On 'The Amazing Race,' it's run, don't gawk

Contestants in the CBS series, now in its 12th season, must all but ignore scenery and cultures if they want to win the $1-million prize.

ASTONISHINGLY resilient and successful, "The Amazing Race" has won the Emmy for outstanding reality competition for five years running, beating out sometimes better competition such as "Project Runway" and "American Idol." What it has that its rivals lack is a sense of wonder, an almost naive ambition to widen the perspectives of its participants and its viewers too. Its scope is far broader than that of any other reality competition or, for that matter, most scripted shows. Like much great art, it feels bigger than it actually is.