The Amazing Race on CBS: 8 Amazing Races and Then 1 with Kids!

A Beginners' Guide to CBS's The Amazing Race

About two times per year, a growing number of persons find themselves glued to the television each week, watching total strangers compete in various tasks and tests.  Many people who dis "reality tv" have come around very suddenly after just one episode of The Amazing Race.   Why? We'll get to that in a moment, but first the basics!

Our host is Phil Keoghan, a Kiwi now living in the US, with a long history in outdoor and adventure television.  Unlike hosts on some other shows, we don't see Phil much each episode.  All throughout the race, as can be seen in the Insider Videos at cbs.com, Phil and the producers are a step ahead of the racers, following the same route.  On each leg of the race, Phil and crew stop briefly to film the introductory pieces for each challenge, then race off to stay ahead of the teams.  The introductions are then edited back in to The Amazing Race episodes. 

So what is Phil introducting? Roadblocks and Detours, mostly, but first a little more foundation!  In every season but one, The Amazing Racers have been teams of two, with some preexisting relationship.  We've had friends, spouses, couples, siblings, parents and children and about any other combination possible.  As the teams run from place to place, each destination will have a clue box.  Some clues are directions of the "go here, go there" variety.  Season 1 is generally loved by hardcore fans for having the most difficult clues, which actually required the teams to solve the clue to find a destination.  It's been far simpler on subsequent seasons of The Amazing Race.