FLO GETS STRESSED OUT IN THESE SITUATIONS: At long last, reality tv's greatest show comes back this Tuesday night, as The Amazing Race 5 kicks off from Santa Monica Pier at 9:30p eastern, 8:30p central.
TAR isn't just "great reality tv"; it's Great Television, period, and even at its worst (last season), it's still appointment television. As I've noted before, what sets the Race apart (well, it and The Apprentice, now) is that its challenges take place in the real world, dealing with unscripted, real people, and that it doesn't feel contrived like every other reality tv competition. Strategy counts, and so too does luck (like, who finds the Seattle cab first?), but it's not about screwing over the other teams (though the new "Yield" feature may change that). It's as close to a meritocracy as you can find on a competition: it's all about the clock.
Not only is the show well-structured, it's well-cast: even Survivor hasn't yielded as many memorable characters, proportionately, as a show that's given us Kevin and Drew, Flo and Zach, the fabulous Danny and Oswald, Team Guido, the Groanies . . . . in fact, has there ever been a top-to-bottom better cast reality tv season than The Amazing Race 2? Anyone?
That they've already greenlighted (greenlit?) season six for the fall suggests that we've got something good in store this summer. Set your TiVos now.
edited to add: WaPo, Toronto Star, Sun-Times weigh in.
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