In a position, poised, race. The Amazing Race’s milestone thirty fifth season kicks off on Wednesday, Sept. 27 — and can wind 90-minute episodes rather of its standard hour-long installments.

Host Phil Keoghan notes that “10 o’clock time slots are challenging,” so CBS Leisure President Amy Reisenbach favored the speculation of “a block of reality television” rather of looking to fill one thing in-between the form and “Survivor.”

“It’s an experiment, like with anything you the audience so far,” he tells the Put up. “From our point of view, what’s exciting is that we can open the show up a little bit. When you’ve got 13 teams, now we have 13 teams.”

Keoghan, 56, has been at the back of the competition series since its 2001 debut. He hopes that the difference airtime will give audiences extra context of the contestants and this year’s new location, Slovenia.

“I write the scripts with with one of the producers, and I’m always fighting for context,” he says. “I was just in Iceland with my dad. I took my mom and dad on a once-in-a-lifetime trip. And everywhere I went in Iceland, I was stopped by ‘Race’ fans and they all said the same thing to me. ‘We’re here in Iceland because we saw it on ‘Amazing Race,’ and when you showed us the photos and you told us about the fault between the two tectonic plates, the Atlantic plate and European plate. And when you showed the team swimming, that’s why we’re here and we’re actually going to go down and do that swim.’ Nothing makes me happier than hearing that because I know they remembered the facts, they remembered the context, and then it motivated them to get on a plane and travel to that place. To do the things that the teams are doing. And so that’s something that I’m always pushing for on the show.”

The New Zealand native will guide the Season 35 newcomers as they compete on a 23,800-mile journey all over the world to exit for the $1 million magnificent prize. Groups might be eradicated right through the season till one pair is topped the winners.

“At every destination, each team must compete in a series of challenges, some mental and some physical, and only when the tasks are completed will they learn of their next location,” the display’s synopsis reads.

“The Amazing Race” has taken house 15 Primetime Emmy Awards over 24 years at the wind. Keoghan assists in keeping maximum of his Emmys at his house workplace, however his first actual — which he earned in 2003 for Exceptional Truth/Festival Program — is at his California place of abode.

“I keep the very first one that I won here,” he tells the Put up. “I don’t use them as doorstops. … I treat the Emmys with respect. We’re very proud of having been acknowledged.”

Learn on for extra of Keoghan’s unique interview with the Put up.

Do you’re feeling a batch of power to put together the display other every season?

I don’t find out about power, however no doubt a accountability for us to put together the display thrilling for the audience and feature them stay up for one thing. We wish to do smartly and we wish it to be pristine and we wish every season to be other. …We will upload some other group. We will installed an categorical go. We will put a modest twist right here and there. On the finish of the time, that’s now not why crowd are tuning in. They’re tuning in as a result of they wish to see the place we’re going, what we’re doing, what the groups are doing, and upcoming who the groups are.

You’ll trade the entire layout if you wish to have, however upcoming you mess it up for the viewer. The audience are turning up as a result of they know what they’re getting. They don’t need it to be radically other. They would like what they would like. They would like the airport drama, which is again. … They would like fascinating dynamic groups that they are able to truly tie with, they usually wish to see the place we’re taking to exit.

I’ve impaired this analogy a batch. Why is ’60 Mins’ nonetheless getting 10 million audience each and every moment? … The layout is strictly the similar. Has been for 56 years. What’s brandnew and other? The place they exit, what they do and who they do the items on. It’s a stunning layout they usually proceed to copy the stunning layout. And that’s how I see it with ‘Amazing Race.’

What guidelines are you able to give audience about getting casted?

I feel the Refuse. 1 factor is don’t struggle to be like several alternative group that’s ever been on ‘Amazing Race’ for a get started. There’ll by no means be some other globetrotting group. There’ll by no means be some other poised of cowboys … Each and every group that we’ve ever had on ‘Amazing Race’ we struggle to solid as a result of they’re distinctive they usually’re other and there’s such a lot of that during The usa. Particularly now that this display has been on for 35 seasons. An increasing number of crowd listen about it. An increasing number of crowd wish to be part of it. An increasing number of crowd are making use of [and there are] increasingly more possible choices. So my recommendation to anyone is solely be your self. And be ambitious. And agree with me, when you stick out like a sore thumb for no matter explanation why, and we see it’s actual, upcoming you’ve were given a excellent shot. However there truly isn’t any necromancy system, as a result of when you have a look at the remaining between the groups and all of the other groups that we have got — what used to be that tune on ‘Sesame Street’? ‘One of these things is not like the other.’ … When you have a look at each and every unmarried group, they’re simply so other. They’re high, trim, dark, white, impaired, younger, married, now not married, siblings, best possible pals. The dynamics also are other and that’s why the display works, I feel.

The display has introduced on semi-famous contestants over past. Did you in finding that important to do? What’s you’re response to a couple fan backlash with that call?

I’m now not going to talk for the community or anything else like that. My non-public choice is I desire crowd who’ve, like my favourite groups [are] those who’ve by no means traveled, who aren’t media savvy, who’re excess fanatics of the display, who truly, truly wish to be at the display and feature been following them for years. The ones are my favourite groups. Now, does that ruthless I will be able to’t like a group that comes on that possibly is legendary? Refuse, it doesn’t ruthless that. I’m simply announcing that I adore it once we give the chance to any individual who hasn’t ever truly had a possibility like the chance that we give them. There’s not anything worse to me than if you find yourself with a group the place [they say], ‘Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. I’ve traveled all over the world. I do progress a batch. I’ve performed this, I’ve performed that.’ … No longer that they’re now not great, but it surely’s now not brandnew, pristine and as thrilling.

It’s dividing with the fanatics. I’ve fanatics who’re vehemently towards it. They don’t find it irresistible in any respect. And their definition of noted is anyone who would possibly have ever been in an area newspaper for being a spaghetti consuming champion. … I’ve others who have been like, ‘Oh, yeah, why don’t you do an entire superstar season?’

Are there any subject matters that you just haven’t performed but that you just’re eager about making an attempt?

Audience are at all times telling me subject matters that they would like. That they’d love to peer an all-winners version. That’s a dialog that’s going down on-line at the moment. … They’ve additionally been speaking a few redemption season the place possibly everyone who were given 2nd or 3rd will get a prospect. [A] first group eradicated season. We’ve misplaced such a lot of probably wonderful groups from the display as a result of they were given eradicated early. So possibly, yeah, each and every group that went out first — as a result of there’s not anything worse. However the fascinating factor is that if we did that, a type of groups will be the first [to go again].

Are you severely making an allowance for any of the ones fan concepts?

Yeah, I feel you’ve were given to be. It’s so remarkable to pay attention for your fanatics. … I interact with my fanatics. … I love to peer what they’re announcing and upcoming I’ll observe the discussion among them. Once in a while I’ll weigh in, every now and then I gained’t. However I feel there’s an honesty there, proper? There’s a window into, ‘Oh, they really, really love this or they love that.’ And every now and then they have got conversations the place they don’t know the way withered it’s to possibly put in force one thing that is smart. … And also you don’t wish to get too into the weeds with making an attempt to give an explanation for to them what they don’t know, as a result of that may tug ceaselessly. However I feel it’s completely an important and I feel it’s a part of the important thing to the luck of ‘Amazing Race,’ is that we’re at all times taking note of our target market.

That engagement could be very, very remarkable. So, sure, the entirety is at all times at the desk. We’re at all times clear to other concepts. I ruthless, I may just see a past in the event that they did do a star model. The place we had celebrities and possibly they got here on for his or her favourite charities.

What’s your tackle alliances and the way the display is towards them?

I’m in my opinion now not keen on alliances. I believe like alternative displays do this they usually do truly smartly. And I feel our display generally has now not had them. However I’m additionally now not towards [it]. When it took place, I felt find it irresistible took place organically. It’s now not one thing that we attempted to instigate. It took place organically. Lots of the past it doesn’t. It made it fascinating and it were given crowd speaking. Undoubtedly crowd have been sharing their opinion about what they considered it. I don’t assume the display wishes it. I love that on our display. Crowd’s future is aspiring by means of their very own movements. I’m now not a obese fan of displays the place any individual can flaunt. I’m impaired faculty within the sense that I really like a contest the place everyone will get a shot. However when you don’t do smartly, it’s now not as a result of any person stood to your means. However I don’t wish to remove from crowd who love the manipulation kind displays. Have a look at how a success ‘Survivor’ is. And that’s all about balloting crowd out and enjoying technique and all of that. I’m a natural sports activities fan, so I dislike unfairness in sports activities.

When you performed “The Amazing Race,” what would you excel in and what wouldn‘t come as simple?

Neatly, I’d wish to exit with my dad [John Keoghan]. He’s 81, very have compatibility and some of the smartest crowd I do know. He’s like a strolling encyclopedia, so I’d really feel truly excellent with that. I feel it’s very tricky to understand the place you could possibly attempt till you’re more or less in it. However I feel I’ve viewable truly succesful groups lose their thoughts on the subject of having the ability to simply assume obviously with easy issues. So I’d fear that would possibly occur to me like that.

It’s simple to appear from the outdoor, however I feel whilst you’re in it, that power can restrain you from simply functioning the best way you typically serve as. Truly subtle groups simply close unwell. They don’t learn the clue correctly. They run age the clue. They’re now not as observant. So I’d fear that I is probably not as lucid and as conscious as I typically am with simply the power of the race. I don’t know. It’s withered to inform. It’s tricky.

The Superb Race’s milestone thirty fifth season premieres on Wednesday, Sept. 27, at 9:30 p.m. ET on CBS.