'The Amazing Race' News: Will Season 29 Be The Final One On CBS? [VIDEO]
The Amazing Race may be coming close to cancellation, based on the lack of renewal beyond season 29.
Many Amazing Race fans were worried about the show when CBS did not air a new season in the fall. The reality show stalwart has traditionally aired a new season every fall and every spring since its inception in 2001, so its lack of scheduling this past fall caused some genuine concern.
Now, The Amazing Race 29 is set to begin this Thursday at 10 p.m. ET/PT on CBS, serving as a replacement for Training Day. Considering CBS did not even announce a set spring premiere date prior to this relatively recent scheduling, it's hard to imagine the show being a priority for the network anymore.
CBS also just announced 18 shows renewed for new seasons that are set to air in the 2017-18 season, and The Amazing Race was not included. The renewed lineup includes Survivor and other unscripted shows alongside many of the network's scripted dramas and comedies.
Meanwhile, The Amazing Race is now among shows on the bubble, joining 2 Broke Girls, Criminal Minds, Elementary, The Great Indoors and Hunted.
Of course, The Amazing Race has never been a major ratings hit for CBS despite its continued existence on the network. One of the contributing factors to its consistent renewal over the years, beyond its loyal fanbase, is likely its amazing Emmys success. The reality show won the Emmy for Outstanding Reality-Competition Program in 10 of the last 14 years, utterly dominating the category through the 2000s and partly into the 2010s.
As of late, however, the series has been losing to The Voice, NBC's singing competition series from Mark Burnett. The Voice has now won three of the last four years in the Outstanding Reality-Competition Program category. The Emmys haven't completely given up on the show, though, considering it's been nominated every year for the past 14 Emmy Awards.
So will The Amazing Race be renewed in the end? Fans shouldn't give up hope yet, as the TV networks can sometimes wait until May or even later to renew their on-the-bubble shows.
