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

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.

Sometimes, however, the clue won't be a direction, but it will be a challenge. Roadblocks are challenges that only one member of each team must do. Usually the decision about which team member is made first, based on a general clue, before the actual activity is known. Once a teammember starts a Roadblock, he or she is locked in until it's over. This has created some painful but compelling television where the person has been unable to complete the task, while the partner watches helplessly. Detours are a choice between two tasks. The tendency has been to make the choice between a simpler, longer task and a shorter, more arduous task.

Two more items about gameplay: Yields and Fast Forwards. At a Yield, any team may select another team to "yield" and wait for an hourglass to run before proceeding. There have been two Yields on recent seasons, and they have been used with mixed results. A Fast Forward is another item found in the clue envelope. It contains a challenge, and the first team to compete that challenge gets to skip the rest of the leg and go to the "Pit Stop", which is what the end of every leg is referred to. Phil K. will be awaiting the teams at the Pit Stop, where they will have a mandatory 12 hour rest before the race begins again. Except for the last team to arrive, of course, who will be eliminated from the Amazing Race.

So why does this show have such a following? The gameplay itself is interesting enough, but there are dozens of other contests on television. For me, there are two reasons. First, the scenery is amazing. Each season has ventured far and wide to exotic locales. Secondly, the "Amazing Editors" do an Emmy-winning job of presenting a compelling story. Whether it's humorous moments or tender shots of Third World poverty, the producers and director do a fantastic job of involving the viewer in the places and the people of The Amazing Race.