773 replies to this topic

[raceguy120390]

Awwwwww, yeah!

Seven's bought the rights to an Aussie version! Aaaand... they're trying to get Phil to host it himself! Instead of Tom Williams! Or Grant Denyer! Squee! (And it's definitely possible, since there's only going to be one TAR in the upcoming US television season.)

Another news article.

Not much on the Wiki yet.

Edited by raceguy120390, Jul 19, 2010 @ 2:39 AM.

[hazza123]

I just saw this over on MediaSpy. So bloody excited! My brother has always said that should they do an Australian version, we'd definitely be going in for it, so I'm there the second applications open.

SQUEE! I can't believe they're actually finally going to do this. I swear it's been talked about for nearly a decade now.

[Andrew's Mommy]

OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG.

It HAS to be The Philiminator. Or Grant Bowler. Look what Tom Williams did to Teh Mole!

[raceguy120390]

Look what Tom Williams did to Teh Mole!

And Gladiators. And Room For Improvement. And The Great Outdoors. The downside, of course, is that he admitted wanting to host an Aussie TAR way back when he did The Mole, so he'll probably be Seven's next choice if Phil refuses.

Still, at least we can't possibly have live eliminations with this show (yeah, I know, we said that about the last one, too).

SQUEE! I can't believe they're actually finally going to do this. I swear it's been talked about for nearly a decade now.

Yeah. This bit of the first article is my only concern, though:

The local version will see teams of two race across the country in a number of challenges to secure the grand prize. It is unknown whether competing contestants will also travel internationally.

I mean, not that Australia isn't amazing enough for a whole season, but... it's not amazing enough for a whole season. And a two-week visit to Singapore and Hong Kong (because you just know those places'll be where they get sent) isn't going to cut it, I don't think. I'll have a think about it, and try and work out how to get a decent race route out of the expected low-budget.

[hazza123]

It's a little sad how much I've already thought about it. I always assumed that the first series probably wouldn't venture very far, considering the budget it will most likely be on.

However, in all honesty, I think they could make a red hot go out of, even if it was confined to Australia, New Zealand, Bali, Fiji, Singapore and Hong Kong. A route like that, which spent a leg or two in each location, would probably be financially achievable, and still make for a really (heh) amazing race.

[raceguy120390]

Oh, I agree. I can't see it lasting more than a season if they don't make a big first impression (preferably a positive one, considering what happened to Australian Survivor). If they did it right, Bali would be the perfect place for the first leg -- it's literally amazing, it's in a country the American version hasn't done, and there's plenty of task ideas. Here's what I'm thinking:

Start: Adelaide. Or Canberra. Basically, a major city TAR US hasn't visited.
Legs 1/2: Bali/Jakarta, Indonesia
Leg 3: Borneo (either Sabah or Sarawak -- I'd prefer Sarawak since TAR US has done Sabah, but Kota Kinabalu is the easiest place on the island to get to), Malaysia
Leg 4: Singapore
Leg 5: Thailand. But not freaking Bangkok.
Legs 6/7: Vientiane/Luang Prabang, Laos. A cheap, new country that TAR really should have done by now.
Leg 8: Manila, Philippines.
Legs 9/10: Somewhere in the South Pacific. Ideally, there'd be one in Fiji or Tonga (easily recognisable, fairly easy to get to), then one in an obscure country like Kiribati, but I don't know whether that's even be possible.
Leg 11: Christchurch, New Zealand. Especially if Phil's hosting -- it's his hometown. But, you know, anywhere except Auckland would be fine.
Leg 12: Tasmania. I miss when they'd have a pre-finale leg in the US, and this would be the same thing.
Leg 13 (final): Melbourne. Because really.

I know we won't actually get a 13-leg season, and we'd probably be lucky to get TAR US's 12-week season, but still. It's not like we can't get a decent, low-budget season done without leaving the country.

[Bill1978]

OMFG!!!

That was my first response to seeing this thread. I have been hanging out since the first season of the original recipe for this to happen. Does this mean I now have to read Sydney papers to hope to spot a call for applicants or tape mindnumbing daytime TV in hopes of seeing an ad for application?

My main issue is who to choose as my partner as I have in the past promised so many people they could be my partner.

How long is a typical filming cycle for US TAR - 3 weeks?

Edited by Bill1978, Jul 19, 2010 @ 5:24 AM.

[legaleagle44]

Oh, please please please please PLEASE let this be available on YouTube at some point for those of us who live in the US, like TAR Asia is -- I would love to see the Aussie snark among the teams!

And if Phil hosts? I know a lot of Americans who will move to Australia just to watch him! ;)

[Sydneyside]

Crossing my fingers and hoping that:
1. It actually happens; and
2. They don't screw it up.

Best of luck to any applicants from TWoP! If you can somehow cheat and contact me in Sydney, I will happily be your Fern.

[raceguy120390]

Best of luck to any applicants from TWoP! If you can somehow cheat and contact me in Sydney, I will happily be your Fern.

Hee, I'm already drafting an email to Seven explaining my complete encyclopaedic knowledge of the show and offering to do whatever I can to help them avoid Australian Survivor II: Backpacker Boogaloo.

[hazza123]

Yeah, I'm definitely applying. I'll make sure to ready my little Tubey pin should I get picked.

Edited by hazza123, Jul 20, 2010 @ 2:42 AM.

[raceguy120390]

Good luck, mate.

Wish I knew which production company they're farming it out to (probably Melbourne-based ActiveTV, who already do TAR Asia and the Israeli version, as well as the V8s and Carols In The Domain for Seven and Prank Patrol for ABC3) so I could spam (uh, "contact") them directly, but had to settle for *shudder* the Yahoo7 message boards. Eek.

[Apple73]

I saw the article last week in Melbourne’s Herald Sun and I thought oh my goodness an Australian Amazing Race.
I have to tell my younger sister since she would love to go on the show!
It would have to be Phil as the host!
I don't know if Grant would be able to do it!

Edited by TWoP Howard, Aug 2, 2010 @ 3:08 PM.
Added capitals

[D291173]

I am so freaking excited about this I can't even tell you. I kind of hope that Grant gets killed off at the end of this season of True Blood, just so that he can host it (although Actual!Phil would be better).

I'll totally be applying. I just hope that my partner is still up for it.

[Pooki]

I'm so envious - I've been hoping they'd do a UK version for years! I'd totally apply, even if my slight fear of heights (or, to be more specific, of long drops) would hold me back a little. I'm hoping they air this in the UK, because even the US version has rarely had a proper timeslot or channel here.

Hopefully the race won't just be confined to Australia. I know it's a big place and there's a lot to see there, but half the fun in the AR is caused by coming into contact with different cultures and languages.

[cousin oliver]

I'm excited bit also disappointed; ten years ago I was borderline up for it, not anymore. And no, I don't want to be the token grumpy old guy (unless it's on my sofa, posting here).

[spentcigarette]

I feel like all of my dreams have come true at once. There is no way I am NOT applying for this!

[The Australian]

Well, given that Seven's rationale for never picking up the rights to TAR before was that they didn't have the money to do it justice, I am hardly surprised that the local race will be confined to Australia and its immediate environs.

And I think I'm quite comfortable with that, because it holds out the promise of lots of self-driving and navigation - things which have been sorely missing from the original for quite a while now.

My main reservation is that while the show is an accepted part of our pop culture psyche now, it's hardly at the crest of its popularity and I'm not sure even the prospect of Aussies on a race will be enough to stimulate enormous interest again. On the other hand, the same could be said for our version of The Apprentice and that managed to increase its viewership over the season despite a bad timeslot.

And if they can get Phil to squeeze it in amongst his other commitments, fabulous. If not, I hope at least they go for a fresh face who can do their own thing without coming off as a pale imitation.

[raceguy120390]

I'm comfortable with it too -- we've seen from TAR Asia that a small-scale version can definitely work -- but I'm concerned it may wind up turning into Family Edition 2.0. (Still, at least some of the cities bound to get a look-in -- Cairns, Alice Springs, Port Lincoln, Broome -- are remote enough they'd have to fly in.)

[D291173]

And if they can get Phil to squeeze it in amongst his other commitments, fabulous. If not, I hope at least they go for a fresh face who can do their own thing without coming off as a pale imitation.

As long as it's not Grant fucking Denyer.

[raceguy120390]

Or Chesty. Or Dan McPherson. Or a Daddo. Or Kochie.

[D291173]

Oh, I could cope with Dan McPherson. The others would give me hives.

ETA: Or the shits, as the case may be.

Edited by D291173, Aug 3, 2010 @ 3:35 AM.

[legaleagle44]

Who was the first guy who hosted your DWTS? I imagine he's available. *ducks flying objects and runs from angry mob with torches and pitchforks*

[katisha66]

Yes, well might you duck, legaleagle! I'm not really a TAR watcher, but even I can see how wrong Daryl Somers would be for it. Besides, he's busy on another network now, thank God!

[Aussie Andrew]

Holy jesus! Dreams do come true!

When and where can I apply?!

[raceguy120390]

Who was the first guy who hosted your DWTS? I imagine he's available.

Remember how there was a big furore last year about a blackface routine on one of our variety shows? That guy was the host.

You know, I was thinking the other day about how once you take into account all the Aussie places the producers are probably going to think they'll have to use, there won't be any room left to surprise us. Consider, for a probable eleven-leg race:

1) One leg in each of Melbourne, Adelaide, and Canberra, since none of them have been hit by the US version
2) One leg in the Black Saturday affected areas, because you know they will
3) A leg in Tasmania
4) At least one leg, probably two, in the Outback (I see Alice Springs and Broome especially)
5) One leg in far north Queensland, and one in the Brisbane/Gold Coast area

That's nine now, add in the final leg (which, as we all know, will probably be in Sydney, because SYDNEY), and there's only one left for any sort of surprises.

It's a shame there's so much they're basically going to be forced into using, because an all-Aussie route could show some promise, I think, if they weren't so restricted.

[hazza123]

I still think they'll follow the TAR:FE route (no pun intended), and send them overseas when the cast starts to thin out a bit, and it doesn't become such a financial nightmare.

[raceguy120390]

Probably.

[cousin oliver]

The world is waiting...

If anyone's successful please post "I'm going on a business trip" before they cut you off from the interweb.

[raceguy120390]

And it's on Facebook, so you know this is a real show.