Why the Amazing Race is Amazing:
Unlike any of the reality shows
that appeared before Amazing Race, the competitors in this show were teams
of two. This makes the show much more intersting because the contestants
are not all strangers; they have some kind of previous relationship.
Second, the method of elimination on
Amazing Race is purely merit based. There is no voting and therefore,
I think there is less of the "mean spirit" that has plagued other reality
shows. In addition, time and time again we see that the team eliminated
each week had done something to deserve being eliminated... the team that
makes a crucial mistake at an important time comes in last. In Johannesburg
and the Sahara Desert, teams got lost. In Paris, El Jem and Binaker,
teams had trouble with taxis. On Amazing Race, the team that makes
the fewest mistakes and makes the best decisions in crucial spots will
win. There is no need for alliances and backstabbing...teams tried
that and abandoned that idea quickly when they realized it served no purpose.
Each team is responsible for their own destiny on this show.
Third, and I think maybe most importantly,
the show is very quick paced and looks like a lot of fun. And for
those of us at home, we get to see all the beautiful places that the teams
get to go to.
Well, i hate to dredge up September 11th again as an excuse, but anyone would have to agree that the events of that week had at least a partial role in the quick decline in the ratings. Reality TV shows depend on buzz to gain momentum. Talk shows and word of mouth play a big role in hyping these shows. The first week, there was a little bit of this. But before the second episode could air, the whole atmosphere of television was changed.
Talk shows went on hiatus for a week. When they returned, all anyone could talk or even think about were the horrible events that took place that week (and rightly so). When television did return back to normal schedules, Amazing Race was up against a show which probably had the best chance of excelling in the post-Sept. 11th world: The West Wing. Any momentum the show could have picked up was squashed. I think Amazing Race has peformed reasonably well given the circumstances...it could have been a lot worse.
I'm glad CBS gave Amazing Race a second chance, picking it up for a second installment. It looks as if they may air it as a summer series, the way this first race was originally scheduled to run. I think that the show will peform better in that kind of environment. Reality television just doesn't seem up to the challenge of competing against scripted programming right now, but during the summer i think these shows could provide decent ratings against re-runs.