The Amazing Race 13

The Amazing Race 13
Season run September 28, 2008
– December 7, 2008
Filming dates April 22, 2008
– May 14, 2008
No. of episodes 11
Winning team Nick & Starr Spangler
Continents visited 5
Countries visited 8
Cities visited 18
Distance traveled 40,000 miles
(64,372 kilometres)
No. of legs 11
Season chronology
Previous The Amazing Race 12
Next The Amazing Race 14

The Amazing Race 13 is the 13th installment of the reality television competition series The Amazing Race. It featured 11 teams of two, each with a preexisting relationship, in a race around the world.

The 13th season was part of the fall line-up for 2008-09 season and premiered Sunday nights at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT starting on September 28, 2008 and the season finale aired on December 7, 2008 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT.[1][2]

Siblings Nick and Starr Spangler were the winners of this Race. Their total of seven 1st-place leg finishes (including the final leg) is tied with Meghan and Cheyne from TAR 15 as the strongest showing in Race history .

Excluding the Family Edition, Starr remains the youngest person ever to win the Amazing Race, at age 21 during the race.

Contents

Production

Development and filming

The Amazing Race 13 lasted for 23 days and traveled over 40,000 miles. The teams raced in eight countries, including Boliva, Cambodia and Kazakhstan for the first time, as well as Brazil, New Zealand, India, and Russia, with the finish line in Portland, Oregon. CBS had originally planned to only air one installment of The Amazing Race (Season 12) in the 2007-08 season, but due to the 2007-2008 Writers Guild of America strike, CBS ordered a 13th installment as a replacement for programs affected by the strike.[3] CBS greenlit the 13th installment on December 9, 2007.[4] Race locations were scouted in January 2008 and filming took place between April and May 2008.[5][6][7]

This is only the second Race to circumnavigate the world westward (The Amazing Race 10 was the first, and followed by later seasons).

This was the first Race in which an eliminated team was absent from the Finish Line to cheer on the final 3 teams, as Dallas (of Toni & Dallas) had misplaced his passport and the team's money in Russia on the penultimate leg.[8] This had been hinted at in promotional materials aired before the Race began, where CBS revealed that one team made "an unprecedented mistake that ultimately prohibit[ed] them from joining their fellow Racers at the finish line."[9] In a post-Race interview, Dallas revealed that the loss of the passport and money was partly caused by the changing of a microphone battery by production. The passport was eventually turned in to the U.S. Embassy in Russia, but it was still too late for him and his mother to join their fellow racers at the finish line.[8] Starr revealed in a post-race interview that Toni and Dallas joined the other racers in Portland, Oregon at a party the night following the end of the race.[10] This incident also happened separately on Season 15 (surprise elimination on leg 1 where one team was eliminated at the starting line and opted to quit the show instead, and passport mishaps on leg 4 where the 1st place team realized that one of their passports was missing and was eliminated before they could find it).

Post-race interviews revealed that Starr and Dallas – who competed on opposing teams – have been long-distance dating for six months since the show completed taping.[8][10]

Andrew & Dan stated in a post-race interview that the second U-Turn was available on Leg 9 but it was not used by any teams, thus it was not aired in the show.[11]

This was also the first season in the show's history not to use a U-Turn after its first incarnation since Season 12.

Cast

See also: List of The Amazing Race (U.S. TV series) contestants

Applications for The Amazing Race 13 were due on November 27, 2007. Semi-finalist interviews were held in December 2007 and January 2008 and final casting interviews took place in February 2008, in Los Angeles, California.

The cast featured a pair of fraternity brothers, a team of married hippies, southern belles, businesswomen divorcees and a retired NFL player hoping to reconnect with his estranged wife while on the Race.[12]

The show also featured John Keoghan, host Phil Keoghan's father, as the local greeter at Te Puke in Keoghan's native New Zealand.[13]

This is the only Race cast after The Amazing Race: All-Stars that was not represented in The Amazing Race: Unfinished Business.

Winner Nick Spangler recently opened on Broadway in the new musical The Book of Mormon.[14]

Marketing

CBS heavily promoted the new season, including placing advertising on the top of three hangar buildings at Los Angeles International Airport prior to the premiere.[15] Unlike other seasons, CBS provided a location map to viewers of where the Race would be traveling prior to the start of the season.[16]

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:

Team Relationship Position (by leg) Roadblocks performed
1 2 ⊂3⊃ 4 5 6 7 8 ⊂9⊃ 10 11
Nick & Starr Siblings 1st 6th 6th 5th3 1st 1st 1st 1stƒ 3rd 1st 1st Nick 5, Starr 3
Ken & Tina Separated 2nd 1st 1st 1stƒ 4th 6th 4th 3rd 2nd 3rd6 2nd Ken 4, Tina 4
Andrew & Dan Frat Boys 7th 8th 7th 6th 6th 5th 5th 4th5 4th 2nd 3rd Andrew 6, Dan 3
Toni & Dallas Mother/Son 6th 5th 2nd 4th 2nd 3rd 2nd 2nd 1st 4th7 Toni 4, Dallas 5
Terence & Sarah Newly Dating 3rd 3rd 3rd 2nd 3rd4 4th 3rd 5th Terence 3, Sarah 4
Kelly & Christy Divorcees 5th1 7th 8th 3rd 5th 2nd 6th Kelly 3, Christy 3
Aja & Ty Dating Long Distance 8th 4th 5th 7th 7th Aja 2, Ty 2
Marisa & Brooke Southern Belles 10th 9th 4th 8th Marisa 2, Brooke 1
Mark & Bill Best Friends 4th 2nd 9th2 Mark 1, Bill 1
Anthony & Stephanie Dating 9th 10th Anthony 1, Stephanie 0
Anita & Arthur Married Beekeepers 11th Anita 0, Arthur 0
  1. ^ Kelly & Christy were not shown in the broadcast when they arrived at the clue box, which was at Pelourinho, but we did see them complete the Soft Way Down Detour while they were currently in 5th place.
  2. ^ Mark & Bill initially arrived 8th, but were issued a 30 minute penalty for taking a taxi instead of going on foot to Bumpy Ride the Detour. During this time, Kelly & Christy – the only team trailing them at that point – were able to check in and Mark & Bill were eliminated before the 30 minutes elapsed.
  3. ^ Nick & Starr initially arrived 5th at the Pit Stop, but were issued a 30-minute penalty for speeding. This did not affect their placement and was not in the broadcast.
  4. ^ Terence & Sarah initially arrived 3rd, but were given a 30-minute penalty for speeding was issued at the start of the next leg. They thus departed 5th in the next leg.
  5. ^ Andrew & Dan initially arrived 4th, but took a taxi to the Pit Stop instead of going on foot as stated on the clue. Instead of waiting out a 30 minute penalty, Phil told them to go back to the end of the Detour and walk back to the Pit Stop. This did not affect their placement.
  6. ^ Ken & Tina initially arrived 3rd but had missed the clue directing them to the Pit Stop, having arrived there by chance while searching for the clue. They were required to retrieve the missed clue at the end of the Detour and return to the Pit Stop. This did not affect their placement.
  7. ^ Toni & Dallas were initially denied their clue at the Detour starting point for taking the Metro instead of a taxi and the lady with a Shetland Pony required them to go back to the end of the Roadblock and return to the Detour starting point via taxi. Later then, when all the other teams had checked in at the Pit Stop, Phil came to the Rizhskaya Station and eliminated them while they were still performing the Ride the Lines Detour.

Episode title quotes

Episode titles are often taken from quotes made by the racers.[17]

  1. "Bees Are Much Calmer Than All This!" – Anita
  2. "Do You Like American Candy?" – Marisa
  3. "Did You Push My Sports Bra Off the Ledge?" – Christy
  4. "I Wonder If They Like Blondes in New Zealand?" – Marisa
  5. "Do It Like a Madman" – Dan
  6. "Please Hold While I Singe My Skull" – Christy
  7. "My Nose Is on Fire" – Sarah
  8. "I’m Like an Angry Cow" – Terence
  9. "That Is Studly" – Andrew
  10. "You're Gonna Get Me Killed" – Tina
  11. "You Look Like Peter Pan" – Starr

Prizes

The prize for each leg is awarded to the first place team for that leg. All trips are sponsored by Travelocity.

Elimination Station

The first five teams eliminated were sequestered at a villa in Acapulco, Mexico to await the finale. Subsequent eliminated teams telephoned the villa to inform the teams at the villa of their elimination, but continued to run the race as decoys to throw off spoilers to the final outcome of the race. The sequestered teams met up with the decoy teams in the final destination city to cheer on the final three teams as they crossed the Finish Line, with the exception of Toni & Dallas, who were still stuck in Russia after their elimination due to the loss of Dallas' passport.

CBS posted short videos on its website after each episode aired in the Pacific Time Zone to show the eliminated teams interacting at the villa.

Race summary

Destinations Air travel    Railroad    Water travel    Bus travel
Route Markers Detour    Roadblock    U-Turn    Fast Forward    Speed Bump    Pit Stop

Leg 1 (United States → Brazil)

In this leg's Detour, teams had to choose between Hard Way Up or Soft Way Down. In Hard Way Up, teams emulated a religious ceremony by climbing the Escadaria do Passo on their hands and knees. At the top, teams were asked a mystery question (How many stairs have you climbed?). Teams would receive their next clue by answering correctly; if they answered incorrectly, they had to climb the staircase again. The correct answer was 53. In Soft Way Down, teams had to go to the top of the Elevador Lacerda (Portuguese) (an outdoor elevator) and climb down a 240-foot-tall cargo net.

Additional tasks

Leg 2 (Brazil)

In this leg's Detour, teams chose between Beach It or Docket. In Beach It, teams had to travel to Pecém Beach and move a traditional Brazilian sailboat known as a jangada by placing logs underneath it to roll it along into an inlet in order to receive their next clue. In Docket, teams had to travel to nearby Port of Pecem and search in a computer database for a specific ID number for a shipping container that held their next clue. In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to find the name of their next destination hidden amongst several advertisements painted on the wall of the Parque de Vaquejada Gera Arruda. If they chose the right advertisement, a painter would give them their next clue.

Additional Tasks

Leg 3 (Brazil → Bolivia)

In this leg's Detour, teams had to choose between Musical March or Bumpy Ride. In Musical March, teams had to make their way on foot to three plazas (Plaza del Estudiante, Plaza Bolivia and Plaza Isabela la Católica) several blocks apart where they needed to gather and lead a marching band through the city to a band leader at la Plaza Abaroa where they could exchange the band members for their next clue. In Bumpy Ride, teams had to make their way on foot to Mercado de las Brujas where they had to ride a traditional wooden bicycle down the steep cobblestone streets to la Plaza Abaroa to receive their next clue. In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to learn six wrestling moves from luchadoras called the Fighting Cholitas (cholitas luchadoras). After performing these moves in the ring, they were given their next clue. If they failed at performing the move, they had to go back and train with the Fighting Cholita again before returning to the ring.

Additional tasks

Leg 4 (Bolivia → New Zealand)

The first Fast Forward of this season required a team to climb the mast of the Sky Tower to retrieve a Travelocity Roaming Gnome from the top of the tower. Once completed, the team would win the Fast Forward and received a helicopter ride to the Pit Stop. In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to correctly match the tā moko tattoo on a Māori warrior's face with one depicted in their clue, amongst several hundred performing the traditional haka dance. In this leg's Detour, teams had to choose between Matter of Time or Matter of Skill. In Matter of Time, teams had to use their feet to crush a vat of kiwifruit to produce 12 quarts of juice, and each member had to drink a glass upon completion before receiving their next clue. In Matter of Skill, teams had to assemble two Blokarts, and each member had to complete three laps around a track before receiving their next clue.

Additional tasks

Leg 5 (New Zealand → Cambodia)

In this leg's Detour, teams had to choose between Village Life or Village Work. In Village Life, teams had to retrieve a set of toy teeth from a dentist, a doll from a tailor, and a basketball from a floating basketball court all on Tonlé Sap. Each team member had to score a basket before returning all the items they had collected to the Siem Reap Harbor where they would receive their next clue. In Village Work, teams had to go into Tonlé Sap and retrieve two full baskets of fish from underwater and return them to the Siem Reap Harbor to receive their next clue. In this leg's Roadblock, teams had to go into Angkor Wat and find an echo chamber where if they beat their chest, it would echo in the room. They could then pick up a stone frieze displaying their next clue on the reverse.

Additional tasks

Leg 6 (Cambodia → India)

In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to repaint black portions of a tuk tuk green, to show that the tuk tuks had switched to using natural gas as fuel. To paint it green, the team member had to cover up all of the glass and wheels of the tuk tuk before spray painting. In this leg's Detour, teams had to choose between Launder Money or Launder Clothes. In Launder Money, teams had to make a traditional Indian wedding necklace by stapling ten rupee notes to the necklace that added up to 780, and then find their way to find the newlywed couple in the banquet hall under the chaotic crowds and present them the necklace to receive their next clue. In Launder Clothes, teams had to use a traditional charcoal iron to press 20 pieces of clothing in order to receive their next clue from a laundry woman.

Leg 7 (India)

In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to find an envelope marked "The Amazing Race" among several marked "Try Again" raised on ladders amongst celebrators of Holi, the Festival of Colours, while being bombarded with the traditional colored dyes and water. In this leg's Detour, teams had to choose between Bleary Eyed and Teary Eyed. In Bleary Eyed, teams had to follow a series of power lines, keeping mark of the numbered tags hanging from the power lines in Nai Sarak Street. They then reported these numbers to a power company official and plugged in a musical Ganesh statue to receive their next clue in New India Stationers in Chawri Bazar. In Teary Eyed, teams had to find a store named Ram Bhandar in a spice market and transport 40-pound (18 kg) bags of chili peppers to a location a quarter of a mile away in Shwan Kumar and Sons and then grind them into chili powder with a mortar and pestle to receive their next clue. This leg's Speed Bump task required Ken & Tina to serve holy water to hundreds of Sikhs at the Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib (at the site in the Chandni Chowk area of Old Delhi) until they satisfied the waiting crowd.

Additional task

Leg 8 (India → Kazakhstan)

In this leg's Roadblock, one team member would search among 30,000 chickens for one of seven golden eggs to get their next clue. The last Fast Forward on leg had teams travel to the Alasha Restaurant and eat a serving of Korduk, a local Kazakh delicacy, which includes fat from the rear end of a sheep. In this leg's Detour, teams had to choose between Play Like Mad or Act Like Fools. In Play Like Mad, teams had travel to the State Museum of National Musical Instruments and learn to play a traditional folk tune on the dombra and the shang-kobuz which they then play for locals and earn tips totalling 200 tenge (about the equivalent of $1.50) in a park to receive their next clue. In Act Like Fools, teams had to put on a two-person cow costume at the Almaty State Puppet Theater and travel across town to a milk stand where they had to drink an entire glass of milk. At the bottom of the glass was the name of their next destination - the Zelyony Bazar (Green Market), where they had to find the meat section to receive their next clue, keeping the costume's head with them to the Pit Stop. Teams who chose this Detour were required to take the dombra with them to the Pit Stop.

Additional task

Leg 9 (Kazakhstan → Russia)

In this leg's Detour, teams had to choose between Boots or Borscht, both of which required that the teams dress in a Russian military uniform. In Boots, teams had to learn a Russian marching routine and perform the routine perfectly along with a drill team to receive their next clue. In Borscht, teams had to serve 75 soldiers a bowl of borscht each to receive their next clue. In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to carry fifty 55-pound (25 kg) bags of flour into a bakery and lay them down on the floor to receive their next clue from the baker.

Additional task

Leg 10 (Russia)

In this leg's final Roadblock, one team member had to count the number of Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin statues in the park, then proceed to an antique book shop named Bukinist in Arbat Street. The numbers of Lenin and Stalin statues were to be the tens and ones digits, respectively, of a number that they then had to tell the bookstore manager; if incorrect, a 10 minute penalty would be issued before another guess could be made. If correct, the team member would receive a copy of The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov, and flip to the page of the correct answer (62) to find a clue about their next destination - Bulgakov's old flat - where their teammate and next clue would be waiting. In this leg's Detour, teams had to choose between Ride the Rails or Ride the Lines. In Ride the Rails, teams had to travel by the Moscow Metro from Sokolniki to Ulitsa 1905 Goda where they could pick up a samosa from a marked snack stand. The wrapper then directed them to go to Kitay-Gorod and give the samosa to a babushka near the statue of Saints Cyril and Methodius in Slavyanskaya Square who would give them their next clue. In Ride the Lines, teams had to travel by trolleybus from Sokolniki to Krasnoselskaya Station to find a key maker who would give them a key. The keytag directed them to Rizhskaya Station where their key would open up a locker. At the end of both Detours, teams received a photo of the VDNKh Metro Station and were told to search the grounds of the station to find their next clue. This leg's Speed Bump task required Dan & Andrew to learn, and then perform a traditional Russian dance to the satisfaction of the choreographer.

Additional tasks

Leg 11 (Russia → United States)

In this leg's Detour, teams chose from either High & Dry or Low & Wet. In High & Dry, teams had to climb up a tree to a certain height where they had to balance themselves on a log and then jump off the end to each grab a half of their next clue. In Low & Wet, teams had to make their way on foot on logs floating on a river, a distance of 800 feet and retrieve the clue from an island.

Additional tasks

Ratings

US Nielsen ratings

# Episode Rating Share Rating/Share
(18-49)		 Viewers
(millions)
1 "Bees are Much Calmer Than All This" 6.0 9 10.29
2 "Do You Like American Candy?" 6.6 10 3.2/7 10.78
3 "Did You Push My Sports Bra Off the Ledge?" 5.6 9 2.8/7 9.17
4 "I Wonder if They Like Blondes in New Zealand" 5.8 9 3.0/7 9.67
5 "Do It Like a Madman" 5.8 9 2.9/7 9.71
6 "Please Hold While I Singe My Skull" 5.9 9 2.8/7 9.76
7 "My Nose is On Fire" 7.1 11 3.3/8 11.68
8 "I’m Like an Angry Cow" 7.3 11 3.4/8 12.25
9 "That is Studly" 6.0 9 2.7/6 10.13
10 "You’re Gonna Get Me Killed" 7.1 10 3.6/8 11.60
11 "You Look Like Peter Pan" 6.2 9 3.1/7 10.57

Canadian ratings

# Episode Viewers
(millions)		 Rank
(Overall)
1 "Bees are Much Calmer Than All This" 1.89 #8[18]
2 "Do You Like American Candy?" 1.84 #5
3 "Did You Push My Sports Bra Off the Ledge?" 1.48 #11
4 "I Wonder if They Like Blondes in New Zealand" 1.67 #7
5 "Do It Like a Madman" 1.74 #10
6 "Please Hold While I Singe My Skull" 1.70 #8
7 "My Nose is On Fire" 1.85 #8
8 "I’m Like an Angry Cow" 1.67 #11
9 "That is Studly" 1.72 #9
10 "You’re Gonna Get Me Killed" 1.86 #9
11 "You Look Like Peter Pan" 2.14 #3

References

  1. ^ "CBS Announces New 2008-2009 Primetime Schedule". Futon Critic. 2008-05-14. http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=20080514cbs01. Retrieved 2008-05-14. 
  2. ^ "CBS Announces 2008-2009 Premiere Dates". Futon Critic. 2008-06-26. http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=20080626cbs01. Retrieved 2008-06-26. 
  3. ^ Levin, Gary (2007-11-08). "Writers' strike has networks adding, subtracting". USA Today. http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2007-11-07-writers-strike-main_N.htm. Retrieved 2007-11-10. 
  4. ^ Adalian, Josef (2007-12-09). "'Amazing Race' still running". Variety. http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117977397.html?categoryid=14&cs=1&nid=2609. Retrieved 2008-05-16. 
  5. ^ Harper, Rebecca (2008-01-05). "Amazing Emmy winner rides in for breakfast". Stuff. http://www.stuff.co.nz/4345001a1860.html. Retrieved 2008-01-08. 
  6. ^ "The Amazing Race 13 - Application Procedure and Eligibility Requirements". http://alpha.cbs.com/primetime/amazing_race12/application/eligibility.pdf. Retrieved 2007-11-02. 
  7. ^ "The Amazing Race 13 - Application Form". http://alpha.cbs.com/primetime/amazing_race12/application/application.pdf. Retrieved 2007-11-02. 
  8. ^ a b c Dehnart, Andy (2008-12-02). "Dallas is dating Starr, missed the finale because of lost passport, which was returned". reality blurred. http://www.realityblurred.com/realitytv/archives/the_amazing_race_13/2008_Dec_02_dallas_interviews. Retrieved 2008-12-08. 
  9. ^ "CBS reveals the identities of 'The Amazing Race's thirteenth season cast". Realitytvworld. 2008-08-19. http://www.realitytvworld.com/news/cbs-reveals-identities-of-the-amazing-race-thirteenth-season-cast-7670.php. Retrieved 2008-08-20. 
  10. ^ a b Bracchitta, John (2008-12-08). "Exclusive: Nick and Starr Spangler dish about their 'The Amazing Race' win". Reality TV World. http://www.realitytvworld.com/news/exclusive-nick-and-starr-spangler-dish-about-their-the-amazing-race-win-8125.php. Retrieved 2008-12-09. 
  11. ^ Woodruff, Teeuwynn (2008-12-11). ""We Were the Only Team to Complete Every Detour and Every Roadblock on the Race!" RealityNewsOnline’s Exclusive Interview with The Amazing Race 13's Finalists Dan & Andrew". Reality News Online. http://www.realitynewsonline.com/cgi-bin/ae.pl?mode=1&article=article17426.art&page=1. Retrieved 2008-12-11. 
  12. ^ "Meet the new teams on 'The Amazing Race'". AP. http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hTmuNBAmvhqFyktmDnblV-lOdq8QD92L7DU80. Retrieved 2008-08-19. 
  13. ^ "'Amazing Race' adds family touch in NZ". Otago Daily Times. 2008-10-20. http://www.odt.co.nz/entertainment/television/28227/039amazing-race039-adds-family-touch-nz. Retrieved 2008-10-20. 
  14. ^ "Book Club! Celebs Keep the Faith at Opening Night of Trey Parker and Matt Stone's Mormon Musical". Broadway.com. Broadway.com. http://www.broadway.com/shows/book-mormon/photos/book-club-celebs-keep-the-faith-at-opening-night-of-trey-parker-and-matt-stones-mormon-musical/160730/mormon-opens-cara-cooper-graham-bowen. Retrieved March 26, 2010. 
  15. ^ Schneider, Michael (2008-09-16). "CBS getting physical with ads". Variety. http://www.variety.com/VR1117992302.html. Retrieved 2008-09-17. 
  16. ^ Serpe, Gina (2008-09-26). "Amazing Race Route Revealed". E!. http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b31165_amazing_race_route_revealed.html. Retrieved 2008-09-26. 
  17. ^ "The Amazing Race Episode Title from CBS Schedule". http://www.cbs.com/info/schedule/index.php. Retrieved 2008-09-14. 
  18. ^ "Top Programs – Total Canada (English), September 22–28, 2008". BBM Nielsen. http://www.bbm.ca/en/nat09222008.pdf. Retrieved 2008. 

External links

Original U.S. version
Seasons
1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10 · 11 · 12 · 13 · 14 · 15 · 16 · 17 · 18 · 19  · 20
People
International versions
Seasons
Asia (1 · 2 · 3 · 4) · Australia (1 · 2)  · Brazil · China (1 · 2 · 3) · Israel (1 · 2) · Latin America (1 · 2 · 3)  · Philippines
People
Related