It seems that if you want to get on The Amazing Race then all you have to do is win Survivor or Big Brother (all three shows air on CBS). Easy, right?

I’m actually going to put together an audition tape for TAR. If you have any ideas of what I should include in my tape, please send me your thoughts to jason@citysolveurbanrace.com.

Regardless if you or I ever make it on the show, the 19th season of The Amazing Race premieres on September 25th.

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Please, Just Eliminate Someone Every Week
There is no joy in non-elimination legs, and likewise, there is no joy in the endless legs that the show has already done twice this season. If you come in first after a Detour and a Roadblock, barring any time penalties, you should get the first-place prize. If you come in last, you should be eliminated without exception – it’s that simple. I love Kent and Vyxsin (and their eyebrows), but the fact that a double leg saved them from elimination after some of the most mind-blowingly stupid series of screw-ups the show has ever seen is evidence enough that this “twist” is altering the game negatively.

These “All-Stars” Have No Stamina
Last night, hilariously, Luke broke down in tears when he couldn’t select the right tea from a sea of teacups after what felt like hours of trying. A few episodes ago, Zev allowed Kent and Vyxsin to catch up with him — despite their enormous setbacks that leg — because he spent more time being frustrated by the Chinese zodiac than he did trying to bear down and complete the challenge. And, of course, there was Jaime and the dinosaur, not to mention the ridiculous amount of added energy Christina has to put in just to keep Ron on task every leg. That was four people in six episodes who had complete mental breaks and almost gave up entirely. And aside from the dinosaur challenge, the others weren’t even particularly difficult or physically exhausting challenges. These “all-stars” are a bunch of babies.

The Challenges Are Still Too Easy Most of the Time
Paint a statue of a Hindu god. Whatever that put-on-an-outfit-and-shoot-an-arrow-three-feet thing in Japan was. Ride a yak in a stream. Have someone else pedal you to a school where you’ll carry two armfuls of paperbacks a couple yards. Hammer some liquid candy for five minutes. Was that dinosaur-building challenge so impossible just to make up for how easy everything else has been?

Oh, We’re Doing Clunky Product Placements Now?
Last night’s Snapple placement went from subtle and acceptable (the clues being placed under the caps of unlabeled bottles) to egregious and laughable (special Amazing Race Snapple at the finish line?) quickly, with each team mentioning the brand at least once, and for some teams (Kisha and Jenn, I’m looking at you) speaking its name about a dozen times. I completely understand if you need product placements to pay the bills, but do a better job incorporating them into the show seamlessly than lazy-ass The Biggest Loser does. Thank god Jennie-O Turkey doesn’t watch this show (yet).

Those Stupid U-Turns
They’ve done away with the awful Blind U-Turns for now, which is great, but as it stands, the regular U-Turns do nothing but make life needlessly more difficult for teams that are usually already in trouble. Flight Time and Big Easy were U-Turned in last place. On the same leg, Cara and Jaime were U-Turned in second to last place. They both fought it out (as they would have anyway) and ultimately Jaime’s frustration in the dinosaur challenge was what sent her team home, not the U-Turn. It’s a pointless diversion as a double U-Turn, and as a single one it just completely screws over one team unfairly, as it has for Amanda and Kris twice now. Why they even have it in any iteration at this point is baffling.

What are people saying about your favorite shows and stars right now? Find out with Talk Without Pity, the social media site for real TV fans. See Tweets and Facebook comments in real time and add your own — all without leaving TWoP. Join the conversation now!

by Mindy Monez

For every day you disappear, you and your teammate will receive $300 each, for a combined possible total of $3,000.

But this is no kids’ game. This new presentation for a major cable network will put you under intense pressure with only a few limited resources and a series of missions to complete. It’s up to YOU and your teammate as to where you go, where you sleep and where you hide. Think Running Man-meets-The Amazing Race… in your OWN backyard!

This not-for-broadcast production will film in LA from Tuesday, April 12 to Saturday, April 16. To apply, send an email to producers TODAY at pilgrimcasting@gmail.com with your name and the name of your teammate, recent photos of you both, phone numbers to contact you and a brief explanation of why you think you can evade our expert trackers for five days.

This is your chance to make LA your playground. You can run… but can you hide?

* You must be at least 21 years old and a citizen or legal resident of the United States to take part in this presentation. For more information, visit www.pilgrimfilms.tv

Director of the show, Chad Grochowski, informs us that the race will be “wilder than ever” and the prize “bigger than ever” (to be announced May 1).

Here’s who they’re looking for:

• More local teams, plus some mixed couples of expat & Chinese partners.
• Just as many international teams, some flown in from abroad like last year.
• Teammates with strong/long relationship preferred.
• No restrictions on Nationality, Gender or Age (except must be over 18)
• Still looking for super gung-ho competitive teams and laid back life-of-the-party teams…to each team its own style….give us all something to root for!!
• Anyone bold and beautiful….an Uzbek or Russian super-model team, a rock climbing or weightlifting champion team…or sub-culture-y, like a dating couple of Chinese goth kids (over 18)…but mostly people who are just really being themselves and want to win!

Interested? Download the application form here and send it in with your team photo to chinarush@ins.smg.cn!

The audition dates are set for March 27 and April 10, so you’ll have to act fast!

So you want to be on CBS’ The Amazing Race, huh! Here’s a list of winners and their pedigrees. Good luck, smarty pants!

Season 1:
Rob Frisbee: Undergrad – University of Arizona; Grad – Harvard Law School
Brennan Swain: Undergrad – Messiah College; Grad – Regent University School of Law

Season 2:
Alex Boylan: Undergrad – Jacksonville University
Chris Luca: Undergrad – ?

Season 3:
Flo Pesenti: Undergrad – Vassar College
Zach Behr: Undergrad – Vassar College

Season 4
Reichen Lehmkuhl: Undergrad – Air Force Academy (’96); Grad: Univ of Virginia Engineering Mgmt
Chip Arndt: Undergrad – Yale University; Grad: Harvard Business School

Season 5
Chip McAllister: Undergrad – Azusa Pacific (’95); Grad – New York Film Academy* (’08)
Kim McAllister: Undergrad -UCLA (’82)

Season 6
Freddy Holliday: Undergrad – Embry-Riddle FL/AZ* (’08); Grad – Embry-Riddle FL/AZ* (’10)
Kendra Bentley: Undergrad – ?

Season 7
Uchenna Agu: Undergrad – University of Oregon
Joyce (Robinson) Agu: Undergrad – ?

Season 8 (Family)
Megan Linz: Undergrad – Miami University of Ohio
Tommy Linz: Undergrad – Miami University of Ohio
Alex Linz: Undergrad – University of Cincinnati
Nick Linz: Undergrad – ?

Season 9
B. J. Averell: Undergrad – Harvard University
Tyler MacNiven: Undergrad – UC Santa Cruz

Season 10
Tyler Denk: Undergrad – ?
James Branaman: Undergrad – ?

Season 11 (All-Stars)
Eric Sanchez: Undergrad – Johnson County Community College
Danielle Turner: Undergrad – ?

Season 12
Rachel Rosales: Undergrad – ?
TK Erwin: Undergrad – UC Santa Barbara (not sure year)

Season 13
Nick Spangler: Undergrad – New York University
Starr Spangler: Undergrad – Texas Christian University

Season 14
Victor Jih: Undergrad – Stanford University; Grad – Harvard Law School
Tammy Jih: Undergrad – Stanford University; Grad – Harvard Law School

Season 15
Meghan Rickey: Undergrad – UC Santa Barbara
Cheyne Whitney: Undergrad – San Diego State University

Season 16
Dan Pious: Undergrad – University of Hartford
Jordan Pious: Undergrad – Emory University

Season 17
Nat Strand: Undergrad -
Kat Chang: Undergrad -

*Denotes college after The Amazing Race.

A touch of Taymor-itis seems to be going around TV land as of late. Within the last week, Fox has pushed back previously scheduled premieres for its high-profile dinosaur drama Terra Nova and a Jamie Foxx–produced sketch-comedy show. Now Vulture has learned that ABC is almost certainly going to delay the announced April bow for Take the Money and Run, the Amazing Race–like reality-competition series from Race producers Jerry Bruckheimer and Bert Van Munster. But don’t go tagging Terra Nova with the nickname Terra Nova: Turn Off the Dinos just yet. There’s a good reason for most of these scheduling shuffles.

In the case of Money, our insiders say the show’s delay actually is a result of positive factors. ABC had planned to air the show Thursdays at eight starting April 14. But with the winter edition of Wipeout doing so well in that slot, the network currently plans to keep that show on the air well into spring, leaving no logical spot on ABC’s schedule to air Money this season. A summer berth for Money is one possibility, but some ABC execs like the show so much, they’re said to be pushing to hold it until the fall. Look for a final verdict within the next few weeks.

Things are more complicated with Fox’s Terra Nova and Jamie Foxx sketch comedy. In the case of the former — a very expensive dino drama — the show is now working under its third launch plan in a year. Originally set for a mid-season 2011 bow, the network then opted to preview the series this May and premiere it in the fall, then killed the May preview in favor of a traditional premiere this fall. Given the scope and ambition of the dino drama, the delays aren’t that surprising; network insiders also tell Vulture the show is in good shape and is unlikely to turn into a Spidey-style debacle.

Less clear is the prognosis for the Foxx comedy. There’s been precious little buzz about the show and a planned March preview behind American Idol was scrapped. Today, the network said it was changing the scheduled June 9 series premiere to a date yet to be determined. Despite some online reports to the contrary, however, our Fox spies say Foxx is still scheduled to get a summer run – at least as of now, anyway.

This Saturday for the first time in the history of CitySolve Urban Race (and High Trek Adventure or that matter) one of the checkpoints will be broadcast live! YUP! LIVE! So, no matter where you are San Diego, Chicago or Boston you’ll be able to be a part of the CitySolve Urban Race experience! We can’t release any details of the checkpoint (task or location), but what we can say is that American Idol ain’t seen nothin’!!!

]]> http://www.citysolveurbanrace.com/blog/2010/04/16/caught-on-camera/feed/ 0 http://www.citysolveurbanrace.com/blog/2010/04/06/worst-to-first-and-first-to-worst/ http://www.citysolveurbanrace.com/blog/2010/04/06/worst-to-first-and-first-to-worst/#comments Mon, 05 Apr 2010 19:35:29 +0000 Jason http://www.citysolveurbanrace.com/blog/?p=627

Jet and Cord did the unthinkable, so did Steve and Allie. And thank god for Tivo (I was watching the Boston vs. New York game. Go Sox!). But I digress. It was history in the making Sunday night on The Amazing Race. It was the first time ever that a last place team (Jet and Cord) came in first place while having to perform a Speed Bump.To add to the twist of The Race, Steve and Allie having just come off an effervescent high of finishing first in the previous episode were eliminated last night.

We here at CitySolve Urban Race are thinking of having the top 11 teams in the finale in New Orleans and the 11th team will have to perform an extra task that none of the other teams will have to perform. Thoughts?

Next event…
April 10th: Dallas urban race

On second thought…

I actually had some time to rethink my The Amazing Race season 16 picks based on Sarah Kelber and BuzzSugar.com and my own two eyes. Thank you Sarah, BS and the gift of sight!

11. Adrian (40) & Dana (39)
10. Jody (71) & Shannon (22)
9. Brent (29) & Caite (20)
8. Steve (57) & Allison (23)
7. Jet (30) & Cord (29)
6. Carol (47) & Brandy (40)
5. Monique (40) & Shawne (39)
4. Joseph (42) & Heidi (37)
3. Louis (47) & Michael (45)
2. Jordan (22) & Dan (24)
1. Jeff (31) & Jordan (23) – Still my pick!

We’ll see if I’m right!

]]> http://www.citysolveurbanrace.com/blog/2010/02/15/my-amazing-race-16-season-picks-updated/feed/ 0 http://www.citysolveurbanrace.com/blog/2010/02/12/my-picks-for-the-amazing-race-16/ http://www.citysolveurbanrace.com/blog/2010/02/12/my-picks-for-the-amazing-race-16/#comments Fri, 12 Feb 2010 17:53:40 +0000 Jason http://www.citysolveurbanrace.com/blog/?p=599

I would first like to say that I have not seen what this season’s The Amazing Race participants look like, smell like, how tall or short they are, if they have a lazy eye or X-ray vision but here are my rankings (worst to first) sight unseen.

I’m basing these rankings the same way George W. Bush made his political decisions…with his gut (though mine is slightly larger than his).

11. Adrian & Dana – Married (no reason, but someones got to go)
10. Jody & Shannon – Grandmother/Granddaughter (hope I’m wrong…go Grandma!)
9. Monique & Shawne – Moms/Attorneys (don’t sue me for libel)
8. Jet & Cord – Brother/Cowboys (they’ll last longer than 8 seconds)
7. Brent & Caite – Dating models (hopefully there’s no speaking challenge)
6. Steve & Allison – Father/Daughter (wonder if they could be King and his Court)
5. Louie & Michael – Detectives (they better be good dics!)
4. Jordan & Daniel – Brothers (from the same mutha, presumably)
3. Carol & Brandy – Dating (one letter shy of being dubbed the Brady Bunch)
2. Joseph & Heidi – Married (will they stay married?)
1. Jeff & Jordan – Newly Dating WINNERS!!! (Jordan won Big Brother…this thing is rigged)

Next event…
Honolulu urban adventure race on February 20th