Why has there never been a UK version of The Amazing Race?
Fiercefanatic
Posts: 3,580 Forum Member
✭✭✭
It seems like a show that ITV would've snapped up the second they had the chance. It's very popular in the US and is one of the longest running shows over there, and the format of it could be used in any country, anywhere, as you travel to different countries each episode.
Maybe they aren't willing to give 1mil away for a reality tv show, but surely they could lower the prize fund and still have the show?
Maybe they aren't willing to give 1mil away for a reality tv show, but surely they could lower the prize fund and still have the show?
0
Comments
There was one just two years ago, I saw an episode set in Thailand on youtube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5nb7HvZyGA). It was dire. They used an Amazing Race task in it as well, but all the drama was sucked out of it with our typically pointless insistence that the presenter must be ever present speaking to us and even alongside the contestants all the time, even making feeble attempts at funny comments.
Titled The Race it was presented by Keith Duffy and was one of the shows that launched ITV2.
Youtube even has a clip
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYtoP8SqV90
It must be very logistically challenging to film and organise and I'm not sure any of our channels are willing to take the risk. I also think part of the attraction that wouldn't translate as well is the natural competitiveness of the Americans. Brits wouldn't treat it the same.
Low rent cable? Which low rent cable channels are you on about?
The one in France
It did ok, certainly not a flop. It was the cost against the ad revenue that stopped it getting a third series.
The BBC also tried something along the same lines of a TAR called Drop Zone a few years back. However it had clearly been done on a budget. As well have already seen with ITV2 if you trip TAR back too much to save costs you lose the feeling of the show
Actually I really liked Drop Zone, and it was a pity they never made more than 1 series, I think due to timing issues it was late on the scene, and this meant a Sunday afternoon slot, not the Saturday evening one originally intended.
A channel in the UK would take a massive risk attempting TAR as it could flop and the channel would be out of pocket big time.
Also the likes of ITV likes it shows to be celebrity based, look at how Im a Celeb was more successful than Survivor despite its dreadful format in comparison. BBC couldn't justify the cost of TAR, C5 wouldn't have the funds and it doesn't really fit with C4 nowadays.
There really just isn't a place for it.
I don't think Sky would want it after the US show flopped over here. I remember watching the first season on Sky 1 and half way through the season they started showing it at 2am.
The recent product placement rule changes would help but our rules are still much more prohibitive on what can be done. Just look at TAR, its not just the Travelocity that does Product Placement in it, there's the airlines, travel companies and tourist attractions to name a few that have been listed in the credits. Even Liverpool FC were listed as having paid for their club appearing in the last season. I wouldn't be surprised if the tourist boards of some of these countries are also making payments.
And remember the UK is a smaller country than the US so both the ad revenue and product placement income is much lower but the production costs would be the same
But bigger or as big as other countries who have had the race such as Norway, France, Australia, Ukraine, Israel.
What airline in the UK would have the money to sponsor it or even travel company? I can't see Thomas Cook shelling out on an untested format such a large amount.
The amount of product placement is crazy on TAR, remember how often they kept referring to that stupid Ford Ranger when in Iceland. Every year there is some song and dance about whatever the next type of Ford car is out at the time.
The fact that channels have kept doing weaker versions of the race instead of the real thing shows clearly that they think there is a market for this type of show. They just need to give people the real thing instead of the watered down version they have offered so far.
Maybe you just don't like the show, but at its best it has been very popular in more countries than you would like to admit.
.....but looking at the facts about it being successful in the UK:
The sky showings of the American versions did not perform well, being bumped to 2am.
The similar versions shown in the UK have not done very well on any of the terrestrial or digital only channels.
The UK does not appear to like shows that they have no direct influence in (a whole raft of shows that have under performed compared to "voting" shows e.g. Survivor, The Mole)
The last time ITV attempted a big American show, Survivor, it was not the runaway success that ITV had hoped.
So i am afraid regardless of how well it is has done in other markets it is very unlikely a UK version of the show will be made, no matter how much you bleat on about it.
Similar versions have not done well because they have been watered down rubbish as I already explained but you seem to have missed
Did you miss this point:
"The sky showings of the American versions did not perform well, being bumped to 2am."
It didn't even do well enough to match their (probably quite low) expectations to keep hold of its original time slot. This was the US version so would not have been "watered down rubbish" so what is your excuse this time?
So your solution to "general laziness over the last 10 years" is to copy formats from elsewhere? Seems even lazier to me when new reality shows have been launched successfully in the UK just that they have not been TAR and have been newer concepts.