The Amazing Race: Australia v NZ
7-produced Race is given the MKR treatment, ramping up the bitchy competition.
- Published by David Knox
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- Filed under Reviews, Top Stories
It’s been two years since The Amazing Race Australia has hit our screens.
After winning an International Emmy Award for its very first season, the show had a second which was subjected to scheduling interruptions and then disappeared from view. Instead we copped a failed return by The Mole.
Now it’s back but with changes behind the scenes. It’s no longer produced by activeTV, but produced internally by Seven. While the network has enjoyed extraordinary success with its own Reality brands, this was likely a change driven by a desire to trim costs.
But we also have an Australia v NZ format this time.
“Watch out ‘Straya we’re coming to get ya!” says one NZ team.
“Have you seen any kangaroos yet?” asks another.
The network trumpets this as an historic first having countries pitted against one another. I’m inclined to think there are good reasons why that’s never happened. US host Phil Keoghan always said the problem with having an internationally-cast TAR would be obvious if a US team were eliminated early. Here there are 5 teams from each country chasing a $250,000 prize, so the likelihood of Aussies all being booted from weeks 1 -5 is pretty remote.
We begin in front of Uluru with a tug of war -literally- between Aussies v Kiwis.
“Just relax Australia. I got this one for youse,” says a towering personal trainer named Tyson.
“Australia is going deeewn,” sneers a Kiwi.
I keep waiting for a Maori haka, but we’ve been spared.
Yet the other subtle change that has crept in is the influence of shows like My Kitchen Rules. There are MKR-style cutaways where teams narrate to camera about how hopeless their competitors are. That’s despite them only having ‘met’ 5 minutes ago. While these have featured before, it feels like there are more of them, with added-emphasis on imposed rivalry, rather than letting it naturally occur through the drama of competition.
Thankfully, it still retains the sweeping helicopter shots, strapping host Grant Bowler and TAR‘s trademark music, licensed from the US.
Seven has always been excellent at casting such formats (so many shows are actually inspired by TAR‘s themed teams it’s not funny).
Amongst the teams are “feisty” NZ fitness mums (remember, women are always “feisty”, never men), a “brainy, busty brunettes” pair of pagaent models, some groomed intensive carers (sexual identity undeclared), a mother and son, two fair-haired siblings who finish each other’s sentences with a suggestive bond that would be illegal in most states, Team Raspberry & Coke (NZ males) plus newlyweds who adhere to traditional gender roles. “I try to do a lot of the woman’s work, like the ironing and cleaning,” says Ash. “Jarrod does the man’s work.” Whoa.
The first leg involves a Virgin flight from Alice Springs to Christchurch (here come the cost cuts). Several Kiwis seem rapt to be going back home. I’m wishing they headed to a foreign-language country so we can see them all as bad tourists -this is part of the intrinsic charm of Amazing Race. I guess it will come, as international destinations are guaranteed.
As the race progresses, so too does the bitchy competitiveness.
“He’s blocking you. Bastard!” yells the mum to one team in a taxi.
The episode constantly underlines nation rivalry.
“Those bloody Kiwis. It’s almost worth buying a bloody map,” growls one frustrated Aussie.
Along the Christchurch route there are references to the earthquakes that killed over 180 New Zealanders. I’m pleased there are still cultural references, another important element to the storytelling.
The Roadblock and Detour work quite well and there are scenic shots of South Island locations for armchair travellers. As the race progresses, there are of course two teams in a last-minute dash to the first “putt stop.”
Grant Bowler is effortless as host, clearly a fan of the format.
But the first episode is also too long, unable to resist a meal-sized 60 minutes.
With no MKR around in the second half of the year, it’s hard not to presume that Seven is keen for another series that has colourful characters who pop beyond the show. Can’t blame them for wanting that, but it probably doesn’t get you an International Emmy.
The Amazing Race: Australia v New Zealand will premiere later this month on Seven.
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- Tagged with My Kitchen Rules, The Amazing Race Australia, The Mole
27 Responses
“A historic first” to have countries compete against each other… except for TAR Asia and TAR Latin America, which are based entirely on the concept. And TAR China Rush, which had teams from different countries in its first season and has had half-Chinese, half-foreigner casts since. And TAR France, which had a team from the Francophone part of Belgium. And TAR Vietnam, which had a player from the US. And TAR Norway, which had a player from Sweden. So… six out of twelve other TAR franchises have done what Seven are trying to promote as a world first. Well played, Seven researchers.
There have been “international” versions of TAR though. The Amazing Race Asia had contestants from ten different Asian countries competing together.
Why do most of you condemn this show before its started, if you don’t want to watch it then don’t, but don’t criticize it until you have seen it, and all stations flog their shows to death with ads prior to the start date, so don’t just single out this one.
Thanks for the review David. I am hoping it is still similar to other Aussie seasons. I would have thought the OZ vs NZ Rivalry would have been enough, without the hideously awful contrived bitchiness as seen in other shows.
At least I am expecting the worst….
Will still check it out, maybe one to record and skip the awful parts and excessive adverts if it goes for more than an hour, sounds like more padding which affected the Mole last year!
Something about that theme music, I remember feeling tremendous pride at hearing it on the last season, and that it was attached to that rarest of beasts – a successful local version of an international format that was absolutely terrific and something to be proud of.
I also agree that it sounds like Seven has learned nothing after the disasterous treatment given to the last season of The Mole. Don’t mess with a proven winning formula!
I love TAR… but this is going to suck, isn’t it?
When I first heard it was an in house production I was afraid the show was going to be terrible, a la The Mole 2013. After reading this I still have doubts. I’ll watch the first episode and see, but I will not watch multiple episodes a week and super-sized episodes if they are clearly dragged out like every reality show on Aus TV. It should be 43mins edited and once a week, same time slot and day. Oh and start on the half hour, not 9 mins late.
Love this show normally. But forcing the drama through a faux Aust vs NZ rivalry really doesn’t appeal. It is disappointing that they don’t just let the drama happen through great casting.
Two years later and Season 2 of Amazing Race AU is still very memorable to me. The casting and genuine personalities competing together made it really enjoyable viewing. So I’m really disappointed that Seven will be turning this into a clone of My Kitchen Rules, and its even sadder that this type of viewing is what grabs the attention of viewers. That said, I will still give it a go.
Really looking forward to this. I love TAR and was so annoyed it didn’t air last year. The ads are cheesy but if it hasn’t changed from previously when it comes to the challenges and the format then it will be great.
I’m looking forward to it. Lawd knows the format needed a refresh.
If I’m correct the aus version has never rated well and we all know it’s about the ratings not the awards.
The guys at Seven know what they are doing with reality show production so I’m hopeful.
Fingers crossed.
Have channel 7 learned nothing. The Mole failed last year because they striped it, cut long episodes and tried to make it more like Whatever-Rubbish Rules (as well as over complicating an already complicated format, fronting it with a useless kids show presenter).
Now they’re watering down and ruining another good format. As for the racial stereotyping…seems they’re sinking to a cheap new low.
I predict bad ratings and no international emmy this time round.
Just love the Amazing Race – always one of my favourite shows.
Enjoyed the last Aussie one- the downright incompetance and ridiculous posturing of a couple of the teams was pretty entertaining.
But the US ones are far superior.
Still, looking forward to watching…
It’s a sad indictment on people in general but, if MKR is anything to go by, bitching up TARAUS will prob lead to increased ratings. Seven obviously think that this will be the case.
With “feisty” women, “busty brunettes”, and Aussies and Kiwis bagging each other, I think that there will be a little too much soft sexism and ethnicism for my tastes.
Typical Channel 7. You could tell it would take a downward trajectory as soon as they announced it was being produced in-house.
Can’t wait for this. Wish they’d give us a start date.
I love The Amazing Race, including the Aussie series and have been wanting it to return. But I am so not looking forward to this. The ads are woeful and it shows they’re going for the MKR bitchy format. The ads are all about Aussies and Kiwis bagging each other. Another show ruined by Seven.
New US series starts September 26, guess i’ll wait until then.
TAR is along with Survivor an all time favourite of mine & the fact that Seven seem intent on ruining this with this Aussie v Kiwi garbage is unforgivable.
I will watch the first episode but I do not have high expectations.
The Asian version (where Aussies have competed) is the perfect example of international casting where they have 11 teams from a 11 countries. It is a far superior product to the Australian version.
TAR Australia S2 is generally regarded as the best season of the show anywhere in the world. And then Seven have to ruin it with this MKR garbage. I’ll watch the first episode still but my expectations have been significantly lowered.
Was looking forward to this but if its going to be so obviously scripted I’ll probably give it a miss unless there’s absolutely nothing else on. Hate all the contrived bitchiness. Haven’t they learned from Masterchefs turnaround this year?
I am still gonna watch it.
“some groomed intensive carers (sexual identity undeclared)”
Geeze David, just because they are male nurses doesn’t mean anything. One is married with kids, the other a bit of a “womaniser”.
I was looking forward to this but it sounds dumbed-down awful. Does everything have to be so lowest common denominator? Please, stop underestimating viewers’ intelligence.
‘some groomed intensive carers (sexual identity undeclared),’
They appear to be straight….
Team profiles available at yahoo
Do they have any downfalls? “My hair is a massive weakness!” laughs Ryan, who packed his hairdryer to maintain his hairdo on the Race. He recently celebrated his ten year wedding anniversary with his wife, Fiona. They have three kids under the age of three together.
Relationship : Friends