http://www.tvweek.com/news/2008/06/amazing_race_keeps_it_fresh.php
If you are looking for a sure thing when the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards
nominations are announced, bet on "The Amazing Race" being one of five in
the reality-competition programming category. In the five years in which
this Emmy has been awarded, "The Amazing Race" has won it every time. And
when they added the category of host for this type of programming last
year,
"The Amazing Race's" Phil Keoghan was the winner.
With those facts in mind, Mr. Keoghan would have the right to be pretty
confident about the Emmy nominations, but he's not. "I hope we're still
included in the nominations. I think we've maintained the same standard,"
he
said. "In fact, I feel like last season we actually went up a notch from
where we were before."
Last season was the 12th edition of "The Amazing Race," and it was good
enough to warrant CBS ordering two more seasons, for fall 2008 and spring
2009.
What made 2007 so strong? "We had some new people come into the production
and we went to new countries, and there's an energy and an enthusiasm that
comes to our show and keeps it fresh," said Mr. Keoghan.
"One of the redeeming things about 'The Amazing Race' that keeps it alive
and fresh is we're able to go and establish a new stage in every season in
different countries. We're not going to a studio where we know it's going
to
be 69 degrees and we know we're going to be working with professional
people
who always work that soundstage," said Mr. Keoghan. "We're going to new
countries, working with new people, and when they get caught up in the
enthusiasm of 'Race,' it keeps it fresh for all of us. Their enthusiasm
reminds us that we're working on something incredibly special. They bring
something to it themselves because they're looking at it from a totally
different perspective."
"The Amazing Race" creates great entertainment and excitement for viewers,
but there's something more that Emmy voters can see when they judge the
submissions each year. "In the viewer's mind, because the show rolls out
once a week, they've made the assumption that we're taking a week to go
and
set up and get everything together. People in the industry understand
that,
but the audience is only starting to get that now, what's involved for us
as
a production to stay ahead of them and how challenging that is," said Mr.
Keoghan. "People in the industry know what it's like to get 30 to 40
cameras
through customs and signing equipment in and out-every bit down to the
smallest microphone has to be do***ented in and out of countries. They
understand that taking one trip to a country is something, but if you're
doing it every other day and they have to negotiate in and out of air****ts
every single leg, lights, tripods, microphones, that have to make it. The
show has to go on."
Like covering a s****ting event, once "The Amazing Race" begins, nothing
can
stop it. "It is without a doubt the most complicated show physically that
I've
ever been a part of, because there's no way to really control it when it's
under way. You have to roll with it. There are times when I am literally
racing to the mat in one direction while they're coming toward me from the
other," said Mr. Keoghan. "It's incredibly difficult to get accurate
information sometimes, to know exactly where they are. We make
calculations
about where they should be, but when you're maybe in India and there's a
protest on the street or there's a march you didn't know was going to be
happening that day, things happen."
What makes "The Amazing Race" so amazing is that it's not like any other
race. "There have been races on television since television began, and
most
are about elite racers. Most racers on TV are racers that are the best at
what they do. What is so different about our race is that we have people
who
are certainly not extraordinary in their ability to race. They are
generally
not fit, there are beer bellies, tall, short, black, white, some have
competed with one leg, some have had recent knee surgery. They are not
your
extraordinary racers," said Mr. Keoghan.
"Until 'The Amazing Race' came along, I don't think we'd ever seen
ordinary
people in extraordinary situations. And not a fly-by-night setup. This is
a
monumental thing we're doing. When we set out, I remember we all took a
breath after the first leg of the first race and we all said, 'Oh my God,
what did we just unleash? And can we keep this going?' Speaking for
myself,
it was a little overwhelming."
If "The Amazing Race" is nominated for an Emmy again, Mr. Keoghan will be
thrilled, but he's not writing any speeches yet. "I learned a long time
ago
not to judge what people like, because I'm certainly not an expert. The
more
I learn about television, the more I realize I don't know.
"Our job as television producers and television makers is to create
something to watch and entertain them. I feel lucky that what we make does
appeal to people and it's something that I feel proud of. That's a
privilege. It's a privilege to work on something that you actually really
believe in and you can sell without any reservation at all. I love selling
this show. I love the reaction I get from people."
"The Amazing Race" is not just another TV show to Mr. Keoghan. "People say
what is your job like, and I say, 'It's a little bit like having a seat on
the floor of Madison Square Garden as the event flashes in front of my
eyes.'
I'm lucky enough to have a great seat. I'm right in the middle of it. The
energy is absolutely infectious. There's a real lack of repetition that
you
see with so many other shows where you go back to the same set, the same
procedures. In terms of experience, I would much rather do 20 seasons of
'The Amazing Race' that's always going to be different than 20 seasons of
the same show at the same location."
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