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The Amazing Race Asia is a reality game show based on the American series, The Amazing Race.

On 17 October 2005, CBS gave other countries the chance to franchise The Amazing Race. The Asian cable TV network AXN was among the first to acquire the rights to produce a version for its territory. The show is produced by Australian television production company ActiveTV, for AXN, in association with Buena Vista International Television-Asia Pacific (BVITV-AP). The host for the show is Singapore based Chinese-American actor Allan Wu.[1]

The ultimate prize is US$100,000, whilst the American show gives away US$1 million. The general manager of SPE Networks-Asia which runs AXN, Ricky Ow, explained the smaller prize, saying, "It is not really about the money but the adventure and opportunity to be in one of the world's greatest reality shows".

Applications[]

Many of the same rules and regulations for eligibility for the American series apply to the Asian edition. The participants are all required to be able to communicate in English. The final selection of contestants are from various Asian countries and not limited to one country of origin. Participating countries include all citizens of the continent of Asia except the Middle East, as well as non-Asian workers who are living in Asia for a long period of time.[2] Applications for the first season were accepted from February to the end of March 2006.[3] Filming began that June and the first season premiered on November 9, 2006.

From Season 2 onwards, Japan residents are able to participate, having been ineligible for Season 1.

The Race[]

This section cite the differences between the American version and Asian version only.

The Amazing Race Asia is quite similar to the American edition. The basic premise is the same, namely that teams must follow clues and complete tasks to check in to Pit Stops in a race around the world. However, some differences between the two versions exist.

Teams[]

Generally, the race requires team members to have a preexisting relationship, as in the American version. However the first four seasons had only 10 teams participating in each, compared to the American edition, which normally features eleven teams. So far, season 8 of the American edition was the only season to have 10 teams. However, that season consisted of 10 family teams of 4, or 40 participants.

Traveling[]

In the American edition, the teams immediately depart from the starting city once the race begins and proceed to the airport. In the Asian version, however, as teams have remain in the same country throughout the first leg except in Season 2.

In the first four seasons, it seemed that all teams were only allowed to take AirAsia flights to their first overseas destination, most likely due to AirAsia sponsoring the race. In the fifth season, teams were mostly confined to traveling on Garuda Indonesia flights and Grab vehicles due to those companies sponsoring that season. In the American edition, teams are in most cases able to travel on any airline they wish, as the producer intends to split the team into various groups, it usually provide two to three flight option but with different time departure, however, this does not occur in the race where all teams depart at the same time.

The seasons have mostly limited to traveling in Asia with a few exceptions to Europe, Oceania, and Africa.

Clues[]

All of the clue types used in the American version are retained for use in the Asian race, but may some slight difference in implementation.

Roadblock

The Roadblock rule is generally identical to the American version. However, in some legs, the Roadblock clue may state that the team members must finish the task in the time limit, or that team will lose the turn. This can be seen in Season 1's second leg, where the Roadblock required team members to finish the task in two minutes.

Intersection

In Seasons 2 and 4, the Intersection was implemented each time for a single task.

Fast Forward

The Fast Forward has been available only one time in each race. Coincidentally, an all-male team has won it each time, other than in Season 5 when no team won the Fast Forward.

Yield

The Yield has been an option at some point on each season. The Asian edition continued using it even after the American version stopped replaced it with the U-Turn in Season 12.

U-Turn

Starting in Season 3, the U-Turn was available during the race.

Pit Stops[]

As in the American version, each leg has Pit Stops, as the final destination. Superlegs in which teams are instructed to meet with host Allan Wu have also can been used in Seasons 1 and 2.

Unlike the American version, the Finish Line is not referred to as such, but as a "Final Pit Stop". The Final Pit Stop only has a regular check-in-mat rather than an elevated red carpet with The Amazing Race logo enlarged on it as used in the American edition.

Non-elimination legs[]

Clues directing teams to Pit Stops sometimes replace the word 'may' in the traditional clue phrasing "the last team to arrive may be eliminated" with "the last team to arrive will be eliminated", pointing to a certain elimination point. In the American version, other than in the first leg, the phrasing is always "the last team to arrive may be eliminated".

Three out of the five seasons had a non-elimination leg in the first leg. The first time that the American version had its first non-elimination first leg was in Season 15, followed by Seasons 19 and 28.

In the non-elimination legs, the first two Asian edition used a rule from the American version's Season 5 to Season 9, in that the last team to arrive at these non-elimination pit stops is required to surrender all their cash. Unlike Season 7 to 9, teams are not required to give up their belongings. However, teams are not allowed to acquire any money prior to the start of the next leg.

For Seasons 2 and 3, some non-elimination legs retained the use of the same penalty as in the first season, while other non-elimination legs required the last place team to check-in first on the following leg or face a 30-minute Marked for Elimination penalty (used in Season 10 and 11 of the American version) which may result in their elimination. In Season 4, the Marked for Elimination penalty was the sole penalty used for non-elimination legs.

For Season 5, the team that arrived last on a non-elimination leg had to perform a Speed Bump task (first used in Season 12 of the American version) at some point in the following leg before being allowed to continue racing.

Rules and penalties[]

Most of the rules and penalties are the same as the American edition; however, there are slight differences.

Unique Rules[]

Asian edition American version
If a team member is injured during the race, he/she has to pass medical evaluation to ensure that they are fit to continue the race. If the injury is not serious or life-threatening, the team may choose to continue or quit the race. This occurred to Marshall & Lance during Season 5.
Teams must follow local road laws and regulations and be responsible to pay any fines and demerits they incur during the race. The most unique part is if teams violate speeding laws, the number of minutes for the time penalty is the amount of km/h that the team traveled minus the legal speed limit then multiplied by 2 minutes. However, this penalty is only served at the beginning of the next leg of the race. While speeding is also against the rules in the American version, (shown in Season 2, Season 13, and Season 22), the penalty is not given in a measurement of time per km/h over the speed limit but rather of time gained plus an additional 30 minutes.

Many penalties appear to be same as American version, however some exceptions can be seen in the race.

As in the American edition, teams who quit a Roadblock are assessed a four-hour penalty which begins from when the next team arrives at the Roadblock site. If all teams have already arrived at the Roadblock site, the team is immediately assessed the penalty. In the Asian version, this four-hour penalty is applied at the Pit Stop prior to checking in and not at the Roadblock site itself.

The speeding penalty is the exception; as in the American version, the penalty is only assessed at the start of the next leg of the Race. (see Controversies)

Hitch-hiking (traveling in a privately owned vehicle) is prohibited in Race. If a team violates this rule, they incur a one-hour penalty. It is the only penalty that has not been seen so far in American version.

Reception[]

Controversies[]

The Amazing Race Asia has seen a greater use of time penalties than the original American version. While time penalties are generally served prior to the team being allowed to check in to the Pit Stop (therefore possibly pushing them down the ranking lists and opening them to a possible last place finish and elimination), controversy has arisen over the fact that some time penalties are served at the beginning of the next leg.

This was the case with Andy & Laura in Season 1, who departed the Pit Stop at the start of leg 7 with a 92-minute time penalty as a result of Andy's speeding in leg 6. Had this 92-minute penalty been applied prior to Andy & Laura being allowed to check into the Pit Stop at the end of leg 6, they would have finished in last place and been eliminated.[1]

Criticisms[]

They are several criticisms in the show, and these include:

  • Less self-driving in entire race.[2]
  • Teams always clumped on the same sponsored flight.
  • A lot of the contestants casted are models, actors, or other television personalities.
  • Traveling mainly limited to Asian countries [3]

Countries and Locales Visited[]

Africa Asia
Country Season(s) Visited Country Season(s) Visited
South Africa South Africa 2 India India 1, 3
Indonesia Indonesia 1, 4, 5
Japan Japan 2
Malaysia Malaysia 1, 4, 5
Oman Oman 3
Flag of the Philippines Philippines 2, 4, 5
Singapore Singapore 1, 2, 4, 5
South Korea South Korea 2, 4
Sri Lanka Sri Lanka 4
Flag of Taiwan Taiwan 3
Flag of Thailand Thailand 1, 3, 5
United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates 1
Vietnam Vietnam 3, 5
Territory Season(s) Visited
Hong Kong Hong Kong 2, 3
Macau Macau 3
Europe Oceania
Country Season(s) Visited Country Season(s) Visited
Czech Republic Czech Republic 2 Australia Australia 1, 4
Germany Germany 2 New Zealand New Zealand 1, 2, 4
Hungary Hungary 2

Seasons[]

Season Number of Teams Destinations Filming Dates Season Run Winners Unique Distinctions
TARlogo-Asia
The Amazing Race Asia 1
10 Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, India, United Arab Emirates May 22, 2006 - June 15, 2006 November 9, 2006 - February 1, 2007 ASS1 JoeJerZabrina
Malaysia Joe Jer Tee & Zabrina Fernandez
First all-female team to win The Amazing Race franchise, and also without any previous first place finishes
TARlogo-Asia
The Amazing Race Asia 2
10 Singapore, Philippines, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Germany, Czech Republic, Hungary, South Africa July 4, 2007 - July 26, 2007 November 22, 2007 - February 14, 2008 ASS2 AdrianCollin
Singapore Adrian Yap & Collin Low
First individual racer with a disability to win the Race
TARlogo-Asia
The Amazing Race Asia 3
10 Thailand, Vietnam, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, India, Oman May 20, 2008 - June 8, 2008 September 11, 2008 - November 20, 2008 ASS3 VinceSam
Hong Kong Vince Chung & Sam Wu
None
TARlogo-Asia4
The Amazing Race Asia 4
10 Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Philippines, New Zealand, Australia, Indonesia, South Korea, Singapore June 10, 2010 - June 30, 2010 September 23, 2010 - December 9, 2010 ASS4 RichardRichard
Flag of the Philippines Richard Hardin & Richard Herrera
Featured the starting line and the finish line in two different countries
TARASIA5
The Amazing Race Asia 5
11 Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, Singapore August 8, 2016 - August 26, 2016 October 13, 2016 - December 15, 2016 ASS5 ParulMaggie
Flag of the Philippines Parul Shah & Maggie Wilson
Featured destinations within Indonesia and as well with locations around Southeast Asia region

Reception[]

  • MediaWeek (03/17/2017): "Mediaweek Asia Profile: activeTV Asia boss Michael McKay"

External links[]

References[]

The Amazing Race Season Index
United States 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10 · 11 · 12 · 13 · 14 · 15 · 16 · 17 · 18 · 19 · 20 · 21 · 22 · 23 · 24 · 25 · 26 · 27 · 28 · 29 · 30 · 31 · 32 · 33 · 34 · 35
Asia 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5
Australia 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7
Brazil 1
Canada 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9
Central Europe Cancelled
China 1 · 2 · 3 · 4
China Rush 1 · 2 · 3
Finland 1
France 1
Israel 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8
Latin America 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6
Norway 1 · 2
Philippines 1 · 2
Ukraine 1
Vietnam 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6
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