sony XDCAM
XDCAM
XDCAM is a a series of products for digital recording using random access solid-state memory media, introduced by Sony in 2003. Four different product lines — the XDCAM SD, XDCAM HD, XDCAM EX and XDCAM HD422 — differ in types of encoder used, frame size, container type and in...
s, allowing the filming to be transferred directly to digital format and couriered to the editors.
Countries and locales visited
The Amazing Race 7
The Amazing Race 7 is the seventh installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 7 features 11 teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world...
where the route was a great circle
Great circle
A great circle, also known as a Riemannian circle, of a sphere is the intersection of the sphere and a plane which passes through the center point of the sphere, as opposed to a general circle of a sphere where the plane is not required to pass through the center...
, crossing through Argentina, South Africa, and India before returning westward; and The Amazing Race 8
The Amazing Race 8
The Amazing Race 8 is the eighth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race...
, the Family Edition of the show, which stayed primarily in the United States and Canada with stops in Panama and Costa Rica.
As of the eighteenth season, The Amazing Race has visited 76 different countries.
North America
| Rank | Country | Seasons visited | Pit Stops |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  United States |
19 (All) | 30 |
| |
 Canada |
2 (5 The Amazing Race 5 The Amazing Race 5 is the fifth installment of the American reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 5 featured 11 teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world.... , 8 The Amazing Race 8 The Amazing Race 8 is the eighth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race... ) |
0 |
 Panama |
2 (8 The Amazing Race 8 The Amazing Race 8 is the eighth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race... , 19 The Amazing Race 19 The Amazing Race 19 is the nineteenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 19 features several teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world. The 19th season premiered on September 25, 2011.The nineteenth cycle started on... ) |
2 | |
 Costa Rica |
1 (8 The Amazing Race 8 The Amazing Race 8 is the eighth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race... ) |
1 | |
 Jamaica |
1 (7 The Amazing Race 7 The Amazing Race 7 is the seventh installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 7 features 11 teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world... ) |
1 | |
 Mexico |
1 (3 The Amazing Race 3 The Amazing Race 3 is the third installment of the reality television show, The Amazing Race. This season featured 12 teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world, making it the first season to have 12 teams... ) |
2 |
South America
| Rank | Country | Seasons visited | Pit Stops |
|---|---|---|---|
 Brazil |
4 (2 The Amazing Race 2 The Amazing Race 2 is the second installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 2 featured 11 teams of two with a pre-existing relationship in a race around the world... , 9 The Amazing Race 9 The Amazing Race 9 is the ninth installment of the American reality television show The Amazing Race. This season featured eleven teams of two with a pre-existing relationship in a race around the world to win one million dollars. The show premiered on Tuesday, February 28, 2006 and concluded on... , 13 The Amazing Race 13 The Amazing Race 13 is the 13th installment of the reality television competition series The Amazing Race. It featured 11 teams of two, each with a preexisting relationship, in a race around the world.... , 18 The Amazing Race 18 The Amazing Race 18 is the eighteenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 18 features eleven teams of two – each returning from a previous edition – in a race around the world for a $1 million prize.The eighteenth cycle started on Sunday,... ) |
7 | |
 Argentina |
4 (5 The Amazing Race The Amazing Race is a reality television game show in which teams of two people, who have some form of a preexisting personal relationship, race around the world in competition with other teams... , 7 The Amazing Race 7 The Amazing Race 7 is the seventh installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 7 features 11 teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world... , 11 The Amazing Race 11 The Amazing Race 11 is the 11th installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race... , 16 The Amazing Race 16 The Amazing Race 16 is the sixteenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 16 features eleven teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world.... ) |
6 | |
| 3 |  Chile |
3 (7 The Amazing Race 7 The Amazing Race 7 is the seventh installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 7 features 11 teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world... , 11 The Amazing Race 11 The Amazing Race 11 is the 11th installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race... , 16 The Amazing Race 16 The Amazing Race 16 is the sixteenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 16 features eleven teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world.... ) |
5 |
 Bolivia |
1 (13 The Amazing Race 13 The Amazing Race 13 is the 13th installment of the reality television competition series The Amazing Race. It featured 11 teams of two, each with a preexisting relationship, in a race around the world.... ) |
1 | |
 Ecuador |
1 (11 The Amazing Race 11 The Amazing Race 11 is the 11th installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race... ) |
1 | |
 Peru |
1 (7 The Amazing Race 7 The Amazing Race 7 is the seventh installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 7 features 11 teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world... ) |
1 | |
 Uruguay |
1 (5 The Amazing Race 5 The Amazing Race 5 is the fifth installment of the American reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 5 featured 11 teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world.... ) |
1 |
Europe
| Rank | Country | Seasons visited | Pit Stops |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Germany |
6 (3 The Amazing Race 3 The Amazing Race 3 is the third installment of the reality television show, The Amazing Race. This season featured 12 teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world, making it the first season to have 12 teams... , 6 The Amazing Race 6 The Amazing Race 6 is the sixth installment of the reality television series The Amazing Race. It premiered on November 16, 2004, and concluded on February 8, 2005.Freddy Holliday & Kendra Bentley were the winners of this Race.... , 9 The Amazing Race 9 The Amazing Race 9 is the ninth installment of the American reality television show The Amazing Race. This season featured eleven teams of two with a pre-existing relationship in a race around the world to win one million dollars. The show premiered on Tuesday, February 28, 2006 and concluded on... , 14 The Amazing Race 14 The Amazing Race 14 is the fourteenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 14 featured 11 teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world.... , 16 The Amazing Race 16 The Amazing Race 16 is the sixteenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 16 features eleven teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world.... , 19 The Amazing Race 19 The Amazing Race 19 is the nineteenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 19 features several teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world. The 19th season premiered on September 25, 2011.The nineteenth cycle started on... ) |
4 |
 Early Modern France |
5 (1 The Amazing Race 1 The Amazing Race is the first installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race... , 4 The Amazing Race 4 The Amazing Race 4 is the fourth installment of the reality television show on US television The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 4 featured 12 teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world... , 6 The Amazing Race 6 The Amazing Race 6 is the sixth installment of the reality television series The Amazing Race. It premiered on November 16, 2004, and concluded on February 8, 2005.Freddy Holliday & Kendra Bentley were the winners of this Race.... , 10 The Amazing Race 10 The Amazing Race 10 is the tenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 10 features twelve teams of two with a pre-existing relationship in a race around the world.... , 16 The Amazing Race 16 The Amazing Race 16 is the sixteenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 16 features eleven teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world.... ) |
6 | |
 Russia |
5 (5 The Amazing Race 5 The Amazing Race 5 is the fifth installment of the American reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 5 featured 11 teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world.... , 9 The Amazing Race 9 The Amazing Race 9 is the ninth installment of the American reality television show The Amazing Race. This season featured eleven teams of two with a pre-existing relationship in a race around the world to win one million dollars. The show premiered on Tuesday, February 28, 2006 and concluded on... , 13 The Amazing Race 13 The Amazing Race 13 is the 13th installment of the reality television competition series The Amazing Race. It featured 11 teams of two, each with a preexisting relationship, in a race around the world.... , 14 The Amazing Race 14 The Amazing Race 14 is the fourteenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 14 featured 11 teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world.... , 17 The Amazing Race 17 The Amazing Race 17 is the seventeenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 17 features 11 teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world.... ) |
7 | |
 Austria |
4 (3 The Amazing Race 3 The Amazing Race 3 is the third installment of the reality television show, The Amazing Race. This season featured 12 teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world, making it the first season to have 12 teams... , 4 The Amazing Race 4 The Amazing Race 4 is the fourth installment of the reality television show on US television The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 4 featured 12 teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world... , 14 The Amazing Race 14 The Amazing Race 14 is the fourteenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 14 featured 11 teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world.... , 18 The Amazing Race 18 The Amazing Race 18 is the eighteenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 18 features eleven teams of two – each returning from a previous edition – in a race around the world for a $1 million prize.The eighteenth cycle started on Sunday,... ) |
3 | |
 Italy |
4 (1 The Amazing Race 1 The Amazing Race is the first installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race... , 4 The Amazing Race 4 The Amazing Race 4 is the fourth installment of the reality television show on US television The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 4 featured 12 teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world... , 9 The Amazing Race 9 The Amazing Race 9 is the ninth installment of the American reality television show The Amazing Race. This season featured eleven teams of two with a pre-existing relationship in a race around the world to win one million dollars. The show premiered on Tuesday, February 28, 2006 and concluded on... , 12 The Amazing Race 12 The Amazing Race 12 is the twelfth installment of winning reality television show The Amazing Race.The 12th season premiered on November 4, 2007 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. It took the timeslot of the canceled CBS series Viva Laughlin. The finale aired on January 20, 2008 at 8 p.m... ) |
6 | |
 Netherlands |
3 (4 The Amazing Race 4 The Amazing Race 4 is the fourth installment of the reality television show on US television The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 4 featured 12 teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world... , 12 The Amazing Race 12 The Amazing Race 12 is the twelfth installment of winning reality television show The Amazing Race.The 12th season premiered on November 4, 2007 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. It took the timeslot of the canceled CBS series Viva Laughlin. The finale aired on January 20, 2008 at 8 p.m... , 15 The Amazing Race 15 The Amazing Race 15 is the fifteenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 15 featured 12 teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world.... ) |
3 | |
 Sweden |
3 (6 The Amazing Race 6 The Amazing Race 6 is the sixth installment of the reality television series The Amazing Race. It premiered on November 16, 2004, and concluded on February 8, 2005.Freddy Holliday & Kendra Bentley were the winners of this Race.... , 15 The Amazing Race 15 The Amazing Race 15 is the fifteenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 15 featured 12 teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world.... , 17 The Amazing Race 17 The Amazing Race 17 is the seventeenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 17 features 11 teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world.... ) |
3 | |
 Switzerland |
3 (3 The Amazing Race 3 The Amazing Race 3 is the third installment of the reality television show, The Amazing Race. This season featured 12 teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world, making it the first season to have 12 teams... , 14 The Amazing Race 14 The Amazing Race 14 is the fourteenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 14 featured 11 teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world.... , 18 The Amazing Race 18 The Amazing Race 18 is the eighteenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 18 features eleven teams of two – each returning from a previous edition – in a race around the world for a $1 million prize.The eighteenth cycle started on Sunday,... ) |
5 | |
 United Kingdom |
3 (3 The Amazing Race 3 The Amazing Race 3 is the third installment of the reality television show, The Amazing Race. This season featured 12 teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world, making it the first season to have 12 teams... , 7 The Amazing Race 7 The Amazing Race 7 is the seventh installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 7 features 11 teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world... , 17 The Amazing Race 17 The Amazing Race 17 is the seventeenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 17 features 11 teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world.... ) |
3 | |
 Norway |
2 (6 The Amazing Race 6 The Amazing Race 6 is the sixth installment of the reality television series The Amazing Race. It premiered on November 16, 2004, and concluded on February 8, 2005.Freddy Holliday & Kendra Bentley were the winners of this Race.... , 17 The Amazing Race 17 The Amazing Race 17 is the seventeenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 17 features 11 teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world.... ) |
2 | |
 Spain |
2 (3 The Amazing Race 3 The Amazing Race 3 is the third installment of the reality television show, The Amazing Race. This season featured 12 teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world, making it the first season to have 12 teams... , 10 The Amazing Race 10 The Amazing Race 10 is the tenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 10 features twelve teams of two with a pre-existing relationship in a race around the world.... ) |
1 | |
 Belgium |
1 (19 The Amazing Race 19 The Amazing Race 19 is the nineteenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 19 features several teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world. The 19th season premiered on September 25, 2011.The nineteenth cycle started on... ) |
2 | |
 Independent State of Croatia |
1 (12 The Amazing Race 12 The Amazing Race 12 is the twelfth installment of winning reality television show The Amazing Race.The 12th season premiered on November 4, 2007 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. It took the timeslot of the canceled CBS series Viva Laughlin. The finale aired on January 20, 2008 at 8 p.m... ) |
1 | |
 Czech Republic |
1 (15 The Amazing Race 15 The Amazing Race 15 is the fifteenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 15 featured 12 teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world.... ) |
2 | |
 Denmark |
1 (19 The Amazing Race 19 The Amazing Race 19 is the nineteenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 19 features several teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world. The 19th season premiered on September 25, 2011.The nineteenth cycle started on... ) |
1 | |
 Estonia |
1 (15 The Amazing Race 15 The Amazing Race 15 is the fifteenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 15 featured 12 teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world.... ) |
1 | |
 Finland |
1 (10 The Amazing Race 10 The Amazing Race 10 is the tenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 10 features twelve teams of two with a pre-existing relationship in a race around the world.... ) |
0 | |
 Greece |
1 (9 The Amazing Race 9 The Amazing Race 9 is the ninth installment of the American reality television show The Amazing Race. This season featured eleven teams of two with a pre-existing relationship in a race around the world to win one million dollars. The show premiered on Tuesday, February 28, 2006 and concluded on... ) |
1 | |
 Hungary |
1 (6 The Amazing Race 6 The Amazing Race 6 is the sixth installment of the reality television series The Amazing Race. It premiered on November 16, 2004, and concluded on February 8, 2005.Freddy Holliday & Kendra Bentley were the winners of this Race.... ) |
1 | |
 Iceland |
1 (6 The Amazing Race 6 The Amazing Race 6 is the sixth installment of the reality television series The Amazing Race. It premiered on November 16, 2004, and concluded on February 8, 2005.Freddy Holliday & Kendra Bentley were the winners of this Race.... ) |
1 | |
 Republic of Ireland |
1 (12 The Amazing Race 12 The Amazing Race 12 is the twelfth installment of winning reality television show The Amazing Race.The 12th season premiered on November 4, 2007 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. It took the timeslot of the canceled CBS series Viva Laughlin. The finale aired on January 20, 2008 at 8 p.m... ) |
1 | |
 Lithuania |
1 (12 The Amazing Race 12 The Amazing Race 12 is the twelfth installment of winning reality television show The Amazing Race.The 12th season premiered on November 4, 2007 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. It took the timeslot of the canceled CBS series Viva Laughlin. The finale aired on January 20, 2008 at 8 p.m... ) |
1 | |
 Liechtenstein |
1 (18 The Amazing Race 18 The Amazing Race 18 is the eighteenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 18 features eleven teams of two – each returning from a previous edition – in a race around the world for a $1 million prize.The eighteenth cycle started on Sunday,... ) |
0 | |
 Poland |
1 (11 The Amazing Race 11 The Amazing Race 11 is the 11th installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race... ) |
2 | |
 Portugal |
1 (3 The Amazing Race 3 The Amazing Race 3 is the third installment of the reality television show, The Amazing Race. This season featured 12 teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world, making it the first season to have 12 teams... ) |
1 | |
 Kingdom of Romania |
1 (14 The Amazing Race 14 The Amazing Race 14 is the fourteenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 14 featured 11 teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world.... ) |
1 | |
 Turkey |
1 (7 The Amazing Race 7 The Amazing Race 7 is the seventh installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 7 features 11 teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world... ) |
1 | |
 Ukraine |
1 (10 The Amazing Race 10 The Amazing Race 10 is the tenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 10 features twelve teams of two with a pre-existing relationship in a race around the world.... ) |
1 |
Africa
| Rank | Country | Seasons visited | Pit Stops |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  South Africa |
3 (1 The Amazing Race 1 The Amazing Race is the first installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race... , 2 The Amazing Race 2 The Amazing Race 2 is the second installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 2 featured 11 teams of two with a pre-existing relationship in a race around the world... , 7 The Amazing Race 7 The Amazing Race 7 is the seventh installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 7 features 11 teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world... ) |
2 |
| |
 Morocco |
2 (3 The Amazing Race 3 The Amazing Race 3 is the third installment of the reality television show, The Amazing Race. This season featured 12 teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world, making it the first season to have 12 teams... , 10 The Amazing Race 10 The Amazing Race 10 is the tenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 10 features twelve teams of two with a pre-existing relationship in a race around the world.... ) |
3 |
 Tanzania |
2 (5 The Amazing Race 5 The Amazing Race 5 is the fifth installment of the American reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 5 featured 11 teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world.... , 11 The Amazing Race 11 The Amazing Race 11 is the 11th installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race... ) |
2 | |
 Botswana |
1 (7 The Amazing Race 7 The Amazing Race 7 is the seventh installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 7 features 11 teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world... ) |
2 | |
 Burkina Faso |
1 (12 The Amazing Race 12 The Amazing Race 12 is the twelfth installment of winning reality television show The Amazing Race.The 12th season premiered on November 4, 2007 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. It took the timeslot of the canceled CBS series Viva Laughlin. The finale aired on January 20, 2008 at 8 p.m... ) |
2 | |
 Egypt |
1 (5 The Amazing Race 5 The Amazing Race 5 is the fifth installment of the American reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 5 featured 11 teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world.... ) |
2 | |
 Ethiopia |
1 (6 The Amazing Race 6 The Amazing Race 6 is the sixth installment of the reality television series The Amazing Race. It premiered on November 16, 2004, and concluded on February 8, 2005.Freddy Holliday & Kendra Bentley were the winners of this Race.... ) |
1 | |
 Ghana |
1 (17 The Amazing Race 17 The Amazing Race 17 is the seventeenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 17 features 11 teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world.... ) |
2 | |
 Kenya |
1 (5 The Amazing Race 5 The Amazing Race 5 is the fifth installment of the American reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 5 featured 11 teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world.... ) |
0 | |
 Madagascar |
1 (10 The Amazing Race 10 The Amazing Race 10 is the tenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 10 features twelve teams of two with a pre-existing relationship in a race around the world.... ) |
1 | |
 Malawi |
1 (19 The Amazing Race 19 The Amazing Race 19 is the nineteenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 19 features several teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world. The 19th season premiered on September 25, 2011.The nineteenth cycle started on... ) |
2 | |
 Mauritius |
1 (10 The Amazing Race 10 The Amazing Race 10 is the tenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 10 features twelve teams of two with a pre-existing relationship in a race around the world.... ) |
1 | |
 Mozambique |
1 (11 The Amazing Race 11 The Amazing Race 11 is the 11th installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race... ) |
1 | |
 Namibia |
1 (2 The Amazing Race 2 The Amazing Race 2 is the second installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 2 featured 11 teams of two with a pre-existing relationship in a race around the world... ) |
1 | |
 Senegal |
1 (6 The Amazing Race 6 The Amazing Race 6 is the sixth installment of the reality television series The Amazing Race. It premiered on November 16, 2004, and concluded on February 8, 2005.Freddy Holliday & Kendra Bentley were the winners of this Race.... ) |
1 | |
 Seychelles |
1 (16 The Amazing Race 16 The Amazing Race 16 is the sixteenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 16 features eleven teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world.... ) |
1 | |
 Tunisia |
1 (1 The Amazing Race 1 The Amazing Race is the first installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race... ) |
2 | |
 Zambia |
1 (1 The Amazing Race 1 The Amazing Race is the first installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race... ) |
1 |
Asia
| Rank | Country | Seasons visited | Pit Stops |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Mainland China |
9 (1 The Amazing Race 1 The Amazing Race is the first installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race... , 2 The Amazing Race 2 The Amazing Race 2 is the second installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 2 featured 11 teams of two with a pre-existing relationship in a race around the world... , 6 The Amazing Race 6 The Amazing Race 6 is the sixth installment of the reality television series The Amazing Race. It premiered on November 16, 2004, and concluded on February 8, 2005.Freddy Holliday & Kendra Bentley were the winners of this Race.... , 10 The Amazing Race 10 The Amazing Race 10 is the tenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 10 features twelve teams of two with a pre-existing relationship in a race around the world.... , 11 The Amazing Race 11 The Amazing Race 11 is the 11th installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race... , 14 The Amazing Race 14 The Amazing Race 14 is the fourteenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 14 featured 11 teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world.... , 16 The Amazing Race 16 The Amazing Race 16 is the sixteenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 16 features eleven teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world.... , 17 The Amazing Race 17 The Amazing Race 17 is the seventeenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 17 features 11 teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world.... , 18 The Amazing Race 18 The Amazing Race 18 is the eighteenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 18 features eleven teams of two – each returning from a previous edition – in a race around the world for a $1 million prize.The eighteenth cycle started on Sunday,... ) |
14 |
 India |
9 (1 The Amazing Race 1 The Amazing Race is the first installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race... , 4 The Amazing Race 4 The Amazing Race 4 is the fourth installment of the reality television show on US television The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 4 featured 12 teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world... , 5 The Amazing Race 5 The Amazing Race 5 is the fifth installment of the American reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 5 featured 11 teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world.... , 7 The Amazing Race 7 The Amazing Race 7 is the seventh installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 7 features 11 teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world... , 10 The Amazing Race 10 The Amazing Race 10 is the tenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 10 features twelve teams of two with a pre-existing relationship in a race around the world.... , 12 The Amazing Race 12 The Amazing Race 12 is the twelfth installment of winning reality television show The Amazing Race.The 12th season premiered on November 4, 2007 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. It took the timeslot of the canceled CBS series Viva Laughlin. The finale aired on January 20, 2008 at 8 p.m... , 13 The Amazing Race 13 The Amazing Race 13 is the 13th installment of the reality television competition series The Amazing Race. It featured 11 teams of two, each with a preexisting relationship, in a race around the world.... , 14 The Amazing Race 14 The Amazing Race 14 is the fourteenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 14 featured 11 teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world.... , 18 The Amazing Race 18 The Amazing Race 18 is the eighteenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 18 features eleven teams of two – each returning from a previous edition – in a race around the world for a $1 million prize.The eighteenth cycle started on Sunday,... ) |
13 | |
| 3 |  Thailand |
5 (1 The Amazing Race 1 The Amazing Race is the first installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race... , 2 The Amazing Race 2 The Amazing Race 2 is the second installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 2 featured 11 teams of two with a pre-existing relationship in a race around the world... , 9 The Amazing Race 9 The Amazing Race 9 is the ninth installment of the American reality television show The Amazing Race. This season featured eleven teams of two with a pre-existing relationship in a race around the world to win one million dollars. The show premiered on Tuesday, February 28, 2006 and concluded on... , 14 The Amazing Race 14 The Amazing Race 14 is the fourteenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 14 featured 11 teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world.... , 19 The Amazing Race 19 The Amazing Race 19 is the nineteenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 19 features several teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world. The 19th season premiered on September 25, 2011.The nineteenth cycle started on... ) |
9 |
| 4 |  Japan |
4 (9 The Amazing Race 9 The Amazing Race 9 is the ninth installment of the American reality television show The Amazing Race. This season featured eleven teams of two with a pre-existing relationship in a race around the world to win one million dollars. The show premiered on Tuesday, February 28, 2006 and concluded on... , 12 The Amazing Race 12 The Amazing Race 12 is the twelfth installment of winning reality television show The Amazing Race.The 12th season premiered on November 4, 2007 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. It took the timeslot of the canceled CBS series Viva Laughlin. The finale aired on January 20, 2008 at 8 p.m... , 15 The Amazing Race 15 The Amazing Race 15 is the fifteenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 15 featured 12 teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world.... , 18 The Amazing Race 18 The Amazing Race 18 is the eighteenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 18 features eleven teams of two – each returning from a previous edition – in a race around the world for a $1 million prize.The eighteenth cycle started on Sunday,... ) |
4 |
 Malaysia |
4 (3 The Amazing Race 3 The Amazing Race 3 is the third installment of the reality television show, The Amazing Race. This season featured 12 teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world, making it the first season to have 12 teams... , 4 The Amazing Race 4 The Amazing Race 4 is the fourth installment of the reality television show on US television The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 4 featured 12 teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world... , 11 The Amazing Race 11 The Amazing Race 11 is the 11th installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race... , 16 The Amazing Race 16 The Amazing Race 16 is the sixteenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 16 features eleven teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world.... ) |
4 | |
| 6 |  Vietnam |
3 (3 The Amazing Race 3 The Amazing Race 3 is the third installment of the reality television show, The Amazing Race. This season featured 12 teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world, making it the first season to have 12 teams... , 10 The Amazing Race 10 The Amazing Race 10 is the tenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 10 features twelve teams of two with a pre-existing relationship in a race around the world.... , 15 The Amazing Race 15 The Amazing Race 15 is the fifteenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 15 featured 12 teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world.... ) |
6 |
 Cambodia |
2 (13 The Amazing Race 13 The Amazing Race 13 is the 13th installment of the reality television competition series The Amazing Race. It featured 11 teams of two, each with a preexisting relationship, in a race around the world.... , 15 The Amazing Race 15 The Amazing Race 15 is the fifteenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 15 featured 12 teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world.... ) |
2 | |
 Oman |
2 (9 The Amazing Race 9 The Amazing Race 9 is the ninth installment of the American reality television show The Amazing Race. This season featured eleven teams of two with a pre-existing relationship in a race around the world to win one million dollars. The show premiered on Tuesday, February 28, 2006 and concluded on... , 17 The Amazing Race 17 The Amazing Race 17 is the seventeenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 17 features 11 teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world.... ) |
2 | |
 Singapore |
2 (3 The Amazing Race 3 The Amazing Race 3 is the third installment of the reality television show, The Amazing Race. This season featured 12 teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world, making it the first season to have 12 teams... , 16 The Amazing Race 16 The Amazing Race 16 is the sixteenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 16 features eleven teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world.... ) |
2 | |
 South Korea |
2 (4 The Amazing Race 4 The Amazing Race 4 is the fourth installment of the reality television show on US television The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 4 featured 12 teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world... , 17 The Amazing Race 17 The Amazing Race 17 is the seventeenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 17 features 11 teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world.... ) |
2 | |
 Republic of China |
2 (12 The Amazing Race 12 The Amazing Race 12 is the twelfth installment of winning reality television show The Amazing Race.The 12th season premiered on November 4, 2007 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. It took the timeslot of the canceled CBS series Viva Laughlin. The finale aired on January 20, 2008 at 8 p.m... , 19 The Amazing Race 19 The Amazing Race 19 is the nineteenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 19 features several teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world. The 19th season premiered on September 25, 2011.The nineteenth cycle started on... ) |
2 | |
 United Arab Emirates |
2 (5 The Amazing Race 5 The Amazing Race 5 is the fifth installment of the American reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 5 featured 11 teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world.... , 15 The Amazing Race 15 The Amazing Race 15 is the fifteenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 15 featured 12 teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world.... ) |
3 | |
 Bangladesh |
1 (17 The Amazing Race 17 The Amazing Race 17 is the seventeenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 17 features 11 teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world.... ) |
1 | |
 Indonesia |
1 (19 The Amazing Race 19 The Amazing Race 19 is the nineteenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 19 features several teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world. The 19th season premiered on September 25, 2011.The nineteenth cycle started on... ) |
2 | |
 Kazakhstan |
1 (13 The Amazing Race 13 The Amazing Race 13 is the 13th installment of the reality television competition series The Amazing Race. It featured 11 teams of two, each with a preexisting relationship, in a race around the world.... ) |
1 | |
 Kuwait |
1 (10 The Amazing Race 10 The Amazing Race 10 is the tenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 10 features twelve teams of two with a pre-existing relationship in a race around the world.... ) |
1 | |
 Mongolia |
1 (10 The Amazing Race 10 The Amazing Race 10 is the tenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 10 features twelve teams of two with a pre-existing relationship in a race around the world.... ) |
1 | |
 Philippines |
1 (5 The Amazing Race 5 The Amazing Race 5 is the fifth installment of the American reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 5 featured 11 teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world.... ) |
2 | |
 Sri Lanka |
1 (6 The Amazing Race 6 The Amazing Race 6 is the sixth installment of the reality television series The Amazing Race. It premiered on November 16, 2004, and concluded on February 8, 2005.Freddy Holliday & Kendra Bentley were the winners of this Race.... ) |
1 |
Oceania
| Rank | Country | Seasons visited | Pit Stops |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Australia |
4 (2 The Amazing Race 2 The Amazing Race 2 is the second installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 2 featured 11 teams of two with a pre-existing relationship in a race around the world... , 4 The Amazing Race 4 The Amazing Race 4 is the fourth installment of the reality television show on US television The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 4 featured 12 teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world... , 9 The Amazing Race 9 The Amazing Race 9 is the ninth installment of the American reality television show The Amazing Race. This season featured eleven teams of two with a pre-existing relationship in a race around the world to win one million dollars. The show premiered on Tuesday, February 28, 2006 and concluded on... , 18 The Amazing Race 18 The Amazing Race 18 is the eighteenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 18 features eleven teams of two – each returning from a previous edition – in a race around the world for a $1 million prize.The eighteenth cycle started on Sunday,... ) |
8 |
| 2 |  New Zealand |
3 (2 The Amazing Race 2 The Amazing Race 2 is the second installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 2 featured 11 teams of two with a pre-existing relationship in a race around the world... , 5 The Amazing Race 5 The Amazing Race 5 is the fifth installment of the American reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 5 featured 11 teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world.... , 13 The Amazing Race 13 The Amazing Race 13 is the 13th installment of the reality television competition series The Amazing Race. It featured 11 teams of two, each with a preexisting relationship, in a race around the world.... ) |
4 |
U.S. broadcast and ratings
With the premiere of its seventeenth season, The Amazing Race is one of the longest-running reality series in the United States, after only SurvivorSurvivor (U.S. TV series)
Survivor is an American version of the Survivor reality television game show, itself derived from the Swedish television series Expedition Robinson originally created in 1997 by Charlie Parsons. The series premiered on May 31, 2000 on CBS...
and The Real World
The Real World
The Real World is a reality television program on MTV originally produced by Mary-Ellis Bunim and Jonathan Murray. First broadcast in 1992, the show, which was inspired by the 1973 PBS documentary series An American Family, is the longest-running program in MTV history and one of the...
.
Seasonal rankings (based on average total viewers per episode) of The Amazing Race on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
.
| Season | Timeslot (ET Eastern Time Zone The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time... ) |
Season premiere | Season finale | Rank | Viewers (millions) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 The Amazing Race 1 The Amazing Race is the first installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race... |
Wednesday 9:00 pm | 2001–2002 | #73 | 8.80 | ||
| 2 The Amazing Race 2 The Amazing Race 2 is the second installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 2 featured 11 teams of two with a pre-existing relationship in a race around the world... |
#49 | 10.30 | ||||
| 3 The Amazing Race 3 The Amazing Race 3 is the third installment of the reality television show, The Amazing Race. This season featured 12 teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world, making it the first season to have 12 teams... |
2002–2003 | #71 | 8.98 | |||
| 4 The Amazing Race 4 The Amazing Race 4 is the fourth installment of the reality television show on US television The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 4 featured 12 teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world... |
Thursday 8:00 pm | 2003 | N/A | 8.32 | ||
| 5 The Amazing Race 5 The Amazing Race 5 is the fifth installment of the American reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 5 featured 11 teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world.... |
Tuesday 10:00 pm | 2004 | N/A | 10.73 | ||
| 6 The Amazing Race 6 The Amazing Race 6 is the sixth installment of the reality television series The Amazing Race. It premiered on November 16, 2004, and concluded on February 8, 2005.Freddy Holliday & Kendra Bentley were the winners of this Race.... |
Tuesday 9:00 pm | 2004–2005 | #31 | 11.54 | ||
| 7 The Amazing Race 7 The Amazing Race 7 is the seventh installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 7 features 11 teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world... |
#25 | 13.05 | ||||
| 8 The Amazing Race 8 The Amazing Race 8 is the eighth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race... |
2005–2006 | #42 | 10.80 | |||
| 9 The Amazing Race 9 The Amazing Race 9 is the ninth installment of the American reality television show The Amazing Race. This season featured eleven teams of two with a pre-existing relationship in a race around the world to win one million dollars. The show premiered on Tuesday, February 28, 2006 and concluded on... |
Tuesday 9:00 pm Tuesday 10:00 pm Wednesday 8:00 pm |
#56 | 9.10 | |||
| 10 The Amazing Race 10 The Amazing Race 10 is the tenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 10 features twelve teams of two with a pre-existing relationship in a race around the world.... |
Sunday 8:00 pm | 2006–2007 | #31 | 11.50 | ||
| 11 The Amazing Race 11 The Amazing Race 11 is the 11th installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race... |
#44 | 10.10 | ||||
| 12 The Amazing Race 12 The Amazing Race 12 is the twelfth installment of winning reality television show The Amazing Race.The 12th season premiered on November 4, 2007 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. It took the timeslot of the canceled CBS series Viva Laughlin. The finale aired on January 20, 2008 at 8 p.m... |
2007–2008 | #25 | 11.84 | |||
| 13 The Amazing Race 13 The Amazing Race 13 is the 13th installment of the reality television competition series The Amazing Race. It featured 11 teams of two, each with a preexisting relationship, in a race around the world.... |
2008–2009 | #27 | 11.14 | |||
| 14 The Amazing Race 14 The Amazing Race 14 is the fourteenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 14 featured 11 teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world.... |
#29 | 10.91 | ||||
| 15 The Amazing Race 15 The Amazing Race 15 is the fifteenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 15 featured 12 teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world.... |
2009–2010 | #28 | 11.14 | |||
| 16 The Amazing Race 16 The Amazing Race 16 is the sixteenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 16 features eleven teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world.... |
#29 | 10.40 | ||||
| 17 The Amazing Race 17 The Amazing Race 17 is the seventeenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 17 features 11 teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world.... |
2010–2011 | #22 | 11.93 | |||
| 18 The Amazing Race 18 The Amazing Race 18 is the eighteenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 18 features eleven teams of two – each returning from a previous edition – in a race around the world for a $1 million prize.The eighteenth cycle started on Sunday,... |
#39 | 10.35 | ||||
| 19 The Amazing Race 19 The Amazing Race 19 is the nineteenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 19 features several teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world. The 19th season premiered on September 25, 2011.The nineteenth cycle started on... |
2011–2012 |
: Each U.S. network television season starts in late September and ends in late May, which coincides with the completion of May sweeps.
: Because this edition of The Amazing Race aired during the summer (and outside of the typical television season, which runs September to May), it was not ranked in either the television season preceding it or succeeding it.
: The two-hour premiere was the only episode to air Tuesday at 9:00 pm.
: Episodes aired Tuesdays at 10:00 pm during the entire month of March 2006, and then moved to Wednesdays at 8:00 pm for the remainder of the season to make room for CSI: NY
CSI: NY
CSI: NY is an American police procedural television series that premiered on September 22, 2004, on CBS. The show follows the investigations of a team of NYPD forensic scientists and police officers as they unveil the circumstances behind mysterious and unusual deaths as well as other crimes...
.
During its first four seasons, even with extensive critical praise, the show garnered low Nielsen ratings
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
, facing cancellation a number of times. The premiere of the show aired six days before the September 11 attacks, leaving the fate of the show in doubt. Producer van Munster stated that "Once we saw our billboards covered in dust from the 9/11 tragedy, we knew we had a problem". Low viewership of the show was also attributed to it being lost among all other reality television shows at the time and unable to garner similar numbers as Survivor
Survivor (U.S. TV series)
Survivor is an American version of the Survivor reality television game show, itself derived from the Swedish television series Expedition Robinson originally created in 1997 by Charlie Parsons. The series premiered on May 31, 2000 on CBS...
. The Amazing Race premiered against a similarly themed reality show Lost
Lost (2001 TV series)
Lost was a reality television show screened in the U.S. and UK in late 2001. It was a game show in a race format where teams raced around the world with few or no resources...
on NBC (unrelated to ABC's Lost
Lost (TV series)
Lost is an American television series that originally aired on ABC from September 22, 2004 to May 23, 2010, consisting of six seasons. Lost is a drama series that follows the survivors of the crash of a commercial passenger jet flying between Sydney and Los Angeles, on a mysterious tropical island...
show); Lost featured teams of two stranded in a remote area of the world and forced to find their way back to the United States. A vice president of programming at CBS considered The Amazing Race to be "a show that was always on the bubble" of being canceled.
The show was considered to be saved due to several factors: the show was well-received by critics, winning the Emmy for Outstanding Reality-Competition Programming
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Reality-Competition Program
Outstanding Reality-Competition Program is a Primetime Emmy Award given out during the primetime telecast since 2003.The Amazing Race won consecutively every year since the category's inception until Top Chef ended its streak in 2010...
in 2003 and 2004; consistent viewership numbers; and feedback from the large number of fans representing the young target demographic, including Sarah Jessica Parker
Sarah Jessica Parker
Sarah Jessica Parker is an American film, television, and theater actress and producer.She is best known for her leading role as Carrie Bradshaw on the HBO television series Sex and the City , for which she won four Golden Globe Awards, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, and two Emmy Awards...
who had called in directly to CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
President Les Moonves asking to save the show. The fifth season
The Amazing Race 5
The Amazing Race 5 is the fifth installment of the American reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 5 featured 11 teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world....
of the series, which aired from July to September 2004, had very high viewership numbers for that time of the year, averaging 10.7 million with a finale of nearly 13 million, doubling the viewership in the 18-to-34 demographic and won its time slot for every episode. The improved ratings are credited to the particular teams selected for that season. As a result, CBS began airing the sixth season during the "high-profile heart" of the November 2004 sweeps.
A temporary setback struck The Amazing Race after a Family Edition
The Amazing Race 8
The Amazing Race 8 is the eighth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race...
that aired later that year was not received warmly by viewers, which resulted in lowered viewership. The change in format, with teams of four and allowing for young children to race alongside their parents, hampered the travel ability of the show. Keoghan, though pleased they had tried something different with the show, attributed the poor response to the Family Edition due to too many people to follow and lack of exotic locations. This spilled over to Season 9
The Amazing Race 9
The Amazing Race 9 is the ninth installment of the American reality television show The Amazing Race. This season featured eleven teams of two with a pre-existing relationship in a race around the world to win one million dollars. The show premiered on Tuesday, February 28, 2006 and concluded on...
where it experienced dismaying ratings of only an average of 9.1 million viewers per episode, a drop from 13 million just 2 seasons ago in Season 7
The Amazing Race 7
The Amazing Race 7 is the seventh installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 7 features 11 teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world...
. The timeslot changing for Season 9 was also attributed to the drop in ratings.
Since the tenth season
The Amazing Race 10
The Amazing Race 10 is the tenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 10 features twelve teams of two with a pre-existing relationship in a race around the world....
, which moved the show to Sunday nights, The Amazing Race has seen further increases in its numbers. It is believed that part of this increase is due to "sports overruns" (football, basketball, or golf) that resulted from games played earlier on Sunday pushing the airtime for The Amazing Race back by some amount on the East Coast along with other CBS programming. In the Sunday timeslot, The Amazing Race follows 60 Minutes
60 Minutes
60 Minutes is an American television news magazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation....
; Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
states that, while both shows have different target demographics, the crossover audience between the shows is very high based on the average household income of its viewers, and is part of the Races success. In the 2010 season, another reality television show, Undercover Boss
Undercover Boss
Undercover Boss is a television franchise series that has been released in multiple countries, originating in 2009 on the British Channel 4...
, was scheduled following The Amazing Race; the overall impact of these three shows have helped CBS to regain viewership on Sunday nights. According to Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
, the average age of Amazing Race viewers that watch the show live in 2009 was 51.9 years, while for those that time-shifted the show, the average age was 39.2 years. In a 2010 survey by Experian Simmons
Experian Consumer Research
Experian Simmons is a part of Experian focused on delivering the mindset of the American consumer. Used mostly for their National Consumer Survey, this group is known in the media and advertising community for analytical skill and cost effective approach to media research...
, The Amazing Race was found to be the second-highest show proportion of viewers that identify themselves as Republicans
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
, following Glenn Beck
Glenn Beck (TV program)
Glenn Beck is a United States cable news show hosted by Glenn Beck that aired weekdays on Fox News Channel. The program, originally on CNN Headline News , premiered on FNC on January 19, 2009 and aired weekdays at 5:00 PM EST...
. The season 16
The Amazing Race 16
The Amazing Race 16 is the sixteenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 16 features eleven teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world....
finale, however, was the lowest-rated finale since season 4
The Amazing Race 4
The Amazing Race 4 is the fourth installment of the reality television show on US television The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 4 featured 12 teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world...
.
Although season 18
The Amazing Race 18
The Amazing Race 18 is the eighteenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 18 features eleven teams of two – each returning from a previous edition – in a race around the world for a $1 million prize.The eighteenth cycle started on Sunday,...
averaged over 10 million viewers and finished in top 40 most watched shows of the 2010-2011 television season, the ratings dropped and the season 18 finale was the lowest-rated finale in the show's history.
International broadcast and versions
The United States version of The Amazing Race is rebroadcast in several countries around the world. Airings in both CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
are very popular. The Canadian showing on CTV
CTV television network
CTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...
is commonly one of the top ten most watched shows each week, according to BBM Canada, Australian broadcasts of the episodes on the Seven Network
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
often fall into the top 20 programs for the week. Episodes of The Amazing Race also air in several other countries shortly after the American broadcast, including Latin America, China, and the Philippines.
AXN Asia
AXN Asia
AXN Asia is a pay-tv, cable and satellite TV channel owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment. It is available in throughout the 18 countries around the Asia-Pacific region...
broadcasts The Amazing Race across southeast Asia; the popularity of the show though the service led to CBS allowing for the option of creating international versions of the show in October 2005. The Amazing Race Asia was one of the first versions created, following essentially the same format as the United States version. Other international versions of the show have been produced out of Latin America and Australia.
Critical reception
Part of the show's success is considered to be the relatively simple formula of following several teams on a race around the world. Because of this, viewers can live "vicariously through the people on the screen", according to Andy DehnartAndy Dehnart
Andy Dehnart is an American journalist and television critic. He may be best known as reality television's "longest-standing critic" for his online journalism, as he's the creator of the genre's first tracking website, RealityBlurred.com...
of the RealityBlurred.com website. The show is often considered to be "travel porn", offering locations that most people would never get to see in their lifetimes. Keoghan offers that:
The show is also considered to be successful in it does not rely on the typical tropes of reality television, where players are trying to avoid becoming too much of a target to be voted off by their fellow contestants; in The Amazing Race, a team's success is primarily based on their own performance. At the same time, the reality show setting can bring out unbecoming behavior, often leading to the stereotypical idea of ugly American tourists.
The show is known for a dedicated fan base that keeps in touch with the show's producers and contestants. While a race is being run and filmed, fans of the show watch for news or spotting of the racers and attempt to track their progress in real time, enhanced by recent social media tools, leading production to figure out ways to masquerade their presence in any city. Despite this, fans readily track the Race as it is being run across the globe. In the 19th season
The Amazing Race 19
The Amazing Race 19 is the nineteenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 19 features several teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world. The 19th season premiered on September 25, 2011.The nineteenth cycle started on...
, one contestant had lost her passport at a gas station while getting directions to Los Angeles International Airport
Los Angeles International Airport
Los Angeles International Airport is the primary airport serving the Greater Los Angeles Area, the second-most populated metropolitan area in the United States. It is most often referred to by its IATA airport code LAX, with the letters pronounced individually...
. Though spotted by their A/V crew, they could not inform the contestant but instead alerted production, who prepared for an early elimination of the team at LAX. A bystander found the passport, and after he posted about it on Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
, he was directed by a fan tracking the Race's progress to take the passport to the airport, returning it before the scheduled flight and keeping the team in the race. Coinciding with the broadcast finale for each season, fans from the website Television Without Pity arrange for a "TARCon" event in New York City along with the season's teams and other former racers.
Awards
The Amazing Race won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Reality-Competition ProgramPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Reality-Competition Program
Outstanding Reality-Competition Program is a Primetime Emmy Award given out during the primetime telecast since 2003.The Amazing Race won consecutively every year since the category's inception until Top Chef ended its streak in 2010...
for the first seven years after the creation of the award in 2003
55th Primetime Emmy Awards
The 55th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards were held on September 21, 2003. The awards show was broadcast on FOX. Nominees are listed below; winners are in bold.-Outstanding Drama Series:* 24, Fox* CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CBS...
against other, more popular reality TV shows such as Survivor
Survivor (U.S. TV series)
Survivor is an American version of the Survivor reality television game show, itself derived from the Swedish television series Expedition Robinson originally created in 1997 by Charlie Parsons. The series premiered on May 31, 2000 on CBS...
, Dancing with the Stars, and American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
. Its streak was ended in 2010 when Top Chef
Top Chef
Top Chef is an American reality competition show that airs on the cable television network Bravo, in which chefs compete against each other in culinary challenges. They are judged by a panel of professional chefs and other notables from the food and wine industry with one or more contestants...
won the Emmy for this category. Host Phil Keoghan
Phil Keoghan
Philip John "Phil" Keoghan is a New Zealand-born television personality, best known for hosting the U.S. version of The Amazing Race on CBS, since its 2001 debut. He is also the creator and host of No Opportunity Wasted, which has been produced in the United States, New Zealand, and Canada...
revealed in an interview that the show's loss that year made him and the producers realize that they will have to try harder to win the Emmy again. In 2011, the show won in the category again for the eighth time. After its seventh consecutive win, some in the media, including Survivor host Jeff Probst
Jeff Probst
Jeffrey Lee "Jeff" Probst is an American game show host, executive producer and a reporter. He is best known as the host of the U.S. version of the reality show Survivor.-Biography:...
suggested that The Amazing Race willingly drop out from the competition in future years, similar to Candice Bergen
Candice Bergen
Candice Patricia Bergen is an American actress and former fashion model.She is known for starring in two TV series, as the title character on the situation comedy Murphy Brown , for which she won five Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards; and as Shirley Schmidt on the comedy-drama Boston Legal...
declining any further nominations after her fifth Emmy win for her role in Murphy Brown
Murphy Brown
Murphy Brown is an American situation comedy which aired on CBS from November 14, 1988, to May 18, 1998, for a total of 247 episodes. The program starred Candice Bergen as the eponymous Murphy Brown, a famous investigative journalist and news anchor for FYI, a fictional CBS television...
. Donald Trump
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump, Sr. is an American business magnate, television personality and author. He is the chairman and president of The Trump Organization and the founder of Trump Entertainment Resorts. Trump's extravagant lifestyle, outspoken manner and role on the NBC reality show The Apprentice have...
, host of The Apprentice
The Apprentice (U.S. TV series)
The Apprentice is an American reality television show hosted by real estate magnate, businessman and television personality Donald Trump, created by Mark Burnett and broadcast on NBC...
, has stated that he feels that The Amazing Race does not deserve to win the number of Emmys it has won, believing that "they know how to politic the Emmys". Van Munster has stated that it is "not likely" he will pull the show from future Emmy awards, considering that it reflects on his and his crew's hard work and high standards. The show has also been nominated and won several times for technical production (Creative Arts) Emmy awards, for Cinematography and Picture Editing for Non-Fiction programs, whereas it has only been nominated for Sound Mixing and Sound Editing for Non-Fiction programs. The show has been nominated in the same five categories for three years consecutively, a trend which continued with the 2007 Primetime Emmy Awards
59th Primetime Emmy Awards
The 59th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards were held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California on September 16, 2007 and were televised live on Fox at 8:00 p.m. EDT for the first time in high definition...
.
| Summary of Emmy nominations and wins | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Type | Category | Result | Record |
| 2003 55th Primetime Emmy Awards The 55th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards were held on September 21, 2003. The awards show was broadcast on FOX. Nominees are listed below; winners are in bold.-Outstanding Drama Series:* 24, Fox* CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CBS... |
Primetime Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American primetime television programming... |
Outstanding Reality-Competition Program Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Reality-Competition Program Outstanding Reality-Competition Program is a Primetime Emmy Award given out during the primetime telecast since 2003.The Amazing Race won consecutively every year since the category's inception until Top Chef ended its streak in 2010... |
1 for 1 | |
| 2004 56th Primetime Emmy Awards The 56th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards were held Sunday, September 19, 2004. The awards show was hosted by Garry Shandling and was broadcast on ABC... |
Primetime | Outstanding Reality-Competition Program | 2 for 2 | |
| Creative Arts | Outstanding Sound Mixing for Nonfiction Programming (Single or Multi-Camera) for the episode "I Could Never Have Been Prepared For What I'm Looking At Right Now" |
rowspan="3" | 0 for 1 | |
| Outstanding Picture Editing for Nonfiction Programming (Single or Multi-Camera) for the episode "I Could Never Have Been Prepared For What I'm Looking At Right Now" |
0 for 1 | |||
| Outstanding Cinematography for Nonfiction Programming (Single or Multi-Camera) for the episode "I Could Never Have Been Prepared For What I'm Looking At Right Now" |
0 for 1 | |||
| 2005 57th Primetime Emmy Awards The 57th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards were held on September 18, 2005, hosted by Ellen DeGeneres. The 2005 Primetime Emmy Awards show was broadcast on CBS.... |
Primetime | Outstanding Reality-Competition Program | 3 for 3 | |
| Creative Arts | Outstanding Picture Editing for Nonfiction Programming (Single or Multi-Camera) for the episode "We're Moving Up the Food Chain" |
1 for 2 | ||
| Outstanding Sound Mixing for Nonfiction Programming (Single or Multi-Camera) for the episode "We're Moving Up the Food Chain" |
rowspan=3 | 0 for 2 | ||
| Outstanding Cinematography for Nonfiction Programming (Single or Multi-Camera) for the episode "We're Moving Up the Food Chain" |
0 for 2 | |||
| Outstanding Sound Editing for Nonfiction Programming (Single or Multi-Camera) for the episode "We're Moving Up the Food Chain" |
0 for 1 | |||
| 2006 58th Primetime Emmy Awards The 58th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards were held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California on Sunday, August 27, 2006 on NBC at 8:00pm ET with Conan O'Brien hosting the show... |
Primetime | Outstanding Reality-Competition Program | 4 for 4 | |
| Creative Arts | Outstanding Picture Editing for Nonfiction Programming (Single or Multi-Camera) for the episode "Here Comes The Bedouin!" |
rowspan=2 | 2 for 3 | |
| Outstanding Cinematography for Nonfiction Programming (Single or Multi-Camera) for the episode "Here Comes The Bedouin!" |
1 for 3 | |||
| Outstanding Sound Mixing for Nonfiction Programming (Single or Multi-Camera) for the episode "Here Comes The Bedouin!" |
rowspan=2 | 0 for 3 | ||
| Outstanding Sound Editing for Nonfiction Programming (Single or Multi-Camera) for the episode "Here Comes The Bedouin!" |
0 for 2 | |||
| 2007 59th Primetime Emmy Awards The 59th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards were held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California on September 16, 2007 and were televised live on Fox at 8:00 p.m. EDT for the first time in high definition... |
Primetime | Outstanding Reality-Competition Program | 5 for 5 | |
| Creative Arts | Outstanding Picture Editing for Nonfiction Programming (Single or Multi-Camera) for the episode "I Know Phil, Little Ol' Gorgeous Thing!" |
rowspan=2 | 3 for 4 | |
| Outstanding Cinematography for Nonfiction Programming (Single or Multi-Camera) for the episode "I Know Phil, Little Ol' Gorgeous Thing!" |
2 for 4 | |||
| Outstanding Sound Mixing for Nonfiction Programming (Single or Multi-Camera) for the episode "I Know Phil, Little Ol' Gorgeous Thing!" |
rowspan=2 | 0 for 4 | ||
| Outstanding Sound Editing for Nonfiction Programming (Single or Multi-Camera) for the episode "I Know Phil, Little Ol' Gorgeous Thing!" |
0 for 3 | |||
| 2008 60th Primetime Emmy Awards The 60th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards was held on Sunday, September 21, 2008, at the newly opened Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California. They were hosted by Tom Bergeron, Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel, Jeff Probst, and Ryan Seacrest and televised in the United States on ABC.The Creative Arts Awards... |
Primetime | Outstanding Reality-Competition Program | 6 for 6 | |
| Creative Arts | Outstanding Picture Editing for Nonfiction Programming (Single or Multi-Camera) for the episode "Honestly, They Have Witch Powers Or Something" |
rowspan=5 | 3 for 5 | |
| Outstanding Directing for Nonfiction Programming for the episode "Honestly, They Have Witch Powers Or Something" |
0 for 1 | |||
| Outstanding Cinematography for Nonfiction Programming (Single or Multi-Camera) for the episode "Honestly, They Have Witch Powers Or Something" |
2 for 5 | |||
| Outstanding Sound Mixing for Nonfiction Programming (Single or Multi-Camera) for the episode "Honestly, They Have Witch Powers Or Something" |
0 for 5 | |||
| Outstanding Sound Editing for Nonfiction Programming (Single or Multi-Camera) for the episode "Honestly, They Have Witch Powers Or Something" |
0 for 4 | |||
| 2009 61st Primetime Emmy Awards The 61st Annual Primetime Emmy Awards took place on September 20, 2009. CBS broadcast the Primetime event and E! the Creative Arts event; both take place at Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California. The nominations for the Awards were announced on July 16.... |
Primetime | Outstanding Reality-Competition Program | 7 for 7 | |
| Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program was an award created in 2008. On July 27, 2008, it was announced that this category's 5 nominees would all co-host the 2008 Primetime Emmy Awards telecast.-2000s:2008: Survivor - Jeff Probst... Phil Keoghan Phil Keoghan Philip John "Phil" Keoghan is a New Zealand-born television personality, best known for hosting the U.S. version of The Amazing Race on CBS, since its 2001 debut. He is also the creator and host of No Opportunity Wasted, which has been produced in the United States, New Zealand, and Canada... |
0 for 1 | |||
| Creative Arts | Outstanding Picture Editing for Nonfiction Programming (Single or Multi-Camera) for the episode "Don't Let A Cheese Hit Me" |
rowspan=5 | 3 for 6 | |
| Outstanding Directing for Nonfiction Programming for the episode "Don't Let A Cheese Hit Me" |
0 for 2 | |||
| Outstanding Cinematography for Nonfiction Programming (Single or Multi-Camera) for the episode "Don't Let A Cheese Hit Me" |
2 for 6 | |||
| Outstanding Sound Mixing for Nonfiction Programming (Single or Multi-Camera) for the episode "Don't Let A Cheese Hit Me" |
0 for 6 | |||
| Outstanding Sound Editing for Nonfiction Programming (Single or Multi-Camera) for the episode "Don't Let A Cheese Hit Me" |
0 for 5 | |||
| 2010 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards The 62nd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, took place on August 29, 2010, at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California beginning at 5:00 p.m. PDT... |
Primetime | Outstanding Reality-Competition Program | rowspan=2 | 7 for 8 |
| Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program Phil Keoghan |
0 for 2 | |||
| Creative Arts | Outstanding Picture Editing for Nonfiction Programming (Single or Multi-Camera) for the episode "I Think We're Fighting the Germans. Right?" |
rowspan=5 | 3 for 7 | |
| Outstanding Directing for Nonfiction Programming for the episode "I Think We're Fighting the Germans. Right?" |
0 for 3 | |||
| Outstanding Cinematography for Nonfiction Programming (Single or Multi-Camera) for the episode "I Think We're Fighting the Germans. Right?" |
2 for 7 | |||
| Outstanding Sound Mixing for Nonfiction Programming (Single or Multi-Camera) for the episode "I Think We're Fighting the Germans. Right?" |
0 for 7 | |||
| Outstanding Sound Editing for Nonfiction Programming (Single or Multi-Camera) for the episode "I Think We're Fighting the Germans. Right?" |
0 for 6 | |||
| 2011 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards The 63rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, honoring the best in primetime television programming from June 1, 2010 until May 31, 2011, was held on September 18, 2011, at the Nokia Theatre in Downtown Los Angeles, California. Fox televised the ceremony within the United States. Actress Jane Lynch hosted... |
Primetime | Outstanding Reality-Competition Program | rowspan=1 | 8 for 9 |
| Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program Phil Keoghan |
rowspan=6 | 0 for 3 | ||
| Creative Arts | Outstanding Picture Editing for Nonfiction Programming (Single or Multi-Camera) for the episode "You Don't Get Paid Unless You Win" |
3 for 8 | ||
| Outstanding Directing for Nonfiction Programming for the episode "You Don't Get Paid Unless You Win" |
0 for 4 | |||
| Outstanding Cinematography for Nonfiction Programming (Single or Multi-Camera) for the episode "You Don't Get Paid Unless You Win" |
2 for 8 | |||
| Outstanding Sound Mixing for Nonfiction Programming (Single or Multi-Camera) for the episode "You Don't Get Paid Unless You Win" |
0 for 8 | |||
| Outstanding Sound Editing for Nonfiction Programming (Single or Multi-Camera) for the episode "You Don't Get Paid Unless You Win" |
0 for 7 | |||
| Total | 12 wins, 47 nominations | |||
The production staff of The Amazing Race has been nominated each year since 2004 for the Producers Guild of America
Producers Guild of America
Producers Guild of America is a trade organization representing television producers, film producers and New Media producers in the United States. The PGA's membership includes over 4,700 members of the producing establishment worldwide...
's Golden Laurel award for Television Producer of a Non-Fiction Program, and won this award in 2005.
Bert Van Munster has been nominated six times for the Directors Guild of America
Directors Guild of America
Directors Guild of America is an entertainment labor union which represents the interests of film and television directors in the United States motion picture industry...
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Reality Programs award for The Amazing Race each year between 2005 and 2010, and winning the award in 2007.
Due to its favorable portrayal of gay couples, The Amazing Race has been nominated in 2004 and 2006 for, but not won, the GLAAD Media Award
GLAAD Media Awards
The GLAAD Media Award is an accolade bestowed by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation to recognize and honor various branches of the media for their outstanding representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community and the issues that affect their lives...
Outstanding Reality Program. It has received a similar nomination for 2009.
Home media
Only two seasons of The Amazing Race have been released on retail DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
in the North America region, The Amazing Race 1
The Amazing Race 1
The Amazing Race is the first installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race...
and 7
The Amazing Race 7
The Amazing Race 7 is the seventh installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 7 features 11 teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world...
. The 2nd season
The Amazing Race 2
The Amazing Race 2 is the second installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 2 featured 11 teams of two with a pre-existing relationship in a race around the world...
was released through Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
's CreateSpace "manufacture-on-demand" service. The 3rd and 4th seasons have been confirmed for release through Amazon.com's CreateSpace. Races since The Amazing Race 13
The Amazing Race 13
The Amazing Race 13 is the 13th installment of the reality television competition series The Amazing Race. It featured 11 teams of two, each with a preexisting relationship, in a race around the world....
have been made available on iTunes Music Store.
Other media
Two board games have been made based on The Amazing Race: a DVD Board Game and a traditional board game. A video game for the WiiWii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
home game console has been also been produced as well as an iOS version.
Two books have been written by fans of the show; the first is written by Adam-Troy Castro
Adam-Troy Castro
Adam-Troy Castro is a science fiction, fantasy, and horror writer living in Miami, FL. He has more than eighty stories to his credit and has been nominated for numerous awards, including the Hugo, Nebula, and Stoker. These stories include four Spider-Man novels, including the Sinister Six trilogy,...
, titled "My Ox Is Broken!": Detours, Roadblocks, Fast Forwards and Other Great Moments from TV's The Amazing Race", which features an introduction from Season 8
The Amazing Race 8
The Amazing Race 8 is the eighth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race...
racers Billy and Carissa Gaghan. The second book is "Circumnavigating the Globe: Amazing Race 10 to 14 and Amazing Race Asia 1 to 3" written by Arthur E. Perkins Jr.
Legacy
- The format of The Amazing Race has led to much smaller scale events for local cities and towns, having teams race through the area with clues and tasks.
- Countries and cities that are featured on the show often see the exposure as a boon. A member of the IcelandIcelandIceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
ic Tourist Board noted that after their country shown as one of the locations in The Amazing Race 6The Amazing Race 6The Amazing Race 6 is the sixth installment of the reality television series The Amazing Race. It premiered on November 16, 2004, and concluded on February 8, 2005.Freddy Holliday & Kendra Bentley were the winners of this Race....
, their website saw an increase in information requests, and they worked to develop a "Trace the Race" travel package to allow visitors to see the same locations shown on the show. - "Competitours" was created by Steve Belkin to create 8 to 14-days European tours in the style of The Amazing Race; the tourists are only given instructions each night on where they will be traveling next with a Race-like task to do the next day (such as encouraging locals to dance with them at a tourist location), to be demonstrated by recording themselves with a video camera.
- The Amazing Race has inspired popular culturePopular culturePopular culture is the totality of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, memes, images and other phenomena that are deemed preferred per an informal consensus within the mainstream of a given culture, especially Western culture of the early to mid 20th century and the emerging global mainstream of the...
, with notable references to it in such shows as Robot ChickenRobot ChickenRobot Chicken is an American stop motion animated television series created and executive produced by Seth Green and Matthew Senreich along with co-head writers Douglas Goldstein and Tom Root. Green provides many voices for the show...
, MadTVMADtvMADtv is an American sketch comedy television series. It licensed the name and logo of Mad, but otherwise had no connection with the humor magazine outside the animated Spy vs. Spy and Don Martin cartoon shorts and images of Alfred E. Neuman that the show featured during the late 1990s. Its first...
(in which Charla and Mirna of Season 5 participated), 30 Rock30 Rock30 Rock is an American television comedy series created by Tina Fey that airs on NBC. The series is loosely based on Fey's experiences as head writer for Saturday Night Live...
and even Sesame StreetSesame StreetSesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
. The Canadian cartoon/reality show Total Drama World Tour also has similarities to The Amazing Race. And also an episode titled "The Amazing Model Race" of the twelfth cycleAmerica's Next Top Model, Cycle 12America's Next Top Model, Cycle 12 is the twelfth cycle of America's Next Top Model and the sixth season to air on The CW network. It premiered on March 4, 2009. The cycle's catch phrase is "Get In The Fold." The cycle's promotional song is Lady Gaga's "The Fame".The first half of the cycle took...
of America's Next Top ModelAmerica's Next Top ModelAmerica's Next Top Model is a reality television show in which a number of women compete for the title of America's Next Top Model and a chance to start their career in the modeling industry....
, where it has a race-themed challenge.