Race finalists a varied crew
It’s a good time to be an Amazing Race fan. After 11 years and 21 seasons, the well-travelled CBS hit is finally making a pit stop in Canada.
Well, many Canadian pit stops, actually, since the CTV spinoff — set to air next summer — will be filmed exclusively within the country’s boundaries.
Perhaps equally exciting to the millions who can’t get enough of the reality TV staple is tonight’s Season 21 finale.
Brace yourself: Race is going all Dancing With the Stars on us by taking two full hours to announce the winning team.
But aside from more bathroom breaks than the non-DVR set could ever require, the 120-minute send-off will offer two final legs (in France and the U.S.) and three eliminations — seeing as how they were only down to four teams after last Sunday’s leg in Spain.
The remaining contenders include the following: dating cuties Trey and Lexi, nice-guy Chippendales dancers Jaymes and James, bickering twins Natalie and Nadiya, and underdog goat farmers Josh and Brent.
Yes, this is probably the motliest crew of Amazing Race finalists ever.
But they all have their strengths. Jaymes and James, for example, are clearly very muscular. Josh and Brent’s tractor-fixing skills occasionally come in handy. Trey and Lexi are very personable. And Natalie and Nadiya sometimes stop arguing long enough to work as a team.
Most people have their money on the Chippendales dancers, but that’s mainly in the form of crumpled-up dollar bills.
Who will actually win the race — and the $1-million prize? It might just come down to sweethearts Trey and Lexi and Josh and Brent, who insist “it’s just hard to kill us.”
Whatever the case, CBS is, as always, the biggest winner here. The Amazing Race 21 has again managed to break the Top 30 on the U.S. charts every week since it debuted, pulling in around 9.5 million viewers each time. Not bad for a dinosaur.
Here in Canada, it’s typically the No. 2 or 3 show of the week, averaging at least 2.5 million viewers.
In other words, it’s no wonder CTV has finally got a hold of its coattails. And while we’re always skeptical of Canadian versions of American reality TV shows, it’s always nice to be along for the ride. (CBS, CTV — 9 p.m.)
Looking for something a little more festive this weekend? Far warmer and cosier than a blanket of snow is the heartwarming film Christmas With Holly. The Hallmark Hall of Fame’s 247th presentation stars hottie Sean Faris as the uncle-turned-guardian of six-year-old Holly. He gets some help with his motherly duties (and a little romance, perhaps) from the new girl in town, Maggie, played by Eloise Mumford. (ABC — 10 p.m.)