The Amazing Race

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article or section recently underwent a major revision or rewrite and needs further review. You can help!

The Amazing Race is a reality television game show in which teams of two race around the world in competition with other teams. Contestants strive to arrive first at the end of each leg of the race to avoid the possibility of elimination. Teams are progressively eliminated until three teams are left; at that point, the team who arrives first in the final leg is awarded a large cash grand prize. Created by Elise Doganieri and Bertram van Munster. The original series has aired in the United States for ten seasons since 2001 and has earned multiple Emmy Awards. The format has since been franchised to Asia, Brazil and Central Europe.

Contestants travel to and within multiple countries in a variety of transportation modes, including planes, taxis, rental cars, trains and boats. The clues in each leg point the teams to the next destination or direct them to perform a task, either together or by a single member. Each task showcases the geographic region or indigenous culture and customs it is held in. If a team is in last place at the end of a "leg" of the race, they may be forced to stop competing or have a significant disadvantage in the following leg.

Contents 1 The Race 1.1 Teams 1.1.1 Length and Exclusivity 1.1.2 Type and Nature 1.2 Money 1.3 Route markers 1.4 Clues 1.4.1 Route Information 1.4.2 Detour 1.4.3 Roadblock 1.4.4 Fast Forward 1.4.5 Yield 1.4.6 Intersection 1.5 Pit Stops 1.5.1 'To Be Continued' Stops 1.5.2 The Mat 1.6 Non-elimination legs 1.7 Final leg 1.8 Rules and penalties 1.8.1 Rules 1.8.2 Penalties and time credits 2 Production 3 The Amazing Race around the world 4 References 5 External links

[edit] The Race

Unless otherwise indicated, the seasons refer to the American version of the series.

[edit] Teams

Each of the eleven teams (twelve in Seasons 3, 4, 10 and ten in Season 8 and Asia Season 1) on The Amazing Race is composed of two individuals who have some type of relationship to each other. Season 8 was a family edition of the race that featured teams of four, but Season 9 returned to the two-person team format.

The teams represent a wide demographic of different ages, races, sexual orientations, and relationships. Relationships have included long-time married couples, siblings (including twins), parent/child, friends (roommates, fraternity brothers, platonic friends, high school friends, lifelong friends etc), romantic partners (both heterosexual and homosexual), and couples who are separated or formerly dating.

The various relationship dynamics between the team members under the stress of competition is one focus of the show. Teammates must race the entire race together; they cannot split up (except when instructed to do so temporarily by a clue) or continue on without each other. If one teammate becomes injured and is unable to finish the race, the team must forfeit (for example, Marshall & Lance during Season 5). Both teammates must also arrive at each Pit Stop together in order to check in.

Many aspects of the production - casting, promos, premieres, and Phil's discussions with eliminated teams - make heavy emphasis upon the effects of the race on relationships. The kinds of effects possible, however, have been constrained by interrelated limitations on the length and the type of relationships between racers.

[edit] Length and Exclusivity

Originally, the race required team members to have a pre-existing relationship and to have known one another for at least three years. In addition, racers from different teams could not have previous acquaintances with one another. This provided pre-existing intrateam relationships to film and broadcast, without complications of pre-existing interteam relationships.

It is unclear whether producers have loosened either of these rules for more recent races, but they have made exceptions: Kris & Jon from Season 6 were long-distance daters for only one year, while several contestants from Season 5 had previously competed against one another in the beauty pageant circuit. (Nicole actually beat Christie for the title of Miss Texas USA in 2003.)^[1] Otherwise, however, teams members have had long personal histories, and only with each other.

[edit] Type and Nature

Save for those exceptions mentioned above (e.g. Kris and Jon from Season 6), every team has had a pre-existing relationship which has been either extensively or primarily personal. None of the teams have had a primarily professional relationship - such as teacher/student, doctor/patient, businessman/customer, client/server, or mentor/mentee - put to the test of the race to observe the kind and degree of personal relationship that might emerge.

There has thus not been the opportunity to see how a relationship might build during the race, from a strong but less personal connection to something intimate and intense. Instead, the race is shown as strengthening or weakening only existing personal relationships - and often portrays at least the threat of weakening, at least in suspense-building edits, rather than the potential for something new.

[edit] Money

At the beginning of each leg of the race, each team receives an allowance of cash with their first clue. During the race, all expenses (food, transportation, lodging, attraction admission, supplies) must be purchased from this allowance. The exception to this is the purchase of airline tickets (and, in Season 8, gasoline), which the teams pay for using a credit card supplied to them by the show.^[2] Any money left over after a leg of the race can be used on subsequent legs.

This money is usually given in U.S. Dollars regardless of the current location of the race. The one exception was leg four of season 10, where money was given in local currency. The amount varies from leg to leg, ranging from no money to hundreds of dollars. (In Season 1 and season 10, teams were allocated nothing during one of the legs, and in Season 4, teams were given only one dollar for each of the final two legs.) On Leg 3 (Mongolia-Vietnam) of Season 10, teams had to earn their money for that leg by selling flowers in the Roadblock.

From Season 5 to Season 9, teams were penalized for finishing last on a non-elimination leg. Teams were forced to surrender all collected money, and would not be given any to start the subsequent leg. For more on this penalty, see Non-elimination Legs.

If a team spends all of their money or has it taken away in a non-elimination round, they may try to get more money in any way that doesn't violate the local laws. This includes borrowing money from other teams, begging from locals or selling their possessions. One rule that was clarified in Season 7 is that teams may not beg for money at US airports. Further, on Leg 3 (Mongolia-Vietnam) of Season 10, teams were not permitted to beg for or sell items in exchange for money.

Teams have reported on the existence of an emergency fund of approximately $US 200 that is carried by their crew and can only be used in extreme circumstances, but generally not as a means to pay for any activity related to the Race. However, the exact amount is not known, nor are the exact circumstances when it can be used.

[edit] Route markers

Route Markers are the flags that mark the places where teams must go. Most Route Markers are attached to the boxes that contain clue envelopes, but some may mark the place where the teams must go in order to complete tasks.

Route Markers are always colored yellow and red, with the following exceptions:

• The original Route Markers used in Season 1 were colored yellow and white. The current colors (with red added) were adopted in subsequent seasons so that the teams would have an easier time spotting them.
• During Season 3, the production visited Vietnam; while there, the flags used were a solid yellow, to avoid confusion with the former flag of South Vietnam,^[3] which differs from the current flag of Vietnam. The flag of the former South Vietnam is used as the "official" flag of some expatriate Vietnamese communities in the United States,^[4] and is something of a holdover from the Vietnam War. It is a potentially politically volatile subject, and the producers avoided unintended comparison by using the solid yellow color scheme with no red striping. In Season 10 when the show visited Vietnam, the flags were yellow and white.
• Season 8's Route Markers were colored yellow, white, and black.

[edit] Clues

[edit] Route Information

Route Info clues instruct the teams where to go next. The clue usually only provides the name of the team's next destination; it is up to the teams to figure out how to get there. However, the clue may make specifications about how the teams have to travel. For example, the very first clue of the race specifies which flights teams may take. In addition, teams may be required to take public transportation, drive a marked car or other vehicle, or walk, according to the clue's instructions.

The Route Info clues can instruct teams to go to several types of locations, including a specific location in another city or country, another location within the team's present city, the Pit Stop of the leg, or the Finish Line of the race.

In the first season, the clue box contained exactly the number of clues as teams racing, thus a team was able to surmise what place they were presently in. In subsequent seasons, the clue box has included a variable number of clues (placed by spotters near each clue box just prior to racers arriving at the box) so that a team can usually not determine its present standing by counting the remaining clues.

[edit] Detour

"A Detour is a choice between two tasks, each with its own pros and cons. Teams must successfully complete one of the tasks described on the clue in order to receive their next clue." -Phil

One task is typically an easier option that takes more time to complete, while the other is usually a difficult or frightening option that can be finished quickly. Often, there may be some degree of luck involved with the "easier" option, such that a team may accomplish the task faster than if they had taken the quicker, harder, riskier option. Should a team choose to switch Detour tasks part-way through, there is no penalty, other than naturally lost time.^[5] Notably, in the first three seasons, a Detour always preceded a Roadblock in every leg, but in more recent seasons, the order which these tasks are presented varies with each leg. The "Detour" has remained one of the constant features of The Amazing Race, with little change to its format over ten seasons. The only unique Detour arrangement has been the first Detour in Season 5 where failure to complete one option (based solely on luck at gambling) required the team to complete the second, more physical task.

[edit] Roadblock

A Roadblock is a task that only one team member may perform. Before heading into a Roadblock, teams read a vague clue about the task to come, e.g., "Who's really hungry?" (for an ostrich-egg eating challenge), or "Who wants to get down and dirty?" (for a task involving making mud bricks). Often, a team may figure out the specific task by observing their surroundings, using common sense, or even seeing other teams already performing the Roadblock task. They then must decide which team member would be best suited to complete it. Once a choice has been made, the teammates cannot switch roles. For the first three seasons of the race, Roadblocks came after a Detour in every leg.

Unless the clue indicates otherwise, the other teammate(s) cannot assist in the task though they may verbally offer advice and encouragement, usually standing in a designated area off to the side. In a select few Roadblocks, the teammember that did not opt to do it may be required to participate; for example, in Season 1, one Roadblock required the selected teammember to ride a camel, while the other teammember was forced to walk along aside it to the next clue box. A similar arrangement occurred in the final Roadblock in Season 10, where while the selected member skydived out of a plane, the other member was treated to a "surprise" nosedive of the plane itself after the start of the skydive. The participating team members from other teams are able to help each other, however, unless otherwise indicated by the clue.

A Roadblock is featured (although, in some episodes, not aired) in every leg except the first one. In Season 1, even the first leg had a Roadblock, but it was not originally aired; it was, however, included as an extra in the DVD release. Season 10 became the first season to have and air a Roadblock on Leg 1.

Beginning in Season 6, each team member may complete a maximum of only six Roadblocks throughout the entire race.^[6] Since there are normally twelve Roadblocks in the Race, this rule forces each team to split the Roadblocks equally between the two members (unless a team uses a Fast Forward to skip one Roadblock, in which case the split can be 6-5). In contrast, Season 5 featured three male-female teams that split the Roadblocks 11-1 or 10-1, with the male member of the team taking the load; many speculate that it was for this reason that the six-Roadblock rule was introduced in Season 6.^[7] The six-Roadblock limit was dropped for only Season 8; additionally, that season's four-member-team format required some Roadblocks to be completed by two people. Season 10 had 13 Roadblocks; therefore, the maximum for each team member was increased to seven.

[edit] Fast Forward

The Fast Forward allows the team that receives it to skip all remaining tasks on that leg of the race and proceed directly to the Pit Stop. To receive the Fast Forward, the team must be the first team to perform and complete the task described on the Fast Forward clue. The clue is found along with a regular clue at one of the Route Markers.

Only one team may use each Fast Forward. Any team that is beaten to the Fast Forward will have wasted their time and must go back and pick up where they left off. Also, prior to Season 10, each team was allowed to use only one Fast Forward during the whole race, requiring teams to decide when it was most advantageous to use it. With the introduction of the Intersection route marker in Season 10, it appears that a team that has already claimed a Fast Forward marker prior to an Intersection can be eligible for claiming the Fast Forward when merged with another team, though this has not been confirmed by the show itself.^[8]

Originally, Fast Forwards were offered in every leg of the race (provided that there was as least one team left that had not used one), except for the final two legs. Starting in Season 5, the number of Fast Forwards was reduced to two on the entire race. In the event a Fast Forward was not attempted by any team on a leg, the task involved was not shown, though clue envelopes with the green Fast Forward marker can usually be spotted by the viewers.

A Fast Forward usually results in the team arriving at the Pit Stop first, but does not guarantee it. In the history of the show, two teams who earned a Fast Forward still arrived last at the Pit Stop. Joe & Bill during Season 1 arrived last but were not eliminated due to a penalty received by Nancy & Emily. After winning the Fast Forward on Leg 3 (Mexico-United Kingdom) of Season 3, Dennis & Andrew were still eliminated due to their late arrival into England. Similarly, NFL wives Monica and Sheree of Season 4 earned the Fast Forward but only placed 4th in the first leg (behind a three-way tie for first). On Leg 8 of Season 10, Tyler & James and Rob & Kimberly both won the Fast Forward as a result of the Intersection, the first time two teams have ever won the Fast Forward on the same leg. They, however, arrived second and third respectively behind Dustin & Kandice, becoming only the second and third teams ever to place neither first nor last after winning a Fast Forward. Chip & Kim of Season 5, Freddy & Kendra of Season 6, and the Linz siblings of Season 8 are the only teams to have ever won without the use of the Fast Forward.

[edit] Yield

The Yield, which was introduced in Season 5, allows any one team to force another team to stop racing for a predetermined amount of time. From Season 6 onwards, when there was going to be a Yield, the teams would find the message "Caution, Yield Ahead" in their clue. To Yield an opponent, a team places the picture of the team they wish to yield onto the Yield sign (found near one of the Route Markers). When the yielded team arrives at the Yield, they must turn over an hourglass found on the Yield sign and wait for all the sand to drain before continuing. It is suggested that this generally takes around 30 minutes. Each team gets an envelope with their 'courtesy of' sticker at the start of the race (which goes on the bottom-right corner of the Yield sign), and if a team's envelope goes missing, that team loses all power of using any future Yields.^[9] Teams like Linda & Karen (Season 5) and Joseph & Monica (Season 9) could not use the Yield, since they had each lost their envelope throughout the course of their respective Races.^[10]

Each team is required to stop at the Yield station, and state if they are Yielded or not, and then if they are using the Yield or not to the camera. In the early use of the Yield, teams were required to remove a numbered marker as well when they performed this aspect, though beyond tracking their placement in the leg, these appeared to have no additional purpose.

In Season 5, when the Yield was first introduced, the sign was larger than in the subsequent series of the Yield. Teams weren't aware from the clues whether or not there was a yield ahead. In addition, the teams didn't have to pull a number for priority, only when two or more teams were fighting to choose whether to yield a team or not. This happened only once, when Chip and Kim grabbed a number as they were aware Kami and Karli were approaching, and wanted to reserve in case they wanted to yield Kami and Karli. However, when they realized they were the last two teams, rules changed so that all teams were aware of their positions.

Like the Fast Forward, each team may use only one Yield during the game, and only one team may use each Yield. However, each team may be Yielded by other teams an unlimited number of times. From Season 6 to Season 7, the number of Yields totaled three in the entire race, instead of one on every leg. Since Season 6, teams have been warned about an upcoming Yield in the clue immediately preceding it. Like with Fast Forwards, Yields that are present in the race, but aren't used and have no affect on the outcome, are not aired or mentioned. For example, Season 8 mentioned only having two Yields available on the entire race, but a third Yield on Leg 1 (New York-Pennsylvania) went unaired and unmentioned.

[edit] Intersection

The Intersection, introduced in Season 10, requires each team to pair up with one other team and perform all tasks and make decisions together until further notice. Should there be no other teams present when a given team arrives at the Intersection route marker, they must wait there until another team arrives. Teams are free to choose their partner team if multiple teams are present. The leg in which it was introduced included a Fast Forward, which was allowed to be claimed by one full group of two teams working together.^[11] It is not yet known what the rules are when an Intersection appears in conjunction with a Yield. Alternatively, the teams were given a usual Detour choice selection with its introduction. This new type of route marker is similar to pairings that were done in another reality TV series, Treasure Hunters.

[edit] Pit Stops

Pit Stops are the final destination in each leg of the race. Each Pit Stop is a mandatory rest period which allows teams to eat, sleep, and mingle with each other. The production staff provides food free-of-charge to the teams at the Pit Stops (food during the legs must be purchased with the money the teams receive). During the Pit Stop, teams are also interviewed to provide commentary and voice-overs for the completed leg. Teams have been greeted at every Pit Stop by Phil and a local of that country (typically dressed in the local costume), except in Season One, when a local greeted them and Phil was only present to greet the last place team and inform them if they had been eliminated or saved by a non-elimination leg. The eliminations themselves have now earned the name "Philimination" in the Amazing Race fan community, a portmanteau of the host's name and the word "elimination".

Teams depart for the next leg of the race at the time they arrived plus twelve hours. While a team arriving at 12:00 p.m. will depart at 12:00 a.m., the total amount of rest time may be more than twelve hours, in which case the pit stop will be extended by 24 hour increments—such as one day and twelve hours (36 hours). In latter seasons, some Pit Stops have been between 12 and 24 hours, presumably for safety reasons so that teams are not driving themselves during night hours, to keep teams from hanging around in an airport for a long time, or to prevent teams from accessing earlier flights that could disrupt filming. The exact Pit Stop time are never reported by the show, but have been determined by fans using a combination of flight information, screen captures, and show information. The longest known Pit Stop occurred in Season 1, where the Pit Stop in Tunisia lasted 60 hours due to a sandstorm that also forced production to relocate the Pit Stop.

Prior to Season 5, multiple teams were allowed to arrive at the mat at the same time, creating a tie, and allowing them to leave the mat at the same time for the next leg. After the 3-way tie in the Leg 1 (USA-Italy) of Season 4 in which each team received the prize, a new rule was put into place to eliminate ties. If two or more teams reach the mat at the same time, the order that the teams arrived is determined, with the official check-in time for the other teams being 1 minute after the first team for the second team, 2 minutes after the first team for the third team, and so on.

The last team to arrive at the Pit Stop is eliminated, barring any penalties, or unless that leg of the race is one of the predetermined non-elimination legs.

In some legs, the first team to arrive wins a prize such as a vacation or cruise, which they receive after that particular season has aired on TV. In Seasons 6, 8, 9, and 10 prizes were given to the winners of every leg. In Season 7, different types of rewards such as cash and automobiles were handed out; at least two legs, however, did not have a prize awarded. The winners of the third leg in Season 8 won free gasoline for life, from BP and ARCO (specifically, $1200 of gasoline a year for 50 years, which is $60,000 per winner).

Teams normally complete all tasks and check in at the Pit Stop before they are eliminated. Occasionally, on an elimination leg, if all other teams have checked in and the last team is very far behind, Route Markers may instruct them to go directly to the Pit Stop without completing the rest of the leg (Peggy & Claire, Mary & Peach in Season 2, Michael & Kathy, Andre & Damon in Season 3, Peter & Sarah in Season 10). Conversely, host Phil Keoghan may go out to the team's location to eliminate them if they won't/can't finish a task (Marshall & Lance in Season 5, Lena & Kristy in Season 6). There have been times where a team, after all others reached the Pit Stop, appears to have been directed to the Pit Stop or to quit the last Detour or Roadblock prematurely in some manner outside the normal method of providing a Route Marker (Paul & Amie in Season 1, Shola & Doyin in Season 2, and Kellie & Jamie in Season 10)

[edit] 'To Be Continued' Stops

Season 6 introduced the first double-length "superlegs" shown over two episodes. The televised episode ends with a 'To Be Continued' message instead of a Pit Stop. The second half of the leg featured a second Detour and second Roadblock. Seasons 7, 8 and 9 each had superleg with teams meeting Keoghan on the usual Pit Stop mat at the halfway point, only to have him hand them the next clue instead of checking them in. In Season 10, the superleg did not involve meeting Keoghan, but rather teams were informed to "KEEP RACING!!!" in their next route marker. In addition, the 2-hour finale of Season 8 took place over a superleg similar to Season 6's. Generally, the clues leading up to these longer legs are easy to identify because the teams will read a clue like "Go find Phil at the mat" instead of "Check into the next Pit Stop." While there was no set rest period between the two parts of these legs, there usually is some point for the teams to eat, rest and recover prior to the second set of tasks, either due to waiting for hours of operation with provided accommodations or a long train or plane ride.

"To Be Continued" legs appeared to be born out of sheer luck during Season 6. Leg 6 in Hungary was originally planned to be two legs, with a non-elimination point (with the stripping-of-all-cash rule in place) between the legs. However, the producers discovered during the race that begging is illegal in Hungary, which would have made it nearly impossible for the last place team to acquire the money needed for the upcoming leg, and quickly devised the extended leg to mimic the effects of a non-elimination leg (keeping the same number of teams in the race), and using a simple video message clue to provide teams the goal for the first task of the second half of the leg.

[edit] The Mat

When teams arrive at the pit stop, all members must all step on the mat in front of Keoghan and a local greeter that represents the country they are presently in (except in Season 1 where Keoghan only greeted the last team to arrive). A team is officially checked in only when all members have stepped on the mat; this is used for the purposes of breaking ties.

In Season 1, check-in mats for Pit Stops were representative of local cultures. In Season 2 and Season 3, they were black with a yellow border. Beginning in Season 4, they would feature an ornately decorated world map. In Season 8 the mats were black with a yellow and white border. (For an exception, see The Amazing Race 6 In-Race Trivia.) The finish line mats are an elevated red carpet with The Amazing Race logo enlarged on it.

[edit] Non-elimination legs

Each race has a number of predetermined non-elimination legs, in which the last team to arrive at the Pit Stop is not eliminated and is allowed to continue on the race. Racers are not told in advance which legs are non-elimination legs. In Seasons 1-2, the clue preceding the Pit Stop ended with the statement, "The last team to arrive will be eliminated", except in non-elimination legs. In Seasons 3-4, the clue preceding the Pit Stop ended with the statement "The last team to arrive will be eliminated" in the first few legs, and "The last team to arrive may be eliminated" after a certain point. Beginning in Season 5, the statement "The last team to arrive may be eliminated" has been used on every leg with the exception of the first.

From Seasons 5 to 9, a penalty was given to the team arriving last at a Pit Stop in a non-elimination leg. These teams were required to turn over all the money they accumulated throughout the race. Teams generally begged from locals or even from other teams during the Pit Stop to rebuild their cash reserves. From Seasons 6 to 9, however, the last team to arrive had to begin the next leg with zero dollars to their name, meaning they did not receive the money given to the other teams at the start of the leg and could not collect money during the Pit Stop.

From Seasons 7 to 9, the penalty for arriving last during a non-elimination leg became more severe. In addition to being stripped of all their money and starting the next leg without an allowance, teams were forced to surrender all their possessions, except for their passports and the clothes they were wearing, for the remainder of the Race. This often resulted in teams who believe they are coming in last checking in at the Pit Stop wearing every single article of clothing on the chance that it was a non-elimination leg, making for a rather comical sight in some cases (a notable example being the Paolo Family in Season 8 donning their underwear then realizing that they still had a chance to beat the Bransen Family).

Starting in Season 10, teams arriving in last place on a non-elimination leg now keep their clothes and money and receive the normal amount of money at the start the next leg, but become marked for elimination; unless they arrive in the next leg in first place, they will receive a 30-minute penalty upon reaching the Pit Stop.

[edit] Final leg

Three teams compete in the last leg of the race. This first part of the leg includes intermediate destination(s) where the teams must travel to complete a series of tasks (Alaska, United States Seasons 1, 2, and 9; Hawaii, United States, Seasons 3, 4, and 6; Calgary, Canada, Season 5; Puerto Rico, United States, Season 7; Montreal and Toronto, Canada, Season 8; Paris, France, Season 10). The second part of the leg has teams traveling to a final destination, usually located in a major U.S. city. Remaining teams must complete one or more tasks before receiving the clue directing them to the Finish Line. At the finish line, host Phil Keoghan and all the eliminated teams wait for the remaining teams to arrive.

The first team to reach the finish line wins the race and $1 million. All other teams win lesser amounts of money on a sliding scale based on their finishing order.^[12]

Ideally, all three remaining teams arrive at the finish line within a reasonable amount of time. On occasion, the third place team has fallen so far behind the other two teams that they cannot finish the race in a timely manner. In this case, after the other two teams finish, they are informed that the race is over at their next Route Marker (Joe and Bill, Season 1; David and Jeff, Season 4).

[edit] Rules and penalties

All teams must abide by the rules set at the beginning of the race. Failure to do so can result in time penalties, which can negatively affect finishing position in that leg of the race. While the complete set of official rules has not been released to the public, certain rules have been revealed during the various editions of the race:

[edit] Rules

• Teams must purchase economy class tickets for airfare. Teams are allowed to be upgraded to first or business class by the airline, as long as they only paid an economy fare (Rob & Brennan and Frank & Margarita, Season 1; Reichen & Chip, Season 4; Ray & Deana, Season 7). Airline tickets must be purchased using the team's credit card (provided by the show), rather than money on hand.^[13] The credit card cannot be used for any other purpose. For Season 8, where the main transportation were automobiles, teams were allowed to purchase gasoline with the card in addition to air fare.
• When teams need to purchase their own tickets, they may not travel on airlines or air routes that have been blacklisted by production, or may be only allowed to fly on airlines within a given white list; this is generally for safety and security reasons, but has also been used to prevent teams from finding routes not previously identified by the race planners that would gain considerably more time than expected and leading to teams potentially being more than a day apart.
• Teams are not allowed contact with known friends, family, and personal acquaintances during the race. However, teams are allowed to stay in contact with and receive help from people they meet during the race, such as a travel agent or locals. One exception to this rule occurred in Season 3. Teams were offered a cellular phone after completing a Detour. As CBS's website explains, "They had the option of making one phone call to their loved ones back home before driving to the chateau. Teams could talk on the phone as long as they wanted, but had to end the call before getting in their cars."^[14] Another exception to this rule was in Season 10 when the winners were allowed to call their families from the Finish Line to tell them they had won. In previous seasons, the winning team was not allowed to reveal their placing until the episode had aired.
• When stated, teams may not help other teams in challenges. (Gretchen said this when she was helped by Uchenna with the boat in Season 7.)^[15] Otherwise, teams may assist one another in completing tasks, as seen in Season 8, where many teams had help setting up their tents, and the Linz and Godlewski teams cooperated to complete a Detour.^[16] In Season 10, however, a new twist is revealed at the Intersection that one team would be forced to work together with another team in a challenge.
• Racers are prohibited from smoking during the race.^[17] This results in the sometimes cantankerous attitude of some contestants, such as Ian (Season 3) who quit smoking just prior to the race.
• Each team is accompanied by a two-person audio/video crew for the duration of the leg. The A/V crews rotate after each leg. For filming purposes, team members are generally required to stay within 20 feet of each other, unless one person is performing a Roadblock,^[18] and must also stay close to their A/V crew unless otherwise instructed. The A/V crew must be able to accompany the team when they use a form of transportation unless otherwise indicated; in other words, there must be room in a car, taxi, bus, train, or plane for both members of the team and the 2 crew members, otherwise, the team is then unable to use that form of transportation.
• Teams are forbidden from bringing maps, guidebooks, language books, and many electronic devices including cell phones, GPS units, and PDAs, though maps and guidebooks may be purchased during the race from the money they have been given.^[19] The teams are otherwise free to carry as much or as little as they deem necessary. Generally, teams will be provided with winter clothing for when they reach cold climates and are not required to includes these articles within their bags. Each team is also given a fanny pack (black with yellow and red stripes, sometimes called "The Amazing Purse") which is not considered part of their luggage (for purposes of the non-elimination penalty in Season 7, Season 8 and Season 9). Teams are to use this pack to keep their passports and official Race documentation and travel forms, and cannot be left behind as with personal belongings.
• Teams may be forced to submit their backpacks and possessions to searches by production staff at any time and are checked just prior to the start of the race.
• Additional rules specific for a leg or for a task may be given along with the normal clue that is seen by the audience, provided to racers as a sheet or more of standard typewritten notes that are often seen on the show; these rules are generally not explained to the audience unless a violation of these rules occurs, but teams are required to abide by these additional rules until told otherwise. These rules typically outline driving and air travel restrictions.

[edit] Penalties and time credits

• The standard penalty for minor rule infractions is 30 minutes plus the time advantage gained (if any) by disobeying the rule. When the team arrives at a pit stop, Phil Keoghan will state "you are the nth team to arrive", and then he will inform them of the penalty or the missed clue. This penalty is known to apply when taking the wrong form^[20] or a prohibited mode^[21] of transportation, not following the instructions on the clue, or interfering with other teams including by taking their assigned car or an additional clue.^[22]
  • If a team realizes they performed an infraction of the rules before they move on to the next task or check in, they can go back to the point where the infraction occurred and repeat the task as per the rules without any penalty outside of the time wasted to return to the task, unless their actions have interfered with another team, in which case a penalty is still applied. In some cases, a team that skips a Route Marker or performs a task incorrectly usually does not receive a penalty; rather, the racers will not be able to check in at the Pit Stop and will be told by host Phil Keoghan to complete the missed tasks.
• If a team should quit a Roadblock, a team is assessed a 4 hour penalty starting from when the next team arrives.^[23] If a team should quit a Detour, they are assessed a 24 hour penalty (though this has only occurred once during Season 1).^[24]
• If a team's vehicle breaks down through no fault of their own or otherwise becomes inoperable, they may request a replacement vehicle without receiving a time penalty. However, no time credit is given for their wait in this unlucky situation.^[25] (See The Amazing Race 2 Trivia).
• Starting in Season 10, teams that arrive last in non-elimination legs are assessed a 30 minute penalty upon completing the following leg unless they have arrived first, in which case no penalty is applied.
• Sometimes, teams are delayed by production difficulties. In early seasons, several teams were awarded time credits because of such difficulties.

Most penalties and time credits are applied when the team arrives at the Pit Stop, regardless of where the penalty occurred during the leg; Phil will ask the team to step off to the side and wait out their penalty while other teams may check-in before them. The only exception to this rule is the 4 hour penalty that occurs by quitting a Roadblock; this penalty is applied immediately once the team declares their intention to quit. Penalties may be assessed after a leg and applied to the start time for the next leg but otherwise do not affect placement of the teams and thus aren't shown, though they can usually be inferred. Only in the case if a penalty affects team placement will the post-assessment of a penalty be shown (such as with Heather and Eve in Season 3).

[edit] Production

The production of The Amazing Race is a challenge due to its premise being a race around the world. Among the difficult duties that producers face, scoping out locations, designing tasks, selecting teams, and planning logistics for the entire course are the most important to accomplish in pre-production. During the Race, the audio and visual crews need to keep up with the movement of the teams and the host. And when the footage for the entire season has been filmed and edited, team members and crew are responsible for not leaking any spoilers that may hint at locations, events, or outcomes of the Race.

Through its efforts, the American version has been nominated and awarded Emmys in major categories for audio and video production.and editing. For an overview of the production of the American series, see The Amazing Race (US TV series).

[edit] The Amazing Race around the world

The original version of The Amazing Race is the American version, which debuted on CBS in September 2001. In October 2005, CBS optioned The Amazing Race for franchising to other countries. Buena Vista International Television-Asia Pacific (BVITV-AP) and Sony Pictures Television International's AXN Asia announced an Asian edition of the race, billed as The Amazing Race Asia, that same month.^[26] Applications ran from February to the end of March 2006.^[27] Filming was begun in June. Its first season premiered on November 9, 2006 and concluded on February 1, 2007.

During 2005, AXN Central Europe announced a version of the show to be called The Amazing Race Central Europe. Applications are closed, with filming expected to have occurred in 2006.

In addition, brazilian network RedeTV! announced in late 2006 that it would be producing a national version in 2007, to be called The Amazing Race: A Corrida Milionária. A one episode pilot was shot in 2006 in the northeast region of the country. Applications are open until July, with filming expected to occur in South America during September. The first season will premiere on October 13, 2007.^[28]

Region of origin	Local name	Years	Aired on	Seasons aired	Countries visited	Grand prize
Asia	The Amazing Race Asia	2006-present	AXN Asia	1	8	100,000 USD
Brazil	The Amazing Race: A Corrida Milionária	TBD	RedeTV!	TBD	TBA	500,000 BRL
Central Europe	The Amazing Race Central Europe	TBD	AXN Central Europe	TBD	TBA	(announced) 100,000 USD
United States	The Amazing Race	2001-present	CBS	11*		1,000,000 USD

* - series is in progress

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Official The Amazing Race (US season 11) website
• Official The Amazing Race wiki
• Official The Amazing Race Asia website

v • d • e The Amazing Race
The Amazing Race (USA)	Personnel: Phil Keoghan · Bertram van Munster · Elise Doganieri Seasons: 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · Family Edition · 9 · 10 · All-Stars · 12
The Amazing Race Asia	Personnel: Allan Wu Seasons: 1 · 2
Other versions	The Amazing Race Central Europe
Related	Statistics and trivia · Broadcasters · Notable contestants