News Flash: The Amazing Race 9 moves to Wednesdays at 8:00PM. Somewhat surprisingly — and it must be a shock to all those media snobs and staunch Amazing Race purists who ran roughshod over The Amazing Race: Family Edition with such zeal; dismissed it with such an indignant sniff — the Nielsen ratings for The Amazing Race 9 — the classic format upgraded (or not) for 2006 VH-1-fashioned Reality sensibilities — continue to drop with a thud.

By David W. Taylor (Email The Author)
Reality Reel Media
03.31.06

Currently the numbers barely peek over 9 million viewers — Family Edition regularly, and without much effort, drew just about 11 million households per episode. Of course, the much repeated big squawk is who could possibly be the big genius at CBS responsible for placing a family-favorite Reality staple like The Amazing Race at the latest possible prime-time slot when many of its most fervent fans have already begun nodding-off (or will at least do so well before 11:00PM). And why heavy "adult" dramas like NCIS and the relatively new The Unit capture the more family appealing hours on Tuesday.

<img src=http://image.realityreel.com/2006/03/31/eric_roadblock.jpg align=left>Yet taking everything into account, the problem for The Amazing Race 9 may also have less to do with its ten o'clock broadcast time and more to do with casting such lovable and animated jokers as Eric & Jeremy and BJ & Tyler — who are constantly slugging the laugh o'meter (while admittedly Racing well) — and interjecting a salacious storyline into the heart of the Race that Eric & Jeremy are insatiable lechers; or that, for example, Danielle & Dani are hoping to take advantage of Racing perks using their "boobs." And other assorted cartoonish subplots.

The Race this Season has become more concerned with the snappy quote and the farcical visual than with documenting a Race around the world. At least that's my feeling. The Race will certainly get more serious as the legs dwindle and we sprint towards the Final Three but perhaps the damage has already been done.

The fact that frontrunners Eric & Jeremy and BJ & Tyler are themselves almost constantly silly only blunts the Race's impact as a harsh global adventure. Their team-leading efforts appear too easy, maybe even half-hearted. Though I'm sure the reality is something different.

I myself could do without another crude sexist-leaning remark by Eric — such as asking female airline ticket agents (in Munich) if their uniform scarves are being used to hide "hickeys" on their necks — ah, but to miss a grueling footrace through the flyblown streets of New Delhi, India, say, that I wouldn't miss for the world. This Season the emphasis seems to be teenage hormones and sassy witticisms. The next Amazing Race nomination at the Emmys might be in the Reality-Comedy genre.