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http://news.yahoo.com/s/eo/20050816/en_tv_eo/17161

"Amazing Race," Family-Style By Julie Keller

It's all in the family for The Amazing Race.

CBS has revealed the lineup of contestants for The Amazing Race: Family Edition, the latest incarnation of the two-time Emmy winning reality competition. This year, 10 four-member clans will trek around the world in a battle for $1 million. In the past, friends, lovers, spouses and/or coworkers have paired up, for better or worse, on two-person teams.


As they race around the globe, the four-person family teams will be pitted against each other in a series of mental and physical challenges, presumably testing the bonds of sibling-hood, parent-hood, couple-hood, in-law-hood step-family-hood.

"Anytime you put a family of four together, you get interesting dynamics. It's a pretty humorous and explosive mix," executive producer Bertram van Munster tells USA Today.


Also new this year is the addition of younger competitors. This change meant some adjustments to the grueling Amazing Race schedule. First, there are fewer non-elimination episodes, and the teams only traveled about 30,000 miles total, less than half the 72,000 miles logged by contestants in season six. Less crowded competition sites were also chosen in deference to the kids.

Still, producers see the addition of children as a possible plus for the teams.

"Kids have major advantages just by size," says van Munster. "They can climb through something with more agility, and they're very fast in a crowd."

Plus, they're also, well, childish, so amusing playground antics are likely to ensue. Nine-year-old Carissa Gaghan from Glastonbury, Connecticut, threw down the gauntlet to on Tuesday's The Early Show, which introduced the competitors. "Either you'll be a zero or you'll be a hero," she told her fellow racers.

The family gimmick hopes to build on the show's record ratings last season. Fueled by the antics of Survivor couple Rob Mariano and Amber Brkich, the seventh installment of The Amazing Race averaged 12.5 million viewers a week. The show could also win its third straight Emmy in the Reality Competition category at next month's awards.

Here's a rundown of the teams:

Godlewski sisters from Des Plaines, Illinois: Michelle (42), Sharon (39), Christine (37) and Tricia (26)
Weaver family from Ormond Beach, Florida: widow Linda (46) and her three children, Rebecca (19), Rachel (16) and Rolly (14)
Gaghan family from Glastonbury, Connecticut: Bill (40), Tammy (42), Billy (12) and Carissa (9)
Black famaily from Woodbridge, Virginia: Reggie (42), Kim (40), Kenneth (11) and Austin (8)
Linz siblings from Cincinnati: Nick (24), Alex (22), Megan (21) and Tommy (19)
Rogers family of Shreveport, Louisiana: Denny (46), Renee (42), Brittney (22) and Brock (19)
Schroeder family from New Orleans: Mark (40), stepmom Char (39) and daughters Stassi (16) and Hunter (14)
Bransen Family from Park Ridge, Illinois: dad Walter (51) and daughters Elizabeth (25), Lauren (22) and Lindsay (20)
Aiello family from Mansfield, Massachusetts: dad Tony (57) and sons-in-law Kevin (31), Matt ( 31) and David (26)
Paolo family of Carmel, New York: Tony (52), Marion (52), DJ (24) and Brian (16)


Hosted again by Phil Keoghan, The Amazing Race: Family Edition kicks off with a two-hour premiere Sept. 27 at 9 p.m.

Groucho

Well, that was crass. I'm sure these people have names.

Looks like the rumor that Rupert was a part of this are false.

I'm pretty iffy on the whole thing (apparently they don't even leave the americas), but at least we know that they'll be returning to the original format for the next season.

Red Dog

Hmmm.

I love that there will be fewer non-elims.

Seems to me that all-adult teams are at a distinct advantage. I see there is an all-male adult team too.

I was hoping that there would be a hottie sisters team but that one sisters team seems to skew a little old.

Where's Rupert's family? I thought he and his wife and kids were supposed to be doing this?

Groucho

It seems to me that the "hottie" team are the Bransons (dad and three daughters). I'm guessing that's them on the top left. If I had my electron microscope here I could be more sure.

chowderhead

wow, what a age difference from 8 year old to 52 years old.
I think this team will be the fittest and tough to beat - 3 young guys and a girl.
Linz siblings from Cincinnati: Nick (24), Alex (22), Megan (21) and Tommy (19)

Anyway, I have to really think the young kids will be at a distinct disadvantage.

cdollaz

I hope those damn kids don't annoy me and ruin the whole thing.

Groucho

I can't wait until the first kid cries when eliminated.

Red Dog

Too bad you can't sell your kid into slavery in a 3rd world country if need be. That would bring an interesting dimension to the game.

LorenzoL

Here is the link to the CBS website.

http://www.cbs.com/primetime/amazing_race8/

bralph

Looking over the profiles and the Paolo family seems like a good candidate for first eliminated.

The Bransen family can stick around as long as they like, though...

Groucho

Looks like I was right about the Bransens:

LorenzoL

The Linz (the brothers and sisters team) looks like a strong team.

Jadzia

"Are we there yet?"

For some reason, I can see this going down as well as Trading Spaces: Family, but hopefully I am wrong.

So I guess there is no gay team this year?

Groucho

omg...the Black family is literally the Black family

Red Dog

I usually have problems remembering the contestants' names. Thankfully the producers have made things easier for me this go-around.

garmonbozia

for some reason i was under the impression that all the teams would be 2 adults and 2 children........not sure where i got that impression from....

this might end up being better than i first assumed (i fear it will suck compared to the normal format)....
when it was first announced there would be fewer teams than normally, i figured there would be 6 or 8 or something lame like that......but 10 is not that bad at all. that's only one less team than the usual 11 (except TAR3 and TAR4 which had 12).

DRG

Did you seriously just Groucho yourself?

BDB

lets get rid of the kids first off, then I'll watch it.

So gaghan's 2nd to go
blacks first.

yashan

Chew

I don't know how much of a spoiler people will consider this to be, it in no way ruins any results of the Race. But be warned anyway....

mrpayroll

Chris

Newfrd

Won't be much different than previous seasons since there are always teams that act like children

harpoonipa

How are they all going to fit in cabs? Don't forget there's a camera man with them and I think a sound man, that's 6 people plus the cab driver.

BDB

in some of the seasons, they have had cabs waiting with the yellow and red flags, I imagine something similar.

Struz

They will probably use mini-vans and SUV's.

There should have been a higher age limit.
How are the teams with 8, 9 and 11 year olds (Gaghan and Black) going to compete ?

The Linz family and the Aiello family both look strong.

Brittney Rodgers looks cute.