# The Amazing Race is back! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 23, 2007, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-is-back/423740 "2007-10-23T19:41:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2007, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-is-back/423740/1 "2007-10-23T19:41:17Z")
The Amazing Race season 12 premieres on Sunday, Nov 4 at 8 pm ET, according to [CBS](http://www.cbs.com). Yay Phil! Sorry, _Viva Laughlin_ fans, if either of you are reading this. Hooray! ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2007, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-is-back/423740/2 "2007-10-23T19:56:50Z")
Awesome! I’d heard it was pushed back to January, but I guess not. Thanks for the heads-up! Have they announced the racers yet? ---
**Author:** ![FlightlessBird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/cdc98d/32.png) [@FlightlessBird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlightlessBird)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2007, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-is-back/423740/3 "2007-10-23T19:59:55Z")
Two weeks till TARsday! > [@](#): > > “If there ever was a season that I consider one of the best, it’s this one,” said Bertram van Munster," executive producer, director and co-creator of THE AMAZING RACE. “It’s insanely funny, fast-paced and dramatic all at once. Teams are in hot pursuit of one another at every location and its reality television at its nail-biting best.” I don’t care if it’s just salesmanship, my interest is piqued! ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2007, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-is-back/423740/4 "2007-10-23T20:16:19Z")
Yay! I’ve missed Phil and his Incredible Eyebrow of Skepticism. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2007, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-is-back/423740/5 "2007-10-23T20:20:59Z")
[QUOTE=KGS] Have they announced the racers yet? [/QUOTE] The CBS website has the announcement of the premiere with Phil’s shining face (and eyebrows), but the official TAR webpage is not up yet. They still have the page up for the last race (all-stars), which I don’t want to look at because it will bring up all kinds of bad memories (and maybe part of my lunch) when I remember who won. I’d expect the TAR13 page to be up soon, though. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2007, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-is-back/423740/6 "2007-10-23T20:32:04Z")
[QUOTE=Skammer] The Amazing Race season 12 premieres on Sunday, Nov 4 at 8 pm ET, according to [CBS](http://www.cbs.com). [/QUOTE] Good news. Better news would be if they do another season so I can enter. ---
**Author:** ![scotandrsn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@scotandrsn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scotandrsn)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2007, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-is-back/423740/7 "2007-10-23T20:43:15Z")
According to [this article](http://www.buddytv.com/articles/viva-laughlin/cbs-puts-viva-laughlin-out-of-12782.aspx), Viva Laughlin lost half its CSI lead-in audience, so CBS is scrambling to fill the timeslot. They couldn’t have made a better choice. (Viva Laughlin was a musical?) ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2007, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-is-back/423740/8 "2007-10-23T21:04:30Z")
[QUOTE=scotandrsn] (Viva Laughlin was a musical?) [/QUOTE] From the clips I saw, Viv Laughlin was karaoke. The actors sang along with tracks performed by the actual recording artist, which, stupid. ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2007, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-is-back/423740/9 "2007-10-24T01:18:24Z")
I do wish they’d bring TAR back for a weeknight again, but I’m excited nonetheless. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Some\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ad7895/32.png) [@Just\_Some\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Some_Guy)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2007, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-is-back/423740/10 "2007-10-24T01:26:22Z")
[QUOTE=KGS] Awesome! I’d heard it was pushed back to January, but I guess not. Thanks for the heads-up! Have they announced the racers yet? [/QUOTE] I think they were holding it to fill in a gap in the schedule and it looks like that may have been necessary sooner than CBS thought. You’ll note that it’s hitting on the first weekend of the November sweeps. ---
**Author:** ![Sarahfeena](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarahfeena/32/519_2.png) [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2007, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-is-back/423740/11 "2007-10-24T02:02:00Z")
This is great news to me…TAR is one of the very few shows I look forward to anymore! ---
**Author:** ![rockle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/73ab20/32.png) [@rockle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rockle)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2007, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-is-back/423740/12 "2007-10-24T12:02:07Z")
I am already singing the theme song in my head: dun dun DUN, dun-dun-dun, dun dun DUN, dun-dun-dun … etc. up until: **DUN!** Also, I find it very exiciting that when you go [CBS.com](http://CBS.com), the very first picture that pops up is of Phil. Yay, Phil! ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2007, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-is-back/423740/13 "2007-10-24T12:22:37Z")
I’m ambivalent about it. If they don’t do something about the things we’ve complained about all these seasons, I may lose interest. No more racing to the death only to have the weakest teams bunch up with the strongest teams because the gates don’t open until 5:00 AM. No more bunching up at the airport where there are two flights arriving 10 minutes apart. No more fake suspense at the ends of legs with obvious continuity lapses. No more Deus ex Machina, where the Governor of the Island orders the plane to wait on some beloved pair. And finally, let’s see some real clues and puzzle solving. No more grab a card that sends you to X where you grab a card that sends you to Y. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2007, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-is-back/423740/14 "2007-10-24T13:36:42Z")
Minor spoiler about a rules change I heard about for this season, either on this board or on TWOP: Apparently there are no NELs this season. There was something else as well, but I’ve already forgotten. What I’d like to see is the addition of more FFs, so there is actually a little bit of strategy in when you should go for one. Also, I hate the Merge, or whatever you call it when the teams have to cooperate for a challenge. I’m not a big fan of the Yield either, but the Merge is way worse. ---
**Author:** ![Avarie537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/48db29/32.png) [@Avarie537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avarie537)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2007, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-is-back/423740/15 "2007-10-24T14:21:25Z")
The Racer bios are up! [http://alpha.cbs.com/primetime/amazing\_race12/](http://alpha.cbs.com/primetime/amazing_race12/) ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2007, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-is-back/423740/16 "2007-10-24T14:35:47Z")
[QUOTE=Avarie537] The Racer bios are up! [http://alpha.cbs.com/primetime/amazing\_race12/](http://alpha.cbs.com/primetime/amazing_race12/) [/QUOTE] Excuse me, but where the hell are Rob and Amber!? :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2007, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-is-back/423740/17 "2007-10-24T14:45:07Z")
There’s only one all-male team, and it’s a grandfather/grandson. There seems to be an abundance this year of hot young waitresses. :rolleyes: So far I’m interested in Rachel & TK, Kate & Pat, and Kynt & Vyxsin (???) just because they’re not as boring as everyone else. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2007, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-is-back/423740/18 "2007-10-24T14:50:53Z")
Nice. I think my favorites, based on the photos, are Ronald & Christina (father-daughter) and Marianna and Julia (they are _hawt_.) The goth couple could be interesting, or eye-rolling. Interesting that the only male/male team is Nicolas/Donald, the grandfather/grandson pair. That’s nice, it doesn’t seem like there is a team of strong young men who will run away with all the physical challenges. ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2007, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-is-back/423740/19 "2007-10-24T16:27:45Z")
Is “Kynt” pronounced the way I think it is? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2007, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-is-back/423740/20 "2007-10-24T16:32:57Z")
[QUOTE=Eyebrows 0f Doom] So far I’m interested in Rachel & TK, Kate & Pat, and Kynt & Vyxsin (???) just because they’re not as boring as everyone else. [/QUOTE] Nice stunt casting. But these teams will probably go out early, with only the GDC’s (Generic Dating Couples) making it to the final three, as always. Not to nitpick or anything, but Kynt & Vyxsin look more Emo than Goth. 🆒 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-is-back/423740.md?page=2)