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Amazing Race Canada, Featured

The Amazing Race Canada: Getting revved up in Revelstoke, B.C.

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In last week’s Season 7 debut, returning competitors Jet and Dave showed that even veteran Racers can make a rooke mistake on The Amazing Race Canada, when neglecting to grab a map led to their elimination.

This time around—and in a special timeslot—the remaining teams began Leg 2 in British Columbia, and headed to Revelstoke. Dave and Irina—who finished first last week, claimed two Express Passes and talked a surprising amount of trash about their competitors—were the first to depart for the two-hour-plus drive through the mountains. Along the way, teams were instructed to keep an eye out for a clue signifying the last spike. Athletes Sarah and Sam were the next to drive out of town, followed by sisters Meaghan and Marie, sisters Lauren and Joanne, friends Trish and Amy, married couple Anthony and James, couple Aarthy and Thinesh, Nikki and Aisha and Gilles and Sean.

It was at the site of the last spike that Racers learned the Leg’s Road Block: someone would be driving a motorbike course. Marie, Dave, Joanne, Sam, James and Trish all hit the course around the same time, with different levels of success. The best part? When those not doing the Road Block realized Jet and Dave weren’t around. But back to the bikes, where Marie took a major header over her handlebars. She was OK, but the replay of the crash showed how violent it was. Marie and Dave were a little slow the first time around, but were under the two-minute mark on their second try and completed the task. Nicki and Aisha were caught, literally, on the other side of the mountain and had to backtrack. Sean, who was oh-so-confident he would breeze through (he rides a bike to work every day, he confided to Sam), fell over two feet into the course.

In the Detour, teams had to choose between Plant (planting 40 tree seedlings at the correct depth and distance) or Paddle (take to the water in tethered kayaks and collect flags). Those choosing to plant included Dave and Irina, Anthony and James, Trish and Amy, Nicki and Aisha, and Lauren and Joanne. Those opting to paddle were Meaghan and Marie (who just happen to be expert, competitive paddlers), Gilles and Sean, Sarah and Sam, and Aarthy and Thinesh.

A man rides a dirt bike.Dave and Irina were just two trees away from completing their task when they realized they hadn’t used the included rope to measure off the planting distances. They would have to do it all again. Meaghan and Marie had no issues and left the Detour in top spot.

Next up was the Revelstoke Railway Museum, where duos worked together to create a model train laid out in a specific way. This was a detail-oriented task, and Meaghan was distracted by other teams’ arriving. Teams like Aarthy and Thinesh who came, saw and whipped off the challenge in their first try. Dave and Irina were next, followed by Gilles and Sean, Sarah and Sam, Meaghan and Marie and Anthony and James. Lauren and Joanne, meanwhile, were still planting trees and arguing.

The Leg’s Pit Stop was located at the Revelstoke Mountain Resort, where teams took a gondola ride to the top to search for Jon. It was, shockingly, Aarthy and Thinesh who turned a seventh-place start into a first-place finish and a trip to Madrid and an Express Pass. Dave and Irina were next (and Irina showed poor gamesmanship, in my opinion), followed by Gilles and Sean, Sarah and Sam, Meaghan and Marie, and Anthony and James. Aisha and Nicki headed in the wrong direction leaving an opportunity for Lauren and Joanne to make up ground.

And, in the end, that’s exactly what happened as the sisters beat out out the best friends to the mat; Aisha and Nicki were eliminated from the Race. What did you think of this Leg? Were you expecting it to be a non-elimination? Let me know in the comments below.

Here’s how the teams finished this Leg of the Race:

  1. Aarthy and Thinesh
  2. Dave and Irina
  3. Gilles and Sean
  4. Sarah and Sam
  5. Meaghan and Marie
  6. Anthony and James
  7. Trish and Amy
  8. Lauren and Joanne
  9. Aisha and Nicki (eliminated)

The Amazing Race Canada airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CTV.

Images courtesy of Bell Media.

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Amazing Race Canada, Featured

Comments and queries for the week of July 5

My mouth dropped open in disbelief when Jon eliminated Jet and Dave, OMG. I thought for sure it’d be a non-Elimination Leg. I was super stoked they were back, and can’t believe they’re done. THE most entertaining and funny duo to enter the entire series IMO. (Yes I voted for them lol.) Sad, but here’s hoping the saying third time’s a charm rings true. Maybe in Season 10, maybe. —Tunie

I know that I learned things from watching this show. Look where you want to go, know your limits and drive within them, how to do proper shoulder checks, how to know where your wheels are, how to steer when you are skidding, and be a polite driver. Thank you, Canada’s Worst Driver. —J

Come be a surrogate host for an American version. The hosts here suck, they are so busy playing to their fan clubs that the show lacks your sense of humour or ability to properly host a show. Maybe if you can’t do that you can teach other hosts how to properly make a show work. What it really comes down to is you were the show. Without your talent to present, it wouldn’t have lasted. —Ed

Got a question or comment about Canadian TV? Email greg.david@tv-eh.com or via Twitter @tv_eh.

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Amazing Race Canada, Featured

The Amazing Race Canada sprints into Season 7

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After seven seasons, I honestly didn’t think The Amazing Race Canada would still be interesting to watch. But, as it is with reality competition programming, it’s the contestants that make a show compelling. Kudos to the casting department at Insight for continuing to find Canadians we really care about as they hurtle around this country and parts of the world on a quest to win two 2019 Chevrolet Blazer RS, a once-in-a-lifetime trip for two around the world, the $250,000 cash prize and the title of champions.

As previously announced, nine pairs of new competitors were ready to race alongside Canada’s Choice, Jet and Dave, who first appeared in Season 1, where they placed fourth. Coming into Tuesday’s return, I wasn’t a fan of this decision. I much prefer a completely fresh cast, but you can’t deny the two friends are fun to watch.

The teams began Season 7 just down the block from Bell Media’s Toronto headquarters in a small park nestled up against Roy Thomson Hall. At the drop of Jon Montgomery’s finger, they were on the way, snagging knapsacks and Route Info to Extreme Reach Recording Studio. Couple Dave and Irina were the first to arrive, followed by Jet and Dave, grandfather and grandson Gilles and Sean, friends Nicki and Aisha, married couple Anthony and James, athletes Sarah and Sam, sisters Lauren and Joanne and dating couple Aarthy and Thinesh. Moms and friends Trish and Amy were the last to arrive.

Instructed to lend their voice to a trailer for The Lion King (the first of what will be many, many, sponsorship plugs this season), Irina, Jet, Aisha, Sean, Anthony, Sam, Meaghan, Lauren, Thinesh and Trish stepped up to the microphones for their teams. Irina completed her voice work in the first take—she took it very seriously—and she and Dave departed. It took some folks a while to realize that timing was the key to success. Sadly, Sam wasted precious time thinking he had to memorize the script.

A group of people run toward the camera.Next up was the Ontario Food Terminal, where teams had to run around 100,000 square feet of cold space to find two halves of a postcard that revealed the next clue. Irina and Dave got there in first place, closely followed by Jet and Dave, Aisha and Nicki, Meaghan and Marie, Trish and Amy, Gilles and Sean, Lauren and Joanne and Anthony and James. Sarah and Sam and Aarthy and Thinesh, meanwhile, were still stuck at the studio. Thinesh finally completed the task, leaving the Olympic hopefuls in last.

Jet and Dave put the pieces together and headed off for Kamloops, B.C., on one of two flights. Irina and Dave, Aisha and Nicki, Joanne and Lauren and Trish and Amy were nipping at their heels and scored seats on the first flight. The others were on the second, delayed by 30 minutes.

In the Road Block, the person who didn’t voice the trailer were tasked with ziplining over an old copper mine and dropping a ball into a target below. Dave missed on his first try, as did Nicki, but Irina’s Dave landed it and they regained first place. Amy and Trish were befuddled by the map and argued over where to go. Sarah and Sam leapfrogged to fourth place, just ahead of Trish and Amy; Gilles and Sean were left behind. As Sean said, they’d need another team to make a mistake for them to recover. That seemed to come in the form of Jet and Dave, who were trying to navigate with no map and, ultimately, learned they had gone 80 km in the wrong direction.

Next was the Circle Creek Equestrian Centre, where teams searched moving cattle for a clue. Staying still was the name of the game for this test and Irina and Dave quickly learned their final destination: the Pit Stop at the Kamloops Bike Ranch. Sarah and Sam and Lauren and Joanne worked together to learn the destination. It was Dave and Irina who arrived first, confident and picking up a trip to South Africa and two Express Passes (one to use and one to give away). Sarah and Sam, who I thought would be eliminated, arrived on the mat next, followed by Meaghan and Marie and Lauren and Joanne.

It was Jet and Dave who arrived in front of Jon last, and they were eliminated from the Race. Wow, after the voting and the pomp and circumstance surrounding their return and the pair were cut in Week 1.

Here’s how the teams finished the first Leg of the Race:

  1. Dave and Irina
  2. Sarah and Sam
  3. Meaghan and Marie
  4. Lauren and Joanne
  5. Trish and Amy
  6. Anthony and James
  7. Aarthy and Thinesh
  8. Nicki and Aisha
  9. Gilles and Sean
  10. Jet and Dave (eliminated)

The Amazing Race Canada airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CTV. It airs at a special time, 9:30 p.m. ET/PT, next week.

Images courtesy of Bell Media.

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Amazing Race Canada

CTV announces summer schedule including the return of The Amazing Race Canada

From a media release:

CTV revealed today a slate of new and returning series for the network’s sizzling summer schedule, headlined by the highly anticipated, international reality sensation LOVE ISLAND, airing weeknights at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CTV, CTV.ca, and the CTV app, beginning July 9. Also heating things up this summer is the new drama GRAND HOTEL (June 17) from executive producer Eva Longoria, exploring scandals, escalating debt, and explosive secrets. Additionally, the eight-part limited drama series THE RED LINE, starring Noah Wyle, joins CTV’s robust summer schedule on July 2.

Canada’s most-watched summer series, the multiple Canadian Screen Award-winning THE AMAZING RACE CANADA returns for Season 7, airing Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CTV, CTV.ca, and the CTV app, beginning July 2. Hosted by Olympic Gold Medallist Jon Montgomery, 10 teams of racers will once again push themselves outside of their comfort zones in a non-stop, action-packed adventure. For the first time ever, this season Canadians voted to allow one previous team to return to the starting line. Jet & Dave, best friends from London, Ont. who competed during the first season of THE AMAZING RACE CANADA, join nine other soon-to-be-revealed teams for their second chance at racing to the finish line.

Also returning to the CTV schedule this summer are fan-favourites including the action-packed AMERICAN NINJA WARRIOR (May 29 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CTV2), culinary competition series MASTERCHEF (May 29 at 8 p.m. ET/PT), MATCH GAME (June 12 at 10 p.m. ET/PT), THE $100,000 PYRAMID (June 16 at 9 p.m. ET/PT), and the Jane Lynch-hosted HOLLYWOOD GAME NIGHT (July 11 at 9 p.m. ET/PT).

CTV.ca is also set to celebrate the warm weather with entertaining TV series and blockbuster movies available with no subscription or sign-in required. CTV.ca will roll out titles throughout the summer including Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Iron Man 2, Thor, Guardians of the Galaxy, JANN, CARDINAL, SEINFELD, THE GOLDBERGS, and THE BIG BANG THEORY, in addition to the extensive content viewers can already stream for free on CTV Throwback and CTV Movies.

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Amazing Race Canada

Seventh Season of Hit Series The Amazing Race Canada set to air on CTV in Summer 2019; casting now open

From a media release:

Following a heroic sixth season finale this past September, host Jon Montgomery announced today that the adventure continues as CTV has renewed THE AMAZING RACE CANADA for a seventh season to air next summer. The announcement sets the stage to welcome an all-new cast of racers to the starting line, as they push themselves out of their comfort zones in a non-stop, action-packed race. The most-watched Canadian series of the year, THE AMAZING RACE CANADA is currently available for customized and wholly integrated brand partnership opportunities.

THE AMAZING RACE CANADA is looking for new teams with a story to share about what has given them the confidence to take on an amazing adventure. Fans and aspiring racers with stories of strength, determination, and perseverance are invited to pair up with someone they know – a friend, sibling, parent, partner, or anyone else they share a relationship with – and submit an audition for the opportunity to embark on a once-in-a-lifetime expedition.

The submission deadline is January 2 at 11:59 p.m. ET. For all casting details and updates, including instructions on how to submit an audition video, viewers can visit CTV.ca/TheAmazingRaceCanada, the CTV Facebook page, and follow @AmazingRaceCDA.

The sixth season of THE AMAZING RACE CANADA, had an average audience of 1.8 million viewers per week. For six consecutive years, THE AMAZING RACE CANADA has earned the title of Canada’s #1 most-watched summer series.

Fans looking to relive the high-stakes thrills and excitement of previous seasons of THE AMAZING RACE CANADA can find it on the all-new Crave.

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