when it'll be premiered? I wish TAR Australia should be aired on AXN Asia so that I could watch it. :kisses
Season 18, which includes a Sydney stop, premieres in the US on February 20. But Seven also has The Amazing Race Australia which has internet forums buzzing with excitement. Mindful of internet spoilers for the US series, Worner says Seven is still mulling whether to premiere the Australian edition first.
“The very discussion that is going gangbusters in the blogosphere is also going gangbusters in the Seven Programming offices right now,” he says.
“It looks fabulous and the cast is very funny. They make you smile and you don’t really realise that you’re smiling.”
Hosted by Grant Bowler (Border Security, The Mole, True Blood, Lost, Outrageous Fortune), the Aussie race may also draw upon 7mate, but Worner won’t reveal how. Wherever it appears, it seems assured of a big audience.
“On the research we do it scores higher than any show on any network in terms of intention to view and yet we’ve hardly run any promos for it,” he says.
“I’ll say this there are some contestants who haven’t travelled very well. So there are some extremely funny moments.”
The page at http://au.tv.yahoo.com/the-amazing-race/ has finally been changed from "Apps closed" to the TV promo of OzTAR.
In a fit of irony, I can't watch it until I get back home. Way to follow the CBS trend, channel 7.
Lol fail: http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2011/02/returning-the-amazing-race-on-7mate.html
It just says when it is gonna air :lol:
This is not exactly good news for everyone. 7mate is one of Channel 7s extra digital channels (not availble to everyone), and will compete will a lot of prime time shows on the main channels. Therefore there will be low ratings for the show. They obviously don't want to ruin the TAR Australia ratings by running both on the main channel with TAR overload.Lol fail: http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2011/02/returning-the-amazing-race-on-7mate.html
It just says when it is gonna air :lol:
NICE!
Oh...I was excited that y'all didn't have to wait months to see it. :lol:Haha yes true, and 7mate is in HD, but usually the quailty of the HD is not that great. We will see!
New promo, no footage of the race is shown. Just our kangaroos jumping around the world :lol:
http://au.tv.yahoo.com/the-amazing-race/
New promo, no footage of the race is shown. Just our kangaroos jumping around the world :lol:
http://au.tv.yahoo.com/the-amazing-race/
:lol: that's cute.. but I can't watch on this because don't work video :( I want see it..
New promo, no footage of the race is shown. Just our kangaroos jumping around the world :lol:
http://au.tv.yahoo.com/the-amazing-race/
New promo, no footage of the race is shown. Just our kangaroos jumping around the world :lol:
http://au.tv.yahoo.com/the-amazing-race/
"This video is not available in your location..... "
Is this them boingung around a map of the world? If so, it is the first and only promo we have.
Look here:
http://forum.realityfanforum.com/index.php/topic,23636.msg587720.html#msg587720
can you snag it?
Oh I love that! Very clever! Are there clues?? :lol:
Life on the road of a nearly 50,000km round-the-world adventure definitely wasn't without its challenges.
40,000 people applied for The Amazing Race Australia. What sorts of teams would you like to see on the show? Who... http://fb.me/L8mu0Qkm
40,000 people applied for The Amazing Race Australia. What sorts of teams would you like to see on the show? Who made it through? You’ll find out very soon.
(Name) Expect the models - Erin McNaught's model boyfriend is going to on (that was leaked a few weeks ago). Also been released here in Adelaide that a female radio DJ will be going on with her sister.
TWO Muslim best mates are the only Victorian members of the cast of the Australian version of The Amazing Race.
Youth worker Mo, 26, and retailer Mos, 25, join 10 other teams on the Channel 7 show, which has already been filmed.
The pairs have diverse backgrounds including models, married bikers, farmers, surfers and reunited sisters.
The boys, who grew up in Melbourne, said The Amazing Race is a great way to break down stereotypes, and in their case what it means to be Muslim.
"At the end of the day I think we're just showing what Muslims are human," Mo said.
"We are not any different and I think that's what the other contestants appreciated. That's what we learnt from each other.
"Travelling is the best way to get to know people and I think to break down stereotypes, because you're at your rawest."
"We are just one group of society and you walk away from it and think there is actually not much difference between any of us," Mo said.
The boys' Islamic faith meant they stopped to pray five times a day but it made no difference how they were accepted by other couples in the race.
The boys came together at the MCG last week, the place where they started the big race after landing on the hallowed turf by helicopter.They were tight-lipped about how they went but say it was the experience of a lifetime.
"Hands down it is the most absolutely amazing thing I have ever done," Mo said.
The Australian version of the show, hosted by Grant Bowler, is expected to premiere after Easter.
Watch out World the Aussies are coming!
Eleven teams of two will give the race a distinctively Aussie feel when they embark on a 50,000 kilometre, four continent, 12 country, 23 city adventure.
Host Grant Bowler says, “This race is going to be enormous. The route is simply incredible.
“One thing that instantly makes it different is it’s full of Australians. The teams are a wonderful bunch of people, with huge diversity between and within the teams, and some fantastic characters that are iconically Australian.”
The adventure will see teams crisscross the globe, unsure of what challenges lie ahead. What they do know is that the race will be fastpaced and unrelenting. It will test their ability to work together as a team, challenge their personal relationships and provide life-changing experiences. Along the way they’ll confront fears, develop confidence, experience new cultures and make lifelong friends.
At each destination teams will compete in a series of challenges – some mental and some physical. And many teams will find the biggest challenge is just getting there. Ahead they’ll face dizzying heights, heavy loads, confronting foods, language barriers, money concerns and races to the pit stop as well as Roadblocks, Detours, Fast Forwards, Yields and U-turns.
Who will have the right combination of strategy, strength, skill and teamwork to win the $250,000 prize?
THE 11 TEAMS ARE:
Alana and Mel, SA (Reunited sisters)
Anne-Marie and Tracy, WA (Workmates)
Anastasia and Chris, NSW (Dating)
Dave and Kelly, WA (Married bikers)
Jeff and Luke, QLD (Father and son)
Joey and Richard, NSW (Married entrepreneurs)
Matt and Tom, QLD & NT (Farmers)
Mo and Mos, VIC (Friends)
Nathan and Tyler, NSW (Surfers)
Renae and Sam, WA (Models)
Ryot and Liberty, NSW (Brother and sister)
Sponsors line up for Amazing Race
21 Apr 2011
By David Blight
EXCLUSIVE: Seven Network has bagged a raft of big name brands to sponsor the network's new prime time reality TV series, The Amazing Race.
The line up of sponsors includes Canon, National Australia Bank, Honda, Vodafone and Gloria Jean’s, which have all signed multi-million dollar deals.
The inaugural Australian series will provide sponsors with brand integration across offline and online content, in addition to targeted advertising spots around the show.
Some of the sponsors will also incorporate their association with the series into their marketing activities.
Seven Network network director of sales Kurt Burnette, said: “This is one of those properties that immediately popped with agencies and clients, much more than many other properties. It’s a familiar format, which has a great deal of potential.”
Aside from the five confirmed sponsors, Seven confirmed it is also in talks with two other undisclosed sponsors.
The Amazing Race Australia begins Monday 16 May at 8.30pm with a ninety-minute premiere on Seven
http://www.adnews.com.au/news/sponsors-line-up-for-amazing-raceQuoteSponsors line up for Amazing Race
21 Apr 2011
By David Blight
EXCLUSIVE: Seven Network has bagged a raft of big name brands to sponsor the network's new prime time reality TV series, The Amazing Race.
The line up of sponsors includes Canon, National Australia Bank, Honda, Vodafone and Gloria Jean’s, which have all signed multi-million dollar deals.
The inaugural Australian series will provide sponsors with brand integration across offline and online content, in addition to targeted advertising spots around the show.
Some of the sponsors will also incorporate their association with the series into their marketing activities.
Seven Network network director of sales Kurt Burnette, said: “This is one of those properties that immediately popped with agencies and clients, much more than many other properties. It’s a familiar format, which has a great deal of potential.”
Aside from the five confirmed sponsors, Seven confirmed it is also in talks with two other undisclosed sponsors.
Possible leg prizes???
Canon- Camera's (Kodak EasyShare, anyone?)
Gloria Jean's- Coffee place, kinda like starbucks
Honda- Cars, motorbikes maybe
NAB- National Australia Bank- Money in the form of a prepaid credit card?
Vodafone- Phones, perhaps.
Bowler loves Race riot
Alice Coster
From: National Features
May 11, 2011 8:36AM
I KNEW we were in trouble when one of the contestants asked how to get a bus from Kuta Beach, Bali, to Vietnam. And it only got worse.
I always thought Australians were intrepid travellers - street-smart, savvy, considerate and great in an emergency - but I was in for a shock.
When it comes to being on The Amazing Race Australia, all rules and etiquette are thrown out the window.
This is a heavyweight TV production, with Channel 7 teaming with Australian production company Active TV, Race alumni and creators of Amazing Race Asia. After four years of planning, the Amazing Race Australia was born. Contestants travel across four continents, 12 countries and 23 cities in 29 days, chasing the $250,000 first prize.
The sheer size of the task was the lure for Aussie actor turned Hollywood hotshot Grant Bowler to be host.
"I was pretty doubtful at first," Bowler says. "I wanted to make sure we weren't doing the cheap, end-of-the-world backyard version of what had already been done.
"But the route, the production ... it has all been phenomenal."
Following the production was no easy task. I found myself panting and sweating as I staggered around seemingly endless airport terminals.
My own internal race was ensuring I did not become the annoying journo holding up the production team.
I was to race only the first legs of the competition, but by day two I had lost track of what city I was in. Changing clothes seemed unnecessary. I was running on adrenalin.
With 10 years of Races under his belt, Active TV founder and president Michael McKay said creating the series in Australia was like a "call of duty".
"I always thought Australians could travel really well and set up the route accordingly, but that turned to rubbish," McKay says.
"That is a myth we may explode in this series."
Contestants trudge from airport to harbour to cidomo cart stop-off. The only real difference between them and me is that they are finding clues and I - often aimlessly - try to keep up with the pack.
The pace is unimaginable and everyone becomes wide-eyed and ratty ... and that's just the production crew.
The contestants take chaos to another level.
This is quickly discovered in Indonesia, when all flights are grounded because of volcanic ash. Or counting money under the blazing sun in the Gili Islands. Or ploughing a rice paddy in Vietnam. Think the Griswald family on steroids.
McKay is the leader of the pack of contestants, camera and production crew. "I'm the school principal," he says.
"Trying to go undercover with a low profile is a bit hard with a tonne of equipment and probably 100 people snaking around the terminal."
But he and Bowler say it's the action-packed nature of the Australian version that will set it apart from the US original.
"If you want to do an Australian version then you want them to get their hands dirty, get them ankle deep in poo," Bowler says.
The Amazing Race Australia, Channel 7, Monday, 8.30pm
"I always thought Australians could travel really well and set up the route accordingly, but that turned to rubbish,'' McKay says.
Contestants wearing wintery smiles trudge from airport to harbour to cart stop-off. The only real difference between them and me is that they are finding clues and I - often aimlessly - try to keep up with the pack.
The pace is unimaginable and everyone becomes wide-eyed and ratty - and that's just the production crew.
The contestants take chaos to another level.
This is quickly discovered in Indonesia, when all flights are grounded because of volcanic ash. Or counting money under the blazing sun in the Gili Islands. Or ploughing a rice paddy in Vietnam. Think the Griswald family on steroids.
Quote"I always thought Australians could travel really well and set up the route accordingly, but that turned to rubbish,'' McKay says.
Contestants wearing wintery smiles trudge from airport to harbour to cart stop-off. The only real difference between them and me is that they are finding clues and I - often aimlessly - try to keep up with the pack.
The pace is unimaginable and everyone becomes wide-eyed and ratty - and that's just the production crew.
The contestants take chaos to another level.
This is quickly discovered in Indonesia, when all flights are grounded because of volcanic ash. Or counting money under the blazing sun in the Gili Islands. Or ploughing a rice paddy in Vietnam. Think the Griswald family on steroids.
Read more: http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/television/meet-the-first-ever-contestants-on-the-amazing-race-australia/story-e6frfmyi-1226053139695#ixzz1M2pQukH1
Don't know...doubt it. I can't seee the vids posted off the 7 site in the other thread.
The local take on a reality fave is fair and dinkum, writes Andrew Murfett.
WHEN Grant Bowler was offered the gig hosting a local version of the American reality powerhouse The Amazing Race, he immediately thought about how he imagined the show unfolding. It was not flattering.
''I was thinking it might be something like 'Let's race around Launceston','' he says.
Having just completed its 18th season in the US, Race is one of that market's sturdiest and most consistently entertaining reality franchises. Hosted with panache by Kiwi Phil Keoghan, it pits 11 teams of two against each other in a race.
At each stop, the teams complete a set of often mystifying challenges. The goal is to not be the final team to finish and therefore face elimination.
Language, climate and personal feuds must be surmounted to complete challenges and make it to the next port of call.
In the most recent US season, contestants travel from the US to Australia before hitting Japan, China, India, Austria, Switzerland, Brazil and finishing in Miami.
Director of photography Per Larrson, who has worked on the US series from the first day of its first season in 2001, describes the show as the only ''true'' reality show on television.
''It's basically live TV,'' he says from his office in Los Angeles. ''You are out there with the teams, following them and capturing them succeeding or failing. It's as is. It's a race, so you can't ask them to redo. The speed gives it a raw look.''
An Australian-based Race franchise has been rumoured since Channel Seven began screening the series almost 10 years ago.
Executive producer Trent Chapman says in his decade working at the network, Race has been deemed the so-called dream project. ''There is a feeling here it's kind of the ultimate,'' he says.
Much of Race's appeal to diehards stems from a lack of viewer voting or obnoxious, theatrical judges.
If you want to get to the finish line first, you must have the luck, skill and wherewithal to make it there yourself. It's an SMS-free competition.
Pre-production on the Australian franchise began last May, before filming started in Melbourne in November, a healthy pre-production time frame by Australian standards. Filming took place seven days a week for four consecutive weeks.
Larrson travelled to Australia during pre-production to ensure ''everything is done the same way visually''.
''This is a format you need to follow to get the same look,'' he says. ''I taught them how we shoot it in the US and created the look for the show. It's very difficult when you have 11 cameras in 11 different locations. You have to trust them. It has to be seamless.''
Casting, perhaps of greatest consequence to the show's success or failure, was another significant component of pre-production.
Twelve full-time staffers spent almost three months assessing 40,000 individual applicants.
For Seven producers accustomed to casting series such as food and talent shows, it was a welcome change.
''We have to usually cast people who can dance or cook or sing, so this was the first opportunity I've had to cast people,'' Chapman says. ''It allowed us great flexibility to find an interesting, engaging and funny cast.''
The cast members themselves are nothing if not diverse. Among others, there are two middled-aged Big W staffers from Western Australia; a Muslim pair from Melbourne; a Miss Universe contestant; a tattoo-laden bikie couple; a father-son combination; two internet entrepreneurs; and Matt Nunn, a farmer from west of Birdsville who doesn't have the internet, checks his mobile once a week and doesn't watch television.
While the $250,000 prize is a significant carrot, several cast members clearly intend to leverage their on-screen time. Renae Wauhop, a former Miss Universe contestant, says although singing is her ''passion'', a career on camera would be ideal.
''I wouldn't mind trying my hand at presenting or Better Homes [and Gardens],'' she says. ''This could be a door opener if you meet the right people.''
At the same time as casting was under way, producers embarked on six months of planning a worldwide route.
The brief was simple: travel to as many locations as was logistically possible in the episodic time frame, while also covering a broad range of cultures, languages and climates.
Location scouts began travelling the world and trying to make arrangements in remote towns and cities with locals who would be crucial in the development of tasks for the contestants.
The result is a divergent list of destinations that includes two countries previously not visited by the US mother ship. Israel, Indonesia and Egypt are among the locations visited by the Australian show.
''Because it's such a well-established brand, even in places where English is not the first language there's a lot of goodwill towards it,'' Chapman says. ''At bizarre, out-of-the-way places, people would ask us if we were on The Amazing Race.''
The contestants signed contracts in November and were unable to disclose their whereabouts during filming.
Contestant Sam Schoers says the sole person she told was her doctor, who was asked to sign a confidentiality clause.
''I told [family and friends] I went to dad's farm,'' she says. ''I told dad I was on holidays. Renae told everyone she was doing a modelling contract in America. Nobody noticed we were gone at the same time.''
Bowler, who narrates Seven's top-rating Border Security and had a similar role on The Mole, was an obvious choice for host.
In Race, the host is essentially the straight man and ringleader who must convey information quickly and clearly to the contestants and audience. It's about authority and empathy.
''I've done the very stern taskmaster thing on The Mole,'' Bowler says. ''I wanted to establish a rapport rather than be the enemy. They are on a race against each other. They don't need me as a ringmaster.''
Bowler says Seven's investment in strong production values ensured he took the role.
As it goes, US series co-creator Bertram van Munster was ''heavily involved'' in the production, according to several sources, and along with Disney, the studio that owns the property, was eager to ensure the brand was protected.
Still, although the show ''almost certainly'' will be sold to a range of overseas markets, producers made some subtle changes to the new version. Australia, of course, is a different audience to the US.
''Pace-wise, the show is slightly slower,'' Chapman says. ''It allows people more time to connect with teams.''
Diehards will also note the ''pit stop'' map has been reconfigured from the US series so Australia is more prominent.
Those who have worked on both the US and Australian productions suggest a cultural difference exists between the respective shows' contestants. Australians, as a rule, are more used to travelling and comfortable being in somebody else's backyard. We are also generally more conscious of the host culture.
''The Australians have more of a 'nicer' attitude,'' Larrson says. ''Americans tend to compete tougher. To me, the Aussies seemed to enjoy it more and not take it as seriously.''
Bowler, who's based in the US, has another theory. ''In the American version, there's no shame around winning,'' he says from his home in Venice Beach. ''They're there to win and they don't carry the embarrassment of that. It's a very positive, natural attribute. Australians tend to pretend they don't want something and then back towards it.
''What was interesting was [the Australians] struggled with this innate, cultural sense of fair play. And it's really interesting to watch.''
That may be so but at the end of the second episode, certain players exhibit a ruthless streak and alliances begin to emerge.
''We did keep a couple of things close to ourselves but it is weird how much you share,'' Schoers says. ''Everybody manipulated everybody at some stage in the game.''
Producers are also promising less product placement. Yes, Seven says, there are several commercial agreements in place. For instance, one of the big banks is given air time in episode one. However, there are no airline partners on the series and contestants are free to choose their flight arrangements.
As revered as the US series is, it has never been a ratings winner for Seven. The most recent season is screening on 7Two. Chapman and his team know they must attract a new audience without alienating long-term fans. ''We want to bring a whole new generation to it,'' Chapman says. ''You might feel distant from some of the American teams but there's a great opportunity to connect with Australians.''
Still, regardless of nationality, as the show progresses and the stakes rise, competitive instinct kicks in. ''We have had contestants who have had very difficult behaviours - anger for not making it on time or being angry for losing. The audience forgets it's us working 24 hours a day,'' Larrson says. ''The lack of sleep and food makes people irritated. You make decisions you would usually not make. But that's part of the appeal.''
The Amazing Race Australia starts on Monday at 8.30pm on Channel Seven.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/crossing-the-line-as-the-amazing-race-comes-to-australia-20110511-1ehor.html#ixzz1MBRYVpGy
Gloria Jean's invests $3m in Amazing Race
13 May 2011
By David Blight
Gloria Jean's Coffees is to launch the biggest marketing push in the company's history through its sponsorship of Seven Network's The Amazing Race Australia.
The $3 million campaign, which was created by the brand's in-house marketing agency Immersed Marketing, will launch on 16 May, leveraging the series official media partners, including Seven Network and Pacific Magazines.
The campaign will also involve below-the-line elements such as social media, product placement and sales promotions within coffee houses. A consumer promotion involving more than $630,000 worth of prizes will also be included.
Gloria Jean's Coffees general manager Gareth Pike said: "This is one of the most anticipated television series Australia has ever witnessed, so it was an obvious choice for Gloria Jean's Coffees. It's undoubtedly the most ambitious initiative the brand has ever rolled out and is designed to generate a significant brand reappraisal as well as targeting a new guest demographic."
News Limited reporter Alice Coster has been on her own amazing race. Coster jumped at the opportunity to follow The Amazing Race Australia on location and has shared her travel diary.
Day 1 midnight - Bali
Already a cameraman has gone missing somewhere from Bali immigration and customs - was last seen by someone in the crew escorted down a long corridor.
I can already feel the precious few hours we have for a nap before starting at sparrow's diminishing.
Day 2
6am Bali
Finally got my first proper glimpse of the contestants, worked out one of the male surfers is former Miss Universe Erin McNaught's boyfriend and his mate Tyler Atkins was with Paris Hilton. Surfers and female models already flocked together, surprise, surprise.
8:25 speed boat to Lombok
I am finally starting to feel like a normal person after a 22-hour day at the MCG and catching planes.
A lot of time is spent in transit, wondering if we will see any of the local culture or tourist spots or just the back of a vehicle with a roaring engine.
1pm - Gili Islands
Contestants swim for briefcases in the postcard-perfect deserted Gili Islands, where no motorised vehicles are allowed. Models are already imagining what shoots to do for the lad mags when the show finishes. We are not allowed to talk to the contestants during the race, only at pitstops.
Overheard one of the models saying she got botox on her forehead so the wrinkles didn't ``bunch up'' on TV.
Contestants are counting the money, not very well.
I already have a spot for the Big W's from Perth, poor ducks, they are sweating hard and look uncomfortable being carted around on cidomo carts.
Day 3
5:30am Lombok
A nasty wake-up call and at the airport, again. Just told all flights have been grounded due to volcanic ash, except Garuda. Also informed I keep accidentally getting in shot and not to keep ducking out of the way, but to just act natural and as if I was meant to be there - hello I am in the middle of nowhere and don't really fit in with the scenery.
12pm Jakarta (in transit to Singapore)
Planes, planes and more planes.
The constant to-ing and fro-ing is the most frustrating part of a trip. Bags have gone walkabout. Contestants and production crew in danger of running seriously behind schedule. This is a big deal I am told as we run from terminal to terminal. The Merapi eruption may have thrown a spanner in the works as no airlines will fly to Jakarta - except our scheduled Garuda flight, of course.
THE Amazing Race contestant Tyler Atkins is battling a serious kidney disease diagnosed after he finished filming the show last year.
Atkins, who has dated Paris Hilton, has had four operations on his kidneys with more to come.
Doctors discovered something was wrong after he went for a routine check on his back after a surfing mishap late last year.
The operation made him re-evaluate his life.
"It has been a real challenge and it's opened my eyes up," he said. "I'm more aware what I'm putting into my body and what I drink.
"It's changed my whole perspective on things."
One operation Atkins had to have went for nine hours.
He had the problem for the past four or five years but it was identified last year after the surfing accident.
Atkins is supporting Red Undies Week, which starts today, raising awareness about kidney health.
IT wasn't just frantic running and crazed challenges The Amazing Race Australia teams got up to while cavorting across the globe.
It seems there was also a bit of movement under the sheets when the lights and cameras went out.
It was always only a matter of time before sparks flew between the male surfers and female models.
And since Nathan Joliffe had already nabbed former Miss Universe Australia Erin McNaught, it left single model Tyler Atkins willing and available.
Despite his protestations, Atkins has been known around the traps as a serial ladies' man and lists Paris Hilton as a former squeeze.
His lothario ways took the fancy of West Australian beach babe Sam Schoers as they raced around the world.
Insiders said the two "hooked up" a couple of times, but were keen not to take things too seriously.
But sparks were apparently reignited when the teams reunited for Channel 7's big-budget reality adventure series launch in Melbourne this month.
And it appears they weren't the only loved-up competitors.
Whispers are that after the launch at Essendon Airport, a highly spirited Mel Greig-- from the South Australian sisters' team -- tried to catch the eye of rough-around-the-edges farmer Matt Nunn.
But we hear the country boy was not up for the challenge, hotfooting it out of there.
The Amazing Race Australia airs tonight at 8.30.
Reality check for relaxed Chris & Anastasia
By David Knox on May 26, 2011
Any good Reality show needs its heroes and villains, somebody for the audience to cheer and hiss. In The Amazing Race it’s an essential ingredient for the audience.
In The Amazing Race Australia, Perth’s “Big W” ladies Anne-Marie and Tracy are emerging as early heroes, and if some press is to be believed, Sydney couple Chris and Anastasia are early villains.
Under the pressure of the race Chris dropped a remark in Monday night’s episode that “they don’t make women like they used to.”
The power of editing in such storytelling is enormous, but the US version of the show has been on air for years. It’s reasonable to assume you know what you’re in for when you apply for the show.
As the couple explain to TV Tonight, they aren’t overly familiar with the original series, but nor are they too fussed by what people think.
“I haven’t really watched too many episodes of the US,” says Anastasia, 22. “I only watched one before the audition for the Australian one.
“We saw the ad on TV and thought it would be a great adventure. We love adrenalin, so we just thought it would be a lot of fun to do.”
24 year old Chris concurs: “I saw the series back when I was about 14, but not since then.
“We’re not the kind of people to say ‘No,’ so as soon as something comes up she’ll ask and I’ll agree.”
On the show with Farmers, Surfers, Models, Workmates and Married Entrepreneurs they are branded as a “Dating” couple -but it could have been more extreme.
“A lot of the couples are very diverse. We didn’t go into it pretending to be something we weren’t but at the same time, knowing our background we thought we would be portrayed as the ‘sports couple’ or token ‘Greek couple,’” says Anastacia.
“One team called us ‘Muscles and Bambi’ and then there was ‘Fabio and the GF (GirlFriend)’ and the ‘Loved Up’ couple.
Chris is aware his temper may result in him being depicted as one of the show’s more fiery contestants. He is already generating passionate feedback in online forums.
“It’s got to make good TV one way or another. At the end of the day whatever was said was said,” he says.
“But we’re still here, still together, still strong. All is forgiven and it all remains on the Race.
“My temper always gets the better of me. It’s who I am. But it makes me say some things sometimes I don’t mean. But Anastasia knowns me a lot better than that.
“The bottom line is it doesn’t really matter what other people think.”
Neither had seen an episode prior to it airing last week, but Anastasia says while production techniques may be selective, they won’t be able to manufacture anything fake.
“They’re not going to add anything we haven’t said. So whatever you’ve actually said will be on there,” she says.
“The editing process may dramatise things, but at the end of the day it’s TV, it’s entertaining.”
“Putting people out of their norm will make good TV,” says Chris, “so people will have opinions of me and others on the show. But if you’re true to yourself and you know who you are then it doesn’t really matter if it’s one little moment or mistake you might have made.
Adds Anastasia, “We didn’t really go on the race to do anything other than have an exciting journey.”
24 hours to go! (AEST) Don't forget your first clue to 'The Amazing Online Race' will be released tomorrow!
HOW much are we loving Mo and Mos, people?
If you don't know them, Mo and Mos are two of the contestants on the Australian version of The Amazing Race, currently screening on the Seven Network.
They're Aussie blokes, both on the largish side, who are really struggling with the physical challenges on the show. These mates are buoyed only by their shared sense of humour, self-deprecating banter, backpacks, and a couple of prayer mats.
Yep, they're Muslim, and in perhaps the most positive move for assimilation ever seen on prime-time television, they have done plenty to improve the slightly suspicious relationship that our largely secular population, until now, has had with those who follow the Muslim faith.
Yes, you can be Muslim and have a sense of humour - who knew? Jokes aside, if these two don't score jobs as radio hosts after this season finishes, I'll go hee (jab).
But The Amazing Race and Masterchef aren't the only reality shows that have entrusted us with a local version.
We're about to see our own production of Wife Swap, where two wives from vastly different households are sent to live in each others' home for a couple of weeks.
Let me guess; there will be the initial shock of the new living arrangement, followed by inevitable tears, possibly a tantrum or two, then an element of begrudging acceptance, before the follow-up visit a few weeks later, which will show both households are marginally better off for the experience. Predictable? That's why you won't find me, lover of most things reality, tuning in.
Sure, I have been a fan of the genre since 1992, when bogan Baby Boomer Noeline Baker burst on to our screens in the ABC-BBC co-production of Sylvania Waters, Australia's first taste of reality TV.
But 20 years on, I think I have become slightly more discerning. Only slightly, I am a reality tragic after all. Because even after surviving around 20-something seasons of Survivor; touring the world many times over in The Amazing Race, and thinking, "Even I could do better than that" on Project Runway, I am still strangely compelled to watch almost any group of strangers brought together to complete some kind of task.
But when it comes to translating overseas success to local dollars, sometimes more than a change of scenery is required, due to our easy-going natures.
Remember the Australian Survivor? Nope, me neither. None of the contestants made much of an impression, because they were too nice. It just wasn't the Aussie way to vocalise your every thought, to bitch and backstab, or to scheme and subvert - intrinsic elements of the game.
Our local entrants supported each other, and generally got on like a house on fire, which was good for them, but made for bad TV. Perhaps a good villain is hard to find, so if you are one, let someone know, there's obviously a shortage.
So it will be interesting to see how our Aussie wives fare in their swaps. No doubt we'll be confronted with the loudest, most outspoken type of wife to ensure the promised fireworks go off as planned.
Polite, accommodating women just won't cut it - not when there are extreme stereotypes to be had. And there are plenty - most reality shows have it down pat.
Cast a couple of hot blonde models, hot guys who'll take their shirts off, a fiery-tempered chauvinist, a couple of retirees and a typical Aussie bloke (who will either win, or end up with a role on Neighbors or Home and Away) and you've got something to appeal to most demographics.
But while many knock reality TV as a lame-brained exercise, it's not all about vacuous famewhores, as the six Aussies who signed up for the upcoming SBS three-day event (screening from June 21-23) Go Back Where you Came From can probably attest.
Chosen from 70 applicants, these average Australians with differing views on the refugee situation get to meet refugees locally, before being sent overseas.
Stripped of wallets, phones and passports, life in Iraq and the Congo takes on a whole new meaning for this group of instant Aussie refugees.
Sneak previews look fascinating, and set to challenge the entrenched perceptions we have of this difficult and emotive issue. It's an inventive use of the medium, and while I'm all for a bit of harmless competition and tearful send-offs, what's not to like about reality television that educates, informs, and challenges prejudices?
Of course, that doesn't mean I'm not hanging out for the next season of The Bachelor, but with Mo and Mos setting female hearts aflutter, maybe it's time for a local version.
Amazing Race contestant Chris Pselletes has revealed that he is "disgusted" with his behavior towards girlfriend Anastasia Drimousis on the show.
We're about to see our own production of Wife Swap, where two wives from vastly different households are sent to live in each others' home for a couple of weeks.
Before they get to Perth, the teams compete in Singapore where Renae is once again forced to confront her crippling fear of heights in a 55-storey tightrope crossing. If she and Sam make it through, it would give them the advantage of racing in their home town in the final.
After a journey taking in four continents, 12 countries and 22 other cities, three teams will race to the final pitstop on Heirisson Island