Long-running CBS series off to the ‘Races’ again
‘Amazing’ TV: At a time when traveling the globe is all but a simple “trot,” one long-running reality series is finding a way to send viewers on a trip around the world. “The Amazing Race,” back for a 33rd season, premieres Wednesday, Jan. 5, on CBS.
The series has been a fan favorite since its first season launched in September 2001. Hosted by New Zealand television personality and “No Opportunity Wasted” host Phil Keoghan since its inception, “The Amazing Race” follows a number of teams — usually 11, as with this season — around the world as they follow a series of instructions and scavenger hunt-style clues to their next destination.As teams are eliminated over the weeks for various reasons, one team goes on to win the entire competition — and $1 million.
Getting Season 33 up and running was no easy feat, however. Series cocreators Bertram van Munster and Elise Doganieri (both of the National Geographic show “Race to the Center of the Earth”) announced during a January 2020 press tour that filming for Season 33 of “The Amazing Race” would begin the following month. Of course, due to the pandemic’s effect on television production and international travel, that was not the case, and less than a month into filming, the project was shut down.
Nearly 19 months later, in September 2021, production resumed for the 11 vaccinated teams, and the race is (safely) back on!
While full casting details have yet to be released as of writing, fans of another CBS reality series, “Love Island,” may be happy to hear that Season 1 couple Raymond “Ray” Gantt and Caroline “Caro”Viehweg are among this year’s contestants.
Just as present as the teams in this series are the locations, which this season include London, England (in Leg 1); Chalkidiki and Thessaloniki, Greece; Glasgow, Scotland; Zurich, Switzerland; and back to the United States via Los Angeles.
Get any road blocks, speed bumps and detours out of the way now, because you won’t want to miss a minute of “The Amazing Race’s” 33rd season when it premieres Wednesday, Jan. 5, on CBS.
Jimmy’s ‘Jam’: Multi-talented TV personality and current host of “The Tonight Show” Jimmy Fallon has always been very open about his fun-loving spirit.The comedian even hosted his late-night talk show from the comfort of his at-home, indoor treehouse-style living space during the pandemic. Now, Fallon is taking to his home network of NBC to launch another series (and this one might be the most fun yet). “That’s My Jam” officially premieres Monday, Jan. 3.
The new game show series, which offered viewers a sneak peek featuring “The Voice” hosts on Monday, Nov. 29, is described by NBC as “an hour-long music and comedy variety game show that draws inspiration from the most popular ‘Tonight Show’ games.”Always featuring four celebrities playing for a charity of their choice, the guests will split into two teams of two to compete in games that “include Launch the Mic, Air Guitar, Don’t Drop the Beat, Perfect Mash-Up,Wheel of Impossible Karaoke [and] Slay It, Don’t Spray It,” among others.
In the Nov. 29 sneak peek, pop star Ariana Grande and country music icon Blake Shelton faced off in a game of Slay It, Don’t Spray It against vocal powerhouse Kelly Clarkson and R&B singer John Legend.
With each team in their own recording booth, the pairs had to finish the lyrics to popular songs on queue, or else face the proverbial music and get sprayed with water from the trick microphones in front of them. Needless to say, Shelton may owe an apology to fellow performer Taylor Swift for his poor rendition of “Shake It Off,” and Clarkson and Legend wound up donating their combined winnings to BreakFree Education (Legend’s charity of choice) and Boys & Girls Club of America (as chosen by Clarkson).
While the show’s guest list remains a bit of a secret as of press time, there is no doubt Fallon will be putting his celebrity connections to good use as he welcomes new contestants to the show each week. At this time, viewers can expect five more episodes of the series, but should the game show prove a success (and with this premise, it may well do so), that number could be extended with a full series order.
The official first season of “That’s My Jam” premieres Monday, Jan. 3, on NBC.
How to marry a ‘Millionaire’: Two parts “The Bachelor” and one part “To Tell the Truth,” an early-2000s reality series is making a comeback. “Joe Millionaire,” which first aired in 2003, combined the dating-competition concept with that of a guessing game before sprinkling in a dash of greed and prejudice. Now, Fox brings “Joe” back, but this time it’s a question of romance or finance. The reimagined series “Joe Millionaire: For Richer or Poorer” premieres Thursday, Jan. 6.
The series follows 20 women, each well aware that one of the “Joes” they’re dating is rich, while the other is not. In getting to know the men better, the women must decide who will win out for them at the end of the day and whether, in fact, they have chosen the Joe for love or for money.
After 2003’s Joe Millionaire turned out not to be a millionaire at all, the series was not renewed as “the big surprise was gone” (per Rob Wade, president of Fox alternative entertainment). This new twist, however, gives the series a “fresh” and “sustainable” angle.
Find out which Joe wins in the end (and what the prize is for his new partner) when “Joe Millionaire: For Richer or Poorer” premieres Thursday, Jan. 6, on Fox.