‘Amazing Race’ still going strong

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Non-elimination legs of the race, which appear at pre-selected points, allow the last-place team to stay in the game. Starting in the fifth season, the show added penalties for coming in last, at first stripping that team of all of its saved money; in the sixth season, teams that were spared elimination also received no money at the start of the next leg of the race, forcing them to beg locals for cash. In season seven, the rules changed again, and non-eliminated teams were forced to give up their backpacks and all of their possessions.

With no more to remove from the teams — the editors probably wouldn't appreciate having to pixelate naked teams as they raced to hail taxis that wouldn't stop for them anyway — the show shifted course yet again. Instead of having to give up money or objects, the last-place team on the surprise non-elimination legs became "Marked for Elimination." Failing to arrive in first place the next leg of the race left that team with a 30-minute penalty, which is often enough to ensure a team drops from the front of the pack to last place.

The result of this was to actually encourage the teams to work harder to come in first place, and that happened at least once.

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Having placed in the bottom of the pack for the entire race, David and Mary placed first on the leg immediately after being marked for elimination, a significant improvement and a thrill for both them and their fans. (The second time they were marked, the 30-minute penalty led to their elimination. Dustin and Kandice were also eliminated the leg after they were marked for elimination.)

Another addition to the race came in the form of the Intersection, which as its clever travel-inspired name suggests, caused two teams to crash into each other, at least metaphorically. Actually, instead of encouraging teams to compete, the Intersection forced two teams to join as one to complete a task. Because that collaboration was so short-lived, however, its effect was negligible, and the Intersection only appeared once.

Perhaps next season the Intersection will force Rob and Amber, the overexposed "Survivor" couple who changed the course of "The Amazing Race" with their intense strategizing during the sixth season, to actually work together with other teams.

Yes, Rob and Amber are returning, as are other favorite and not-so-favorite teams from the "The Amazing Race"'s past. After 10 seasons with mostly unknown cast members, the show has decided to bring back its all-stars to race around the world. That race began taping in the middle of November and will air in the spring.

Returning familiar faces won't exactly inject new life into the franchise, but "The Amazing Race"'s formula still appears to have enough fuel in it to get a group of teams and camera crews around the world a few more times.

Andy Dehnart is a writer and teacher who publishes reality blurred, a daily summary of reality TV news.

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