The sixth season of The Amazing Race is upon us! You will watch. The two-hour premiere airs tonight at 9 p.m. on CBS. (It will re-run this Saturday night at 8 p.m., at least in the D.C. area; check your local listings.) There was an article in today’s Times about the show’s growing audience (“An Audience Finally Catches Up to The Amazing Race”). Thanks to Thom for pointing it out.
Aside: as you may know, I can’t stand the term “reality TV.” Most of the shows lumped into this category are actually game shows that have no basis in “reality.” Come on. (Sometimes when I ask people if they watch The Amazing Race, they say, “Oh, I don’t watch reality TV.” Agh!) On the flip side, if creating a new category, as the Emmy Awards did a few years ago, is what gets industry recognition for a show like this, then so be it.
Further aside: host Phil Keoghan has a series on the Discovery Channel called No Opportunity Wasted, where 26 people, chosen from thousands of applicants, each get $3,000 and 72 hours to fulfill their dream and check an item off their life to-do list.
I’m anxiously awaiting the commencement of Race number 6! I’m also thrilled that the show is finally finding the audience it so richly deserves.
Geography has never been so addictive.
I’ve never watched this show, but it is ironic — or perhaps, coincidental — that yesterday here in Baltimore, unbeknownst to me, I met one of the Race contestants, the blond “little woman”, here in the convention center. She was very nice. I had no idea who she was or what “The Amazing Race” was until someone pointed it out to me.