First Look, Sneak Peak

Those folks at Amazing Race Canada have released a sneak peak of the first episode, which is set to air on July 15 (same day as my kid's birthday so that's going to be a fun day for us). It's a typical Amazing Race vignette: one teammate on a high ledge of sorts, looking afraid, thinking and saying that they can't do it with the other teammate cheering them on. Can't really tell what exactly the task is, except that it looks like a Roadblock, they're on a girder high above a forest (BC, I'm guessing), they have to retrieve a clue and then do something, maybe jump or swing over to another girder on the other side. Typically, the video has a cliff-hanger ending, although whatever it is they are supposed to do, I'm pretty sure the task gets accomplished by the team featured. I really hope that's not the high point of the show, though. There should be more drama than that.

The video features the twins from Ottawa and I'm not sure if this is a hint that are eliminated in the first episode or what? It's never too good to read too much into such a video so I'll leave it at that. I am going to make no predictions on who will win the race. I've taken a good look at all the teams and can't really tell how they'll all do. Sure, some teams look more physical than others, etc., etc., etc., but you never know with the Amazing Race. You only have to look at the Beekman Boys on TAR Season 21. Or better yet, the Frat Brothers of TAR Season 13. Andrew and Dan were one of the most inept teams in TAR history, but somehow they still made it to the Final 3. So while  my fav team is the Body Break team of Hal and Joanne (only because they're close to my own age), that will probably change once the show airs and the season progresses.

However, just like in the sneak peek video, I'm going to go out on a limb (which is probably how the producers worded the clue for this Roadblock) and predict that the first leg of Amazing Race Canada will be a non-elimination one. Why? It's all due to history. In Amazing Race Asia and Amazing Race Australia (the other non-US English versions of the show), all but one of the first legs were non-elimination. Not sure why, although I guess the producers wanted keep the contestants around much longer because they spent a lot of time and effort picking them. So while I could be wrong, I won't be surprised if Leg #1 is non-elimination. Remember you read it here first. Forget it if I'm wrong.

Also, the producers have added a bunch of digital content to go along with the race, to make the whole thing more interactive. There are prizes from the various sponsors as well as behind-the-scenes info and video that didn't make it to air. Some of this stuff can be interesting (especially the prizes and the play along games), but only to a point. There's a reason why certain scenes don't make it to the actual show and onto the cutting room floor (Yes, I know the editing is all digital now but it's a metaphor). Some folks like to look at deleted scenes, but I don't. Maybe it's because I'm a novelist and understand that if a scene doesn't do anything to propel the story forward or give new insight into the characters, it's unimportant.

What I hope they do have in this digital content is something similar to Phil's Diary, which ran on the CBS TAR site during a number of seasons. It was really interesting to get a behind-the-scenes look at the race from Phil's point-of-view, especially when Phil and the producers are racing to a pit-stop because the teams are right behind him. Or when Phil's feeling a bit tired. He never lashed out at anyone but you can tell that his job isn't as easy at it looks. And you got a slightly deeper look into his personality. I really hope they don't include a Canadian version Elimination Station. TAR ran that web series for a few seasons and the whole point of that was to show what happened to the teams after they were eliminated. For the most part, they were sent to some wonderful resort or rented mansion in a tropical location, hanging out with the other eliminated teams as they arrived. Sometimes there was a bit of drama but all-in-all, it wasn't that intriguing. Mostly, it showed that if you were eliminated early from the race, you still had a really nice holiday with a few day trips thrown in.

Although I'm getting really excited about Amazing Race Canada, this will be my final post until July 15 when I'll do a recap of the show, along with other stuff. My posts can also be seen here. Unlike some, I won't be live tweeting; I'd rather watch the show and save my comments for later. 

I'll see you at the starting line. Can't wait!