Could they revert to an American-only route like the Family Edition? Or create a spin off series with slightly different rules and set only in USA?
I proposed an idea once of a cheap spinoff if they only wanted one full season per year:
- It is set up similar to Fear Factor where you have different contestants and a winner each episode.
- There could also be different themes each episode (eg newlyweds, families of 4, Teams of 3, seniors, models, celebrities, athletes, blind dating, strangers, families with Gaghan Family aged kids etc).
- Each episode is set in a different city, so episode 1 is around Los Angeles, Episode 2 is around New Orleans, Episode 3 is around Miami, episode 4 is around New York City etc Each episode has 4 teams and one winner.
- Starting line and finish line in same city, roughly 4 challenges in the episode (1 detour, 1 road block, 2 regular challenges). Teams drive themselves everywhere so navigation is a big thing or they can take local trains and buses. Challenges should also suit the theme, so an athletes episode would have very physical challenges, a blind date theme would probably best be in Las Vegas, a family with kids theme would probably best be in Orlando etc
- As spoilers are not a big concern, they could use bigger and bolder locations. So the Los Angeles leg could start at the Santa Monica Pier, ride a bike to Venice Beach, hike behind the letters of the Hollywood sign, challenge at the Hollywood walk of Fame or Disneyland. Even for a culture shock they could visit poorer neighbourhoods like Skid Row or one of those gang infested ghetto neighbourhoods. In the New York leg they could go out to The Statue of Liberty and assemble a giant Statue of Liberty puzzle underneath the real statue.
- They could also do a Ninja Warrior style format where they have heats where each winner moves onto the semi finals and then grand final. The grand final could be a longer 2 hour route so possibly Chicago-New Orleans (with challenges/pit stops in St Louis, Nashville or Memphis).