‘The Amazing Race’ Won’t Visit These Countries, Co-Creator Says
CBS’s The Amazing Race has visited over 90 countries from its first season to the current one, season 35. Fans love watching the cast race around the world, but there are a few countries the show is unlikely ever to visit. Here are the countries that fans shouldn’t expect to see featured in The Amazing Race, according to the co-creator and executive producer.
‘The Amazing Race’ won’t head to these countries anytime soon, co-creator says
The Amazing Race takes contestants (and fans) around the world. The appeal of the first season, which aired in 2001, is that we could watch contestants race from one country to the next and see new cultures, activities, and ways of living before the same information was easily accessed online. As a child, I remember the awe that The Amazing Race would bring me and my family as we gathered around a small TV and watched the wide-eyed competitors navigate new places in just one TV hour.
While it would be extra excellent if The Amazing Race could make a goal to visit every country, that’ll likely never happen. Weather difficulties and international relations have made some world areas too risky to navigate. Co-creator and executive producer Bertram van Munster spoke to The New York Times about the show never heading to Russia, China, and countries in West Africa.
“The world has gotten a little smaller,” van Munster said. “We’re not going to Russia right now. We’re not going to China. There are a lot of places in West Africa where I would love to go, but where we can’t go. Senegal. Logistically, maybe we can figure it out. But is it safe? We don’t want to get ourselves in trouble in another country. The world is a tricky place.”
Co-creator Elise Doganieri also discussed the weather conditions impacting The Amazing Race Season 35 travel. “Weather has made a big change in how we travel,” she explained. “There are more storms, especially over Asia, and we have flight delays and cancellations that push into the schedule.”
Season 35 heads to this country for the 1st time in the history of the show
While The Amazing Race can’t travel to every country, they’re making new strides in season 35 by visiting a country the show has never been to: Slovenia.
Co-creator Bertram van Munster explained how they came up with the idea to head to Slovenia during Paleyfest 2023. “Elise said, ‘Why don’t we go to Slovenia?’ And I said, ‘Slovenia? That’s not a bad idea,'” he explained. “That’s always my answer. And that’s the reason. It turns out to be a spectacular country, wonderful people, high tech, very high tech, exceptionally clean. The streets are so clean, you don’t see this anywhere in the world anymore. Wonderful people, spectacular locations, and a lot of good things to do.”
Host Phil Keoghan also sang the praises of Slovenia. “It’s a very young country,” he told Variety. “It’s the beekeeping capital of the world. It’s just magnificent. The mountains, the lakes, the culture, the people. Teams absolutely loved it, and they will be getting to see the country in a very unique way, let’s just say, from the sky at some point.”
The Amazing Race Season 35 airs Wednesdays at 9:30 p.m. ET on CBS.
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