The Amazing Race: The Second Generation of Reality TV
By Jonathan Berohn
Following up on it's smash hit Survivor, CBS has another success with The Amazing Race. Unlike Survivor, where contestants get voted out by fellow players, success in The Amazing Race is determined by how quickly contestants can make it from point A to point B. While ostensibly easy enough, when point A and point B are thousands of miles away and blocked by physical and mental obstacles the show's creators think up, it makes for a challenging trip, and some interesting TV.
The Premise
As I mentioned above, the basic premise of The Amazing Race is simple—get to the next pit stop (their term for the end of that leg of travel) before the other teams—or at least before the last team. Last one in is out.
Three things make this seemingly boring premise into an interesting show. First, the settings are amazing. In any show you are liable to visit a safari in Africa, a bazaar in India, or a castle in Europe. The Amazing Race takes its contestants to places most viewers have only read about—if they are familiar with them at all.
Second, The Amazing Race takes one cue from Survivor by having players perform challenges during the trips. What makes these challenges interesting—other than the pure spectacle of watching people look absurd—is the local cultural flavor they capture. Whether it’s camel riding, salt gathering, or eating—The Amazing Race’s challenges make great use of local color and customs.
Finally, the human drama on The Amazing Race is different than that on Survivor. Watching the strain of travel on the teams is compelling in sort of a train-wreck fascination kind of way.
The Twist
The Amazing Race actually took one more cue from Survivor by including Rob and Amber on this season’s offering. In case you don’t watch Survivor, Rob was one of the better villains, while Amber scooped up the $1 million prize on Survivor All Star. The two recently married (CBS is planning to show that, too, if you just can't get enough Rob & Amber).
Anyway, what Rob and Amber bring to the show is competition. Where in the past teams generally helped each other or went about their own business, the Survivor veterans—especially Boston Rob—have added the new, and ever-musing element of the double cross. Not only does this spice things up quite a bit, but it also bodes well for future seasons of The Amazing Race. Rob and Amber are actually doing quite well, and—as CBS has shown us—nothing sparks imitation like success.
