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The Amazing Race 26

Amazing Race really is becoming The Bachelor

The Amazing Race blind dates
The Amazing Race is moving in the direction of The Bachelor. (Photo by Shutterstock)

by Andy Dehnart 20 Jan. 2015 | 4:23 pm

“Will these teams find true love, or will there be heartbreak?” That’s a thing Phil Keoghan actually says in The Amazing Race blind dates cast reveal video below. Yes, for some inexplicable reason, The Amazing Race is moving in the direction of The Bachelor as it makes changes.

The incredible CBS reality show that sent people around the world to test their ability to navigate and communicate with someone they were close to is now adding fantasy suite–excuse me, “Date Night”–rewards for its teams, in addition to the blind dates that we already knew about.

All 11 teams are dating couples, but five of them are The Amazing Race blind dates: 10 people who will meet each other for the first time at the start line and then race around the world together. They’ll totally change one of the show’s major selling points, that teams were composed of people with pre-existing relationships.

CBS’ press release also announced the cast, which is revealed in the video below, and this new reward:

“The dating teams will also have an opportunity throughout the race to win the all-new ‘Date Night’ reward. This allows one lucky couple to enjoy a one-on-one romantic activity, such as a steamy evening at a hot springs resort in Nagano, Japan, or star-gazing at the Bavarian Public Observatory in Munich, Germany.”

I don’t know why The Amazing Race wants to be The Bachelor, but it really seems to be trying hard to become it. Perhaps it’ll work! This all just seems so very off-brand.

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about Andy Dehnart

Andy Dehnart’s writing and criticism about television, culture, and media has appeared on NPR and in Vulture, Pacific Standard, The Los Angeles Times, and other publications. He has covered reality television for more than 18 years, and created reality blurred in 2000.

A member of the Television Critics Association who serves on its board of directors, Andy, 41, also directs the journalism program at Stetson University in Florida, where he teaches creative nonfiction and journalism. He has an M.F.A. in nonfiction writing and literature from Bennington College. Learn more about reality blurred and Andy.

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about reality blurred

reality blurred is your guide to the world of reality TV and unscripted entertainment, with reality show reviews, news, and analysis. It was created in 2000 by Andy Dehnart. He's still writing and publishing it today.

reality blurred is regularly updated with highlights from the world of reality TV: news and analysis; behind-the-scenes reports; interviews with reality TV show cast members and producers; and recaps and reviews of these reality TV shows, including Survivor, Big Brother, The Great British Baking Show, Shark Tank, The Amazing Race, The Bachelor, Project Runway, Dancing with the Stars, Top Chef, and many more.

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