So by now, The Amazing Race superfans will have heard that season 32, which was originally announced to begin airing next month, will be moved to later in 2020. This announcement has, from what I've seen, been met with near universal disdain by disgruntled superfans on all social media avenues I frequent. Why would CBS announce an airdate for one of their most popular series, only to move it back?
Fans have been appalled, mostly it seems because they were looking forward to something to distract us during quarantine. We can't deny that COVID-19 has changed the world. Not even the television industry is immune to these changes. The so-called CBS "Big Three" reality shows—Survivor, The Amazing Race, and Big Brother—have all had their production affected in some way or another. Fans have surmised that season 32 is getting pushed back so that CBS has something to air in the fall in case season 41 of Survivor can't be filmed yet because of the coronavirus pandemic. So it seems that we're looking at season 32 airing from September to December this year.
Normally, this would be understandable. CBS is, after all, a media corporation whose aim is to make profits through the shows they broadcast. Ensuring that they have something to air for later in the year in the midst of the uncertainty this pandemic has brought about is only logical. However, a lot of the backlash to the announcement of the delay in season 32's airing seems to be centered on how poorly CBS is treating The Amazing Race and, in particular, the cast of season 32 throughout all of this.
It's no secret that CBS has scaled back on The Amazing Race in recent years. Since 2016, we've only gotten one season each year. But even Phil Keoghan has stated that he hopes that the show would eventually get back to airing two seasons each year. It seemed to be the case when both seasons 31 and 32 were filmed in 2018. Unfortunately, only season 31 (filmed in June-July 2018) aired in 2019 (from April to June). By the time the season finale aired, it had nearly been a year since that season had finished filming. Season 32 (filmed in November-December 2018) has been waiting in the wings ever since. Even if the original announcement stood and it began airing next month, it would have already set the record for the longest gap between filming and airing in the franchise's history. But by possibly delaying it to the fall (with the finale presumably airing in December), CBS has made it possible that the gap between filming and airing would be around 2 years. That's insane!
Why does this matter? Primarily for the cast. Imagine getting cast for a show as popular as The Amazing Race. You get to go race around the world and, whether you were the first boot or the winners, the next step after filming would be getting to see your season air on television. At this point, the cast has been waiting nearly a year and a half to see their season air. With the way their contracts are, they can't officially confirm to the public that they were on The Amazing Race. They've been waiting so long to relive their experience with their family and friends and it seemed that they would finally get to do so when season 32 was announced to begin airing next month. Yet, they get the rug pulled from underneath them and they have to wait even longer for their season to air. That's gotta suck for them.
Another way this affects the cast is in terms of the prize money. They can't collect their winnings from the show until after it's finished airing, so they've been waiting this long to collect their stipend and prizes. Had the season aired by now, they would have gotten whatever amount of money they won, which could have added to their bank accounts amid the time of COVID-19. They could have the gotten extra funds to help themselves and their families out during this difficult time. Whether it's first boot money or the million dollar prize, that prize money could have gone a long way. Instead, they have to wait for a date in the future (that neither they or we know exactly when it will be) to get that money.
You have to feel bad for how badly this cast has been treated. No matter how you slice it, having to wait this long for their season to finally air sucks for them. Whether The Amazing Race 32 turns out to be an all-time classic, a complete dud, or somewhere in between, no cast deserves this kind of treatment. Who knows though? Historically, CBS has tended to slot The Amazing Race in when another of their shows has bombed in the ratings. Seasons 12, 29, and 31 have all had this distinction in the past. Perhaps season 32 will follow suit.
Regardless, this is no way to treat a show that's been as successful for CBS such as The Amazing Race. Reaching 32 seasons, spawning several franchises around the globe, and winning so many Emmy Awards is testament to the strength of this show. The world has changed because of COVID-19. Yet, The Amazing Race has remained one of our constants for nearly two decades.