The Amazing Race News

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Phil Keoghan Speaks on The Amazing Race

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Kate & Pat TAR 12 get married

Kate and Pat of 'The Amazing Race 12' Marry in California

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Kynt & Vyxsin TAR 12 on Rosie O'Donnell's cruise out of Halifax

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Queen Bees

Stassi TAR 5 on reality show Queen Bees

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Phil Keoghan on Million dollar Password August 4th

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Producer talks TAR-13

Bertram Van Munster Teases New season TAR

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Can Seniors win the race?

It seems that nearly every season of The Amazing Race has some adorable elderly couple that you can't help but root for. Last season had lesbian ministers Kate and Pat, season 9 brought us Fran and Barry, and season 7 had Meredith and Gretchen, just to list a few examples. One of the great things about The Amazing Race is that people of any age can compete, but let's face it: The old folks never stand a chance. Though some of them have made it into the top five, an elderly couple has never won the competition. When creator Bertram Van Munster recently announced that the upcoming thirteenth edition of the reality series would feature a married hippie couple in their 60s, I had to wonder if there's any point to having them on the show.

My favorite elderly contestant in the history of the series is probably Donald, who teamed up with his grandson Nick last season and made it all the way to third place. Donald was 68-years-old, cantankerous and short-tempered, but still managed to bond with his grandson and make it to the final leg of the race. He even got a permanent tattoo just to win a Fast Forward! Donald was awesome, but alas, he was beat out in the end by the much younger TK and Rachel.

Are older couples naturally at a disadvantage in the fast-paced, cutthroat world of The Amazing Race? I don't like to think so, but some of the seniors on the show have been less than impressive. Take season 7's Meredith and Gretchen for example. They made it all the way to fourth place, but they did so in the most incompetent way imaginable. They bumbled like Inspector Clouseau during every leg of the race, but through sheer luck they nearly made it to the final three. Kate and Pat also did a pretty terrible job, and were the second team to get eliminated last season. These contestants are all likable and entertaining to watch, but I often get the feeling they're cast only to cater to a certain demographic.

After 12 seasons of The Amazing Race, I think it's about time an older couple won the competition. I'm tired of the fresh faces running away with the million bucks every year, and I'm ready for some folks with gray hair to be truly impressive competitors. Maybe the hippie couple in their 60s can turn the tide next season, but I won't be placing any bets on it.

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Phil Keoghan interview

Amazing Race star shares life philosophy with kids

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Travel channel gets rights to show TAR 12,13 & 14 in reruns

Travel Channel Nabs Rights to Amazing Race

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Playbill News: From Fantastick to Amazing: Actor Nick Spangler to Compete on TV's "Amazing Race"


Nick Spangler, who goes on a journey into the wide, cruel world nightly as Matt in Off-Broadway's The Fantasticks, will circle the globe this fall as a competitor on the CBS reality series "The Amazing Race."

Along with his cheerleader sister, Starr, Spangler will battle other teams in a race against the clock, navigating roads, airports and waterways and completing tasks cooked up by the producers. Past teams have done everything from lug a side of beef through the streets to milking a camel — and drinking the warm milk.

The 13th season of the Emmy Award-winning series (premiering Sept. 28 at 8 PM ET) begins at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and follows teams across 30,000 miles in 23 days to Brazil, Bolivia, India, Russia and Kazakhstan.

At stake is a $1 million prize.

At the Snapple Theater Center in the Manhattan theatre district, clean-cut Spangler goes from innocence to experience nightly as Matt, who sings "Soon It's Gonna Rain," "They Were You" and "I Can See It" — that famous song about roads that take you away.

"He's a hottie — a hottie, a hottie," said Pat Addiss, one of the producers of The Fantasticks. "The girls just love him. He's such a professional. He's adorable…all the little girls come and get autographs…"

Addiss said she'll be watching "The Amazing Race" every week to see how the Spanglers fare. All parties involved in the series are sworn to secrecy about the result of the pre-taped and edited race.

Born and raised in northern California with three siblings, Spangler's theatre career started at the age of five when he appeared as a Munchkin in a local production of The Wizard of Oz. He continued to pursue musical theatre and attended college at New York University where he performed the leads in Bat Boy: the Musical and The Last Five Years. His other theatre credits include Jimmy in Thoroughly Modern Millie (Gateway Playhouse), Jean Michael in La Cage aux Folles (Arvada Center) and Matt in The Fantasticks (Casa Manana). Prior to assuming the role of Matt in The Fantasticks Off-Broadway, Nick appeared in the production for nine months as The Mute. His Off-Broadway performance as Matt was recognized with The Theater Hall of Fame's 2008 Elaine and Jerry Orbach Musical Theater Fellowship.

Starr Spangler, his sister, is a cheerleader for the Dallas Cowboys