Topic: TAR Dream Team

[georgiapeach]

Suppose you had the chance to create a new, never before seen team for TAR 17, what would you most like to see?

And what kind of teams work for you?? What doesn't? What makes you fall in love with a team?

What makes you watch more? A team you love? Or a team you hate?

What about "stunt" casting?

Y'all are so creative, I know you have thoughts about this! 

[michael]

Um, Me.

[Slowhatch]

The Times had an casting article today.

Veteran producer Mark Burnett said many producers may not be able to afford the rigorous screening process he uses for shows like "Survivor," considered the granddaddy of reality in the United States. Applicants are not only subjected to extensive background checks, in which their friends and family are interviewed, but must take the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, a sophisticated personality test, and then meet with a team of top-flight psychologists.

But how seriously should we take this? He still uses Spillman, right? Because also making the rounds is this story:

They got an offer to appear on the CBS reality show "The Amazing Race," which her husband nixed.

Anyway, my two cents: civilians (any 10 teams will do).


It's hard to distinguish links with this new theme 

[theschnauzers]

Slowhatch, which Times, New York? Los Angeles? London? Somewhere else?

Better yet, is there a link>

[Slowhatch]

This new theme doesn't do links very well; mouse over "casting" and "story."

[Hooky]

This new theme doesn't do links very well; mouse over "casting" and "story."

I'm sure Rob will fix it. He's probably experimenting.

Nice thread, peach! But I must say that while I have a very good idea of what a "bad" team is, I don't really know how to define a "perfect" one.

I'd say that a dream team would be a team that is made up of average Americans who are able to succeed in extraordinary things, while showing an incredible depth of character and a strong relationship. I don't want to see "mactors" and "celebs." They seem too "shallow," and besides, we have other ways of watching them already.

[Evan_Weinstein]

It will be good to see this few teams:

Elise and Bertram
Phil and his wife
Jerry Bruckheimer and his wife

all racing in TAR 17, with no host present, like Jeff Probst isn't present in one of the Survivor seasons

[Jobby]

It will be good to see this few teams:

Elise and Bertram
Phil and his wife
Jerry Bruckheimer and his wife

all racing in TAR 17, with no host present, like Jeff Probst isn't present in one of the Survivor seasons

Huh? Jeff wasn't present in one of the CHALLENGE. A season without Phil hosting?

[ImANewUser]

It will be good to see this few teams:

Elise and Bertram
Phil and his wife
Jerry Bruckheimer and his wife

all racing in TAR 17, with no host present, like Jeff Probst isn't present in one of the Survivor seasons

Huh? Jeff wasn't present in one of the CHALLENGE. A season without Phil hosting?

We'll probably have something like Season 1 where the people greeting are locals, except Phil doesn't show up for the last place team. I do wonder who'll do the stills in that case.

[georgiapeach]

I would like to see an Internet team...someone who "knows" each other but perhaps have never met...I think it would be fun to see a team actually getting to know the real person vs the virtual person...could be a hoot!

What else have we not seen? I know I have heard you say step-parent, step-child before.

What else??

[ImANewUser]

^^Bob & Joyce were so close to being the internet team you want, peach. And if Cher/Stassi raced on their own, we'd have the step-parent/step-child team too.

[Coutzy]

I would like to see an Internet team...someone who "knows" each other but perhaps have never met...I think it would be fun to see a team actually getting to know the real person vs the virtual person...could be a hoot!

What else have we not seen? I know I have heard you say step-parent, step-child before.

What else??

I love the idea of an internet team, but it remains really doubtful given that TAR is a show about relationships, and teams need to be able to discuss their relationships openly on camera.

I'd like to see a mentor and protege team. The power and decision dynamics would certainly cause some interesting moments for us to tune in to.

[Hooky]

How about a fortune-teller and her minion, like in Smiley's Create Your Own Race 6?

[Jobby]

I love the idea of an internet team, but it remains really doubtful given that TAR is a show about relationships, and teams need to be able to discuss their relationships openly on camera.

Well, Ruth and I decided we'll take part in The Amazing Race Asia together and that will be our status. (No kidding there) Internet Friends. But we've met each other before, just that we're not really friends, but friends at the same time. And we already knew each other for around 6 years on the internet, so that could be like totally cool.

[Jobby]

Pardon me, but i'll love the idea of two FAMOUS celebrities, but not two not-so-famous celebrities trying to use the show to become famous.

People like Sarah Jessica Parker who really loves the race and even saved it from being cancelled after TAR 4. It'll be fun to see REAL celebrities who LOVE the race, RUN the race. That's my humble opinion.

Can i say i also want to see our TAR Detectives running the race?

Phil: "*** and ***, TAR addicts, detectives who used to chase the race around the world when we're filming, but now they are doing it on their own to fulfill their TAR dream".

Will be really cool!

And can we have more twins team? We have Kami and Karli and Derek and Drew... so now we need a co-ed twins team to complete the set.

Okay, this is crazy.

But i wanna see Russell (Survivor Samoa) run the race. I just want to see how evil he can get on TAR.

LOL.

Some crazy ideas there.

[georgiapeach]

I always thought I hated celebrities on our race, but Mike and Mel made me think twice about that.

The only "celebrity" I honestly wouldn't mind right now?

Would be Bonnie Hunt.

No Russell please. Two Survivors are already more than his share.

[ImANewUser]

No Russell please. Two Survivors are already more than his share.

I'd agree, especially if the teammate is a Cyndi/Cindy.

And I'm okay with celebrities, as long as they are well-renowned ones that love the show.

ETA: I would love to see an uncle/nephew or aunt/niece team.

[Dånooky]

I'd love to see a team whose description is "It's Complicated"

[redskevin88]

God Sibling team (not the Ari and Stella type), boy/girl cousins and another fun team like the globetrotters

[ImANewUser]

God Sibling team (not the Ari and Stella type), boy/girl cousins and another fun team like the globetrotters

Ari & Staella were just friends. Funny thing is, I <333333333 them & </3333333333333333 the globetrotters.

[theschnauzers]

People like Sarah Jessica Parker who really loves the race and even saved it from being cancelled after TAR 4.

I think she is being given too much credit for this.  And I am in a position to know, although I can't give all the details.

I will point out though, that in the spring and summer of 2003, there was an internet-organized but snail mail-executed letter-writing campaign directed specifically at Les Moonves, other senior executives at CBS at the time, and to TAR's advertisers. This was in the months immediately preceding TAR's first competitive reality nomination and win, and had far more to do with TAR's renewal than any celebrity. And it was in a time where network executives still gave snail mail far more weight than internet petitions and e-mails.

As to the topic, the earliest celebrity-to-be who wanted to be on TAR (got talked into applying for American Idol when he was planning to apply for TAR) is Clay Aiken. I would have no problem if he's applied with someone he knows and were to make it on -- if for no other reason than he was then a true fan of the show. This is why I suspect Jeff was able to make it onto TAR 16 since I suspect he was in the casting files already, and the casting folks have been known to ask an applicant on another CBS show if there is someone else that they could team with for more serious consideration in the application process. I believe there was a team on TAR 2 or 3 that was recommended by Tina Wesson.

[Mandoli]

If TAR's going to cast any team in their 20s, I'd like them to cast a couple of average-looking 20-somethings.

[Jobby]

People like Sarah Jessica Parker who really loves the race and even saved it from being cancelled after TAR 4.

I think she is being given too much credit for this.  And I am in a position to know, although I can't give all the details.

I will point out though, that in the spring and summer of 2003, there was an internet-organized but snail mail-executed letter-writing campaign directed specifically at Les Moonves, other senior executives at CBS at the time, and to TAR's advertisers. This was in the months immediately preceding TAR's first competitive reality nomination and win, and had far more to do with TAR's renewal than any celebrity. And it was in a time where network executives still gave snail mail far more weight than internet petitions and e-mails.

As to the topic, the earliest celebrity-to-be who wanted to be on TAR (got talked into applying for American Idol when he was planning to apply for TAR) is Clay Aiken. I would have no problem if he's applied with someone he knows and were to make it on -- if for no other reason than he was then a true fan of the show. This is why I suspect Jeff was able to make it onto TAR 16 since I suspect he was in the casting files already, and the casting folks have been known to ask an applicant on another CBS show if there is someone else that they could team with for more serious consideration in the application process. I believe there was a team on TAR 2 or 3 that was recommended by Tina Wesson.

Thanks for telling more. 

[TARAsia Fan]

How about a team of real gypsies? Or Pirates? That would be interesting. Well, unless the pirates were in the ocean, they wouldn't be all that interesting.  

[walkingpneumonia]

Suppose you had the chance to create a new, never before seen team for TAR 17, what would you most like to see?

And what kind of teams work for you?? What doesn't? What makes you fall in love with a team?

What makes you watch more? A team you love? Or a team you hate?

What about "stunt" casting?

Y'all are so creative, I know you have thoughts about this! 

This isn't necessarily my Dream Team but more the types of teams that I think would increase ratings.

I think TPTB do a pretty good job of casting already - you can't argue with success - the ratings keep going up.

The Sacrificial Lambs - these are teams like the beekeepers, hillbillys. They are in awe of tall buildings and traffic jams. Probably never travelled outside of their own state. Their reactions as a couple when they experience things in the big world is refreshing and humorous. Typically eliminated early because they are unprepared for the TAR travel experience.

The Squeaky Cleans. Virgins. Wholesome. Wouldn't dream of cussing. We smack ourselves in the forehead when they help other teams and take sadistic pleasure when they are betrayed by those they assisted.

The Alt.Squeaky Cleans. Same as "The Squeaky Cleans" except they are driven by some sort of  post-adolescent angst to adopt an alternative lifestyle that for some reason American youth admire and aspire to. Think Kynt and Vixen.

The Bickersons. Everybody knows them - the couple that is constantly at each others throats. But somehow they stay together through it all and come out stronger on the other side.

The Rat and Mouse. The Rat is an officious, annoying, intransigent, aggressive know-it-all who dominates his mouse partner. Somewhere in the race Rat gets his comeuppance and the mouse comes out on top. Viewers get a sense of schadenfreude when the Rat despairs and fails.

The Foreign American  They have such a distinct regional accent that they seem foreign to the rest of America. Examples would be a Brooklyner, New Orleanian, Bostonian, Atlantanite ;-).  They would have to be subtitled.

Military Couple - Recently returned from serving in Iraq or Afghanistan. Getting to know each other again after being apart for an extended period. It would be unpatriotic not to watch TAR when they were racing. Phil would likely be deported if he eliminated them.

Athletic Couple  Figure skating pairs team, tennis mixed pairs, mixed beach volleyball team.

Canadians  Middle aged Canadian metrosexual couple - preferably bilingual. Huge fans of TAR ;-) Everyone loves Canadians. Right?

I'd also like to see more interaction with camera/sound guys - sort of like The Office/Trailer Park Boys - where the presence of the camera is acknowledged by the talent. Right now we only hear from the teams at mat chats and post leg interviews.