Amazing Race (France)


Amazing Race : la plus grande course autour du monde ! is a French version of the American reality show The Amazing Race. Hosted by Alexandre Delpérier, it features nine teams of two with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world to win €50,000.
The show was produced by Shine France in association with ABC Studios, distributed by The Walt Disney Company France and broadcast on D8.
D8 began airing the season on Monday 22 October 2012, and D17 on Tuesday 23 October 2012, both at 8:50pm CEST.
The finale aired on 24 December 2012 with cyber-friends, Anthony Martinage and Sonja Sacha, winning the Race.

Production

Development and filming

On 23 March 2012, it was announced that Canal+ had acquired the format for a French version of the show. Filming started on 30 June 2012 in Paris. During the race, the teams travelled to seven countries for 24 days, spanning over 50,000 km in five continents, finishing on 23 July at the Stade de France. This season visited the United Arab Emirates, Thailand, Japan, the United States, Brazil and South Africa. Among the highlights are a leg in the streets of Bangkok, an African safari, an excursion to Iguazu Falls and the beaches of Rio de Janeiro. Teams also visited Tokyo, Dubai, Los Angeles, Hawaii and Cape Town.
Unlike its American counterpart, the show is more narrative and informative in content as the race is stopped several times throughout each episode to provide viewers with information about the culture and life in the places they visit. Also differing from the American version is that teams are presented their first clue for the next leg upon arriving at the Pit Stop of the previous leg. The teams are also often told of their next destination at the Pit Stop before they even open these clues. Teams normally don't begin the next leg at the Pit Stop, rather, they are released separately from airports or begin the next leg at hotels they stayed in during the Pit Stop.

Cast

Applications for the Race started 16 April 2012 and ended on 29 May 2012. On 27 September 2012, the teams were announced on Télé-Loisirs.fr.

Broadcasting

Amazing Race premiered on D8 22 October 2012 and aired each Mondays at 8:30pm, with three rebroadcasts on weekends: two on Saturdays at 1:45pm and 10:45pm, and one on Sundays at 5:35pm. These rebroadcasts were later cancelled due to declining ratings. D17 also offered a rebroadcast of the show on Tuesdays starting 23 October 2012 at 8:50pm.
On Friday before the premiere date, D8 posted the first hour of the premiere episode via Dailymotion.

Results

The following teams participated in the Race, with their relationships at the time of filming. Note that this table is not necessarily reflective of all content broadcast on television due to inclusion or exclusion of some data. Placements are listed in finishing order:
  1. Oucéni & Lassana lost their key for the Pont des Arts task. They were able to continue racing, receiving a new key, but incurred a 20-minute penalty once landed in Dubai.
  2. ^ Anthony & Sonja and Heïdi & Michel initially arrived 5th and 6th, respectively, but were issued a 5-minute penalty for taking a taxi to Wat Arun instead of the ferry. This did not affect their placement.

    Race summary

Leg 1 (France → United Arab Emirates)

Airdate: 22 October 2012
This leg's Detour was a choice between Perles or Chameaux. In Perles, teams had to find and count, with the help of a sieve, the exact number of pearls in an earthenware jar filled with sand. Once the exact number of pearls was given to the pearler, accompanied by all the pearls contained in the jar, teams could receive their next clue. In Chameaux, teams, with the help of a camel, had to retrieve two bags of hay and deliver them to the cameleer. While one teammate must ride the camel, the other one need to guide the animal along the path. Both team members must hang the bags of hay on the camel by the themselves. Once the hay had been brought back, teams would receive their next clue from the cameleer.
In the leg's Roadblock, teams had to travel to a nearby aerodrome to sign up for one of three flights. The designated teammate for the task must then board the chosen aeroplane and perform a tandem skydive. If they jump within a 10-minute time limit, they received their next clue from an instructor once on the ground. Otherwise, they must wait out a 4-hour penalty.
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Airdate: 29 October 2012
This leg's Detour was a choice between Degustation or Provisions. In Degustation, teams had to share and eat two bowls of traditional Thai dishes; the first one containing two scorpions, and the second one, three cockroaches. Once they've eaten all of the insects contained in their plates, teams could receive their next clue from the chef. In Provisions, teams were given a shopping list completely written in Thai and had to buy, with their own money, all of the ten ingredients on the list. Once they brought back all the food to an old lady, they could exchange it with their next clue.
This leg's Roadblock required one team member to climb the stairs of Wat Arun to the top section and count the statues. Once the correct number told to a thai dancer on the ground, they would receive their next clue. But if they tell the wrong number, they would have to climb again and re-count all the statues before they could give a new answer to the dancer.
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Airdate: 5 November 2012
In this leg's Roadblock, team members had to grab their next clue from a young sumotori while wrestling against him. If the team member steps outside the red circle or fall on the ground before grabbing their clue, they would have to wait five minutes, or more if there's others teams, to restart the combat.
The Detour was a choice between Nouilles or Poissons. In Nouilles, teams had to deliver six bowls of noodles to the restaurant's customers, located at a distance of 150 meters from the starting point, while wearing a traditional dress and a pair of geta to receive their next clue. When delivered, the soup contained in the bowls must be filled up to the red pattern, if not, teams would have to restart everything. In Poissons, teams had to catch fifteen goldfishes with the help of a rice paper landing net to receive their next clue.
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Airdate: 12 November 2012
In this Roadblock, one team member had to decipher their next destination, which would be presented to them through the use of flag semaphore. Racers were given a list of flag positions representing each letter, but they would have to memorize it before a naval officer would present them with their destination.
In the Detour, teams had to choose between Glace Pilée or Pierre Cassée. In Glace Pilée, teams needed to fill a bucket with shave ice using a traditional saw to shave a block of ice to receive their next clue. In Pierre Cassée, teams had to take a surfboard out to a buoy in the water using the traditional Hawaiian standard of standing upright on top of it, retrieve a stone from beneath the buoy, and return it to shore. They would then have to use a chisel to break the stone and retrieve their clue from inside.
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Air date: 19 November 2012
This leg's Detour was a choice between Pic à Glace or Picasso. In Pic à Glace, teams had to take control of an ice-cream vendor and sell ice cream cones to locals. They had to make, and had to sell each cone for at least. In Picasso, teams had to convince locals to let them paint caricatures of them. They had to sell these and make.
In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to successfully perform a burnout in a car on a movie set.
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Air date: 26 November 2012
In this Detour, teams chose between Connaissance and Patience. In Connaissance, teams needed to choose from a variety of items representing Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay, and correctly give five of each to the correct representatives of each country. However, a bank note from Panama and a map from Chile are included to trick teams. In Patience, teams needed to untangle a large knot of ropes to release their next clue from within.
For the Roadblock, one team member had to rappel down Cânion Iguaçu to receive their next clue.
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Air date: 3 December 2012
In this Roadblock, one team member had to kick a soccer ball through a small metal grate representing their goal, but could not let the ball knock away the piece of wood at the bottom of the opening, meaning teams needed to kick the ball through the air. They would have to accomplish this task twice in five attempts, or they would have to go to the back of the line.
In the Detour, teams had to choose between Jeu de Jambes or Jeu de Plage. In Jeu de Jambes, teams must learn how to properly perform a Samba dance for a judge to receive their next clue. In Jeu de Plage, teams must create the word "Race" on a pre-existing sand sculpture of Corcovado with "Amazing" written on it. They would then have to cover a small Christ the Redeemer statue with wet sand to complete the sculpture. Once a judge approves, they'll receive their clue.
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Air date: 10 December 2012
In this Detour, teams chose between Radio and Disco. In Radio, teams had to travel to the Waterfront's market, where they had to put together two radios with the material provided to receive their clue. In Disco, teams had to learn and perform a Gumboot dance with a troupe of African dancers to receive their clue.
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Air date: 17 December 2012
In this Detour, teams chose between Jeu de la Terre and Jeu de l'eau. In Jeu de la Terre, teams were faced with a series of pots suspended from an arch. The pot in the middle was painted black, and had to be avoided. Teams had to use a traditional tribal club from a distance to hit the pots. If the black pot was hit, teams incurred a ten-minute penalty. In Jeu de l'eau, teams had to open an ostrich egg and empty its contents. They then had to use the egg shells to transport water and fill a jar to receive their next clue.
In this Roadblock, one team member had to roll a leaking wine barrel to the wine vats and refill it before receiving their next clue.
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Air date: 24 December 2012
In the final Roadblock of the Race, teams took a boat out to the ocean, where one team member had to descend down in a shark cage. They then had to take a photograph of a shark, fitting its entire body into the image. After grabbing their clue from the shark cage, they could return to the boat. If they took a good photograph of the shark, they would receive a 15-minute headstart at the Paris airport.
In the final Detour, teams chose between Crème Fouettée and Cible Visée. In Crème Fouettée, teams needed to use the provided ingredients to make a batch of Crème Chantilly to a chef's satisfaction. In Cible Visée, teams needed to shoot arrows at a target using a bow, and needed to get two in the outer blue part, two in the middle red part, and two in the centre yellow part.
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The following information was taken from Médiamétrie
EpisodeAirdateViewers Market Share Rank
122 October 2012868,0003.5%#8
229 October 2012634,0002.5%#9
35 November 2012618,0002.4%#10
412 November 2012596,0002.3%#11
519 November 2012587,0002.3%#9
626 November 2012559,0002.1%#11
73 December 2012445,0001.7%#12
810 December 2012445,0001.7%#12
917 December 2012418,0001.6%#10
1024 December 2012220,0001.5%#11