CBS recently announced that the next season of
The Amazing Race, which will premiere in early 2008, will be two episodes shorter and contain zero non-elimination legs. According to executive producer Jonathan Littman, the reason for this decision was to “create more excitement”. Now, if you're a cynical person, like I am occasionally, then you don't believe a word of what Littman said. Maybe it will create more excitement, maybe it won't. What it will do is lessen the budget for
The Amazing Race, a show that has been declining in the ratings since The Season That Shall Not Be Named (it involved kids). Cutting episodes is only going to upset fans. For me, the more episodes of The Amazing Race, the better.
Getting past Littman's comments, let's take a second to discuss whether the show will be better off without non-elimination legs. I know there is a significant group of fans who hate the non-elimination legs and that they often make the impact of the entire leg negligible. I understand this line of thinking, but I don't agree that non-eliminations are bad things. In fact, I actually really like them. It adds a different wrinkle to the game. If anything, I would say that the non-elimination legs make the game more exciting. When there aren't any, you know for a fact that someone will be eliminated at every pit stop. Having non-eliminations creates an uncertainty that is key to maintaining suspense.
Also, I've always liked the penalties that the last place teams receive at the non-elimination legs. In past seasons, it's involved anything from having to compete on the next leg with no money, to having to finish first or receive a time penalty. I especially enjoy it when teams have to beg their fellow teammates or locals for money.
I'm not entirely unopposed to getting rid of them. If it didn't involve cutting down the episode order, I'd be fairly indifferent. It just doesn't sit well the networks don't tell you the whole truth as to why they're making the decisions they are.
-Oscar Dahl, BuddyTV Senior Writer