'The Amazing Race' Creators and Host Phil Keoghan on the Show's Most Dangerous Moments, COVID-19 Production Halt and More

I recently hosted a panel with the host and creators of CBS's "The Amazing Race" (Phil Keoghan, Elise Doganieri, and Bertram van Munster) at Paley Front Row 2020 to celebrate the show's long-awaited return. Topics include: Keoghan's marking his millionth mile traveled for the show and being too fatigued to celebrate; how the 32nd season was filmed in 2018, causing contestants to keep the outcome a secret for two years; the difficulties of finding new locales, new faces, and new challenges for each season; the shift to focus more heavily on contestants; if Keoghan and the producers get to spend "down time" in the exotic locales; how often van Munster and Doganieri must improvise the players' itinerary; and the hope that viewers will revel in "vicarious travel" while watching during the pandemic. Watch above!

"The Amazing Race" airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on CBS.

My Latest from TV Guide Magazine

In case you missed it, some of the recent stories I've worked on for TV Guide Magazine over the past month:

Exclusive: Chuck Lorre Unveils Censored Vanity Cards for His New Book
First look at Two and a Half Men exec producer Chuck Lorre's new book, a collection of his famed vanity cards. We posted one of the cards that was censored by CBS. Lorre, who combed through countless vanity cards to choose his favorites for the book, admits he was stunned by some of the ones he hadn't read in years. "I was surprised to see how seemingly open I was to sharing my thoughts and experiences," he says. "I didn't have a good censor at the time, I was just sort of spilling it all out. I probably should have used that time to see a therapist or something."

Exclusive: The Amazing Race Producers Line Up New Reality Project at A&E
Fresh off their ninth Emmy win for outstanding reality competition series, The Amazing Race executive producers Bertram van Munster and Elise Doganieri have set up what could be their next show, a reality series currently in the works at A&E.

Watch My Show: Last Resort's Shawn Ryan and Karl Gajdusek Answer Our Showrunner Survey
In this age of ambiguous TV heroes, it's clear in ABC's new thriller Last Resort that Submarine Captain Marcus Chaplin (Andre Braugher) and executive officer Sam Kendal (Scott Speedman) — forced into exile after demanding confirmation of orders to fire their weapons — are the good guys. The show's real intrigue comes from trying to figure out who the bad guys are. Co-creators and executive producers Shawn Ryan (The Shield) and Karl Gajdusek (Dead Like Me) answered our showrunner survey to explain why we should book a trip to the Last Resort.

Exclusive: Jimmy Kimmel's Head Writers Give the Backstory to This Year's Emmy Gags
Jimmy Kimmel Live! co-head writers Molly McNearney (who in her spare time is also Kimmel's fiancée) and Gary Greenberg gave us some exclusive tidbits on how this year's Emmy laughs came together, from the opening sketch to Kimmel's Tracy Morgan/Twitter stunt.

Exclusive: Garry Marshall Eyes a Return to TV with Fox Project
Three decades after Garry Marshall dominated TV with the likes of Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley and Mork & Mindy, he's just sold a new TV project to Fox with his son Scott Marshall.

Network Honchos Survey the New TV Season
The next few weeks will be rough for the networks, as they parse what works — and what doesn't — among this year's crop of new shows. We asked the five broadcast network heads, plus a few key cable bosses, to give us their thoughts on what will big on the small screen -- including their picks for sleeper hit, stars to watch, the show they'd love to steal from another network, and more.

Nicki Minaj and Keith Urban Join Mariah Carey and Randy Jackson on American Idol
My take on the long road to finding a new crop of judges for American Idol.

This Year's Emmy Awards Burning Questions
Heading into this year's Emmy awards, some of the races to watch.

Network Q&A: AMC's Charlie Collier on Breaking Bad, Mad Men and His Big Year
AMC is having a moment. Breaking Bad ended the first half of its final season with some of its best ratings ever, while AMC's top-rated The Walking Dead returns on Oct. 14. With so much going on, AMC president Charlie Collier talked to TV Guide Magazine about his network's fortunes.

Exclusive: Community's Donald Glover Develops New Sitcom at NBC
It looks like Donald Glover will be engaging in some extracurricular work outside of Greendale Community College. The Community star, who plays former high school quarterback-turned-air conditioning repair annex recruit Troy Barnes, is developing a new show for NBC with 30 Rock co-executive producer Matt Hubbard.

Watch My Show: Guys With Kids' Jimmy Fallon and Charlie Grandy Answer Our Showrunner Survey
For his leap into primetime as an executive producer, late night host Jimmy Fallon partnered up with his former Saturday Night Live colleague Charlie Grandy (as well as Amy Ozols) to create the new NBC sitcom Guys With Kids. Fallon and Grandy explain why these Guys are dolls.

Exclusive: Producer Change at the Top of Fox’s Ben and Kate
Fox's new comedy Ben and Kate, which is already earning early positive buzz from critics, will move forward without two of its executive producers. Garrett Donovan and Neil Goldman, who joined the comedy in May as showrunners, have departed to focus on their own series development.

Exclusive: Animal Planet Renews Call of the Wildman for Season 2
Yi yi yi, Animal Planet's "Turtleman" has just snapped up a second season renewal. The network ordered 20 more half-hour episodes of its new hit series Call of the Wildman for air in 2013.

Fox Lands New Comedy From Bill Lawrence and Creator of $#*! My Dad Says
Cougar Town creator Bill Lawrence is partnering with Justin Halpern — the writer who turned his Twitter feed into the short-lived CBS sitcom $#*! My Dad Says — to develop a new comedy at Fox.

Man of the Year: Jimmy Kimmel on the Emmys, Oprah and Going Head-to-Head With Leno and Letterman
My big Jimmy Kimmel cover story: It's hard to believe that Kimmel has much time to sit down anyway — or eat or sleep, for that matter. The ABC late-night host is in the middle of the biggest year of his show, and, quite possibly, his life. So far in 2012, Kimmel has made nice (and become pals!) with Oprah Winfrey; hosted the White House Correspondents Dinner to great reviews (including high marks from the president); was tapped to host the 64th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards; subsequently scored the show's first-ever Emmy nomination for variety series; and even got engaged to girlfriend Molly McNearney, the show's co-head writer, while on vacation in South Africa. "And," he quips, "I'm pregnant."

How Primetime Is Getting A Little Bit Country
Analysis: Nashville, the city, and Nashville, the country music industry, are expecting big things from Nashville, the new fall drama from ABC. The serialized drama, which stars Connie Britton as an country singer juggling her home life and struggling to remain a relevant artist, might not have made it on the air a few years ago. But just as country music is moving toward the mainstream, the mainstream is gravitating toward country music — and TV execs, hungry for audiences, are eager to tap into country's loyal fan base.

MTV Explains Why The Situation and His Jersey Shore Pals Had to Go
G-T-Later! Jersey Shore is still a ratings smash, even though audience levels have dipped from its 2011 high. But MTV programming executive vice president Chris Linn tells TV Guide Magazine that it was time for the show to retire anyway.

Robin Williams Looking to Return to TV, Teams With David E. Kelley For Comedy
Shazbot! Robin Williams could be making a return to TV, where he famously got his start 30 years ago as the lovable alien from Ork on Mork & Mindy. The actor is in talks to team up with writer David E. Kelley to develop The Crazy Ones, a comedy about an aging but brilliant advertising exec.

The Inside Story on How NBC Landed Michael J. Fox
Backstory: It's back to the future for the sitcom king, who once again feels up to the task — and is returning to TV in a big way. NBC, where Fox became a superstar in the 1980s as young conservative icon Alex P. Keaton on Family Ties, has given a rare 22-episode guarantee (before a lick of film is even shot) to a new sitcom based on Fox's life.

Watch My Show: Up To Speed's Richard Linklater and Speed Levitch Answer Our Showrunner Survey
For his first foray into episodic TV, director Richard Linklater (Dazed and Confused, School of Rock) has partnered with a true original: Eccentric tour guide and historian Timothy "Speed" Levitch. Their new Hulu series Up to Speed is an unconventional travel show that follows Levitch as he explores unusual attractions across America — such as the "luckiest subway grate" in New York and the "shoe gardens" of San Francisco.

Watch My Show: Gravity Falls' Alex Hirsch Answers Our Showrunner Survey
It's The X-Files meets Twin Peaks — but animated, and for kids. Disney Channel's Gravity Falls may be unlike any other cartoon out there. Jason Ritter and Kristen Schaal play Dipper and Mabel Pines, siblings who are forced to spend the summer with their eccentric great-uncle in a town where very weird things happen. Creator Alex Hirsch says he conceives each episode like a "little movie," as the show explores its versions of urban legends. We asked him to scare up some reasons why we should investigate Gravity Falls.

Summer Movie Blockbusters Still Rule on Cable
Analysis: FX is known mostly for its original series, from Sons of Anarchy and Justified to Louie and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. But as much as 80 percent of the cable network's schedule is still devoted to theatrical movies — which is why FX execs have been on a blockbuster buying spree again this summer.

Backstage at the Primetime Emmys

Another year covering the Emmys, and this year I was once again stationed backstage to watch the show and also keep an eye on winners as they headed into the press room. A few dull winners, a few surprise choices, and a good night for Showtime's "Homeland" -- as well as for 20th Century Fox TV, the studio behind both "Homeland" and "Modern Family." If you're not sick of Emmy coverage yet, I talked to Jimmy Kimmel's head writers to get the backstory on this year's Emmy gags; read about it here. Below, a few shots from this year's awards.


Amazing Race's Bertram van Munster and Elise Doganieri outside Nokia, hoping for their 9th Emmy.


Bitter rivals, right next to each other: ET and Access Hollywood press booths backstage.


Guillermo from "Jimmy Kimmel Live," backstage at the Emmys.


Supporting actor winner Eric Stonestreet kicks off "Modern Family's" dominant night at the Emmys.


Supporting actress Emmy winner Julie Bowen.


Comedy actress winner Julia Louis-Dreyfus.


Another win for "The Amazing Race"!


Louis C.K. took home two Emmys on Sunday night.


Sofia Vergara and the cast and producers of "Modern Family."


Emmy winner Claire Danes speaks as she's flanked by the cast and producers of "Homeland."


Winners Tom Berenger and Kevin Costner ("Hatfields and McCoys") back stage.


John Legend performs at Showtime's Saturday night party.

The Philiminator Rides Across America

Yep, that's our TV pal Phil Keoghan -- the "Amazing Race's" Philiminator -- plotting a bike ride across the country, starting tomorrow. Keoghan will kick off the ride at 9:15 a.m. this Saturday in Santa Monica. Other bike riders will join him for an MS-sponsored ride -- but Phil will break off at the Rose Bowl and keep on going to Victorville (for a total of 116 miles in Day 1).

Phil, who's still going forward with the stunt, despite recently rupturing his eardrum, will bike from Los Angeles to New York in a ride that will span 40 days and more than 3,500 miles. He'll average 100 miles per day and stop in 39 different cities.

Here are the scheduled city stops:
Saturday, 3/28: Los Angeles
Sunday, 3/29: Victorville, Calif.
Monday, 3/30: Baker, Calif.
Tuesday, 3/31: Las Vegas
Wednesday, 4/1: Caliente, Nev.
Thursday, 4/2: Cedar City, Utah
Friday, 4/3: Kanab, Utah
Saturday, 4/4: Page, Ariz.
Sunday, 4/5: Kayenta, Ariz.
Monday, 4/6: Cortez, Colo.
Tuesday, 4/7: Pagosa Springs, Colo.
Wednesday, 4/8: Saguache, Colo.
Thursday, 4/9: Fairplay, Colo.
Friday, 4/10: Denver (REST DAY)
Saturday, 4/11: Denver
Sunday, 4/12: Fort Morgan, Colo.
Monday, 4/13: Wray, Colo.
Tuesday, 4/14: McCook, Neb.
Wednesday, 4/15: Holdrege, Neb.
Thursday, 4/16: Sutton, Neb.
Friday, 4/17: Lincoln, Neb.
Saturday, 4/18: Omaha, Neb.
Sunday, 4/19: Atlantic, Iowa
Monday, 4/20: Des Moines, Iowa
Tuesday, 4/21: Iowa City, Iowa
Wednesday, 4/22: Davenport, Iowa
Thursday, 4/23: Rochelle, Ill.
Friday, 4/24: Chicago (REST DAY)
Saturday, 4/25: Chicago
Sunday, 4/26: Plymouth, Ind.
Monday, 4/27: Fort Wayne, Ind.
Tuesday, 4/28: Lima, Ohio
Wednesday, 4/29: Columbus, Ohio
Thursday, 4/30: Dennison, Ohio
Friday, 5/1: Pittsburgh (REST DAY)
Saturday, 5/2: Pittsburgh
Sunday, 5/3: Frostburg, Md.
Monday, 5/4: Hagerstown, Md.
Tuesday, 5/5: Washington, D.C.
Wednesday, 5/6: Baltimore
Thursday, 5/7: Philadelphia
Friday, 5/8: New York (END CITY)

Says CBS: "Along the way, he'll attend meet and greets with supporters at local GNC stores, visit CBS affiliates, attend open-casting calls for the next installment of THE AMAZING RACE, sign copies of his best-selling book No Opportunity Wasted, and ride alongside ex-Racers and fans of THE AMAZING RACE. He will also be participating in rallies hosted by the National MS Society to build awareness for Bike MS and the MS movement."

Mid-Evening Madness at the Egyptian

The American Cinematheque is throwing a massive scavenger hunt on Saturday, May 10, followed by a screening of early 1980s cult fave "Midnight Madness." The movie takes place in and around Los Angeles.

What?! You've never heard of "Midnight Madness"? Did you not have HBO in the early 1980s? The pay channel ran the sprokets off this movie.

"Midnight Madness" wound up -- as much as "The Amazing Race" -- being the inspiration for my 2003 race and 2004 race around Los Angeles. In the movie, teams hit spots all over L.A. -- including the old Pabst brewery, the old Johnie's on Wilshire, and the Bonaventure -- in one big overnight race.

The Cinematheque will be throwing its own race (run by The Go Game on Saturday, May 10, from 3:45 to 6 p.m. After a dinner break, winners will be announced, and the movie unspooled. Here are the details:

The American Cinematheque partners with The Go Game for a movie-scavenger
hunt combo! This fast-paced, high-tech, real-life adventure game is like nothing you've ever experienced. Solve clues and perform challenges as you scramble around Hollywood Boulevard for fun and prizes. Dinner break after the game and then the winners will be determined (7:30 - 8:00 PM) in front of the live audience, before the screening of MIDNIGHT MADNESS (details below). Play the game with MIDNIGHT MADNESS director David Wechter.

Movie and scavenger hunt are $32; $28 for members. Regular ticket prices apply for just the movie -- which, by the way, is Michael J. Fox's cinematic debut.

We're Five! And... The Return of The Race

Has it already been five years since we launched Franklin Avenue?!

The blog launched as part of my 2003 New Year's resolution. I'd been meaning to start one for quite some time, and finally, at the start of 2003, made a goal of (a) Launching a blog and (b) talking KCSN into giving me a radio show. I'm still busy with both: Not a bad year for resolutions. (I haven't been as strong with my weight loss resolution in 2008.)

Maria came up with the name "Franklin Avenue" -- after the street we lived on at the time. On March 3, 2003, I finally signed up with Blogger -- and we were off.

A lot has changed in our lives since we first started: Home ownership, and of course, the appearance of the Blogger Toddler, for starters. In the meantime, Maria scored a Grammy nomination and I whored it up constantly on TV. We also somehow managed to review more than 160 restaurants (although, considering the ones we never got around to reviewing, that number should be 200 by now).

There was also the wake for the Ambassador Hotel; two all-day urban hikes down Wilshire and Pico; two "Amazing Race" style battles around Los Angeles; and a eating gathering at P.E. Cole's.

You helped us name the Blogger Toddler; you also hopefully made a fortune by placing money on the BT's unprecedented 12 consecutive correct picks. (Sadly, he's since retired, going out with a perfect record.)

To celebrate, as Maria hinted last week, we're dusting off the Race... but with a twist. This time, we're inviting L.A. bloggers -- and we're putting together the teams. More details will be announced shortly, including a firm date -- but it will likely be the final Saturday of April.

Interested in either competing, or in helping out with the behind-the-scenes fun (we need people to help plan and execute challenges!)? Email us at franklin_avenue@yahoo.com.

"The Amazing Race" Finale: Who Will Win?

If you've been watching "The Amazing Race" this season, then you'd have to admit, it's the best competition the show has seen in a while. The characters may not be quite as compelling as past seasons, but I think the show has at least got its race mojo back. In recent seasons, it seemed as if teams would constantly be bunched up and equalized, and the tasks got easier.

It's still not quite as great as the first few seasons, but "The Amazing Race" felt a little more like a competition this time. And what's great is two of the most unlikely finalists are now racing for the million bucks: Ron and Christina, and Nicholas and Donald. (I suppose even easy-going TK and Rachel could be unlikely finalists, because they're just so mellow.)

Who do you think's gonna win it all on Sunday? Take the poll below:

Maria's Thursday Three

1. Not So Amazing Goths: I was so dissapointed that Goths Kynt and Vyxsin were eliminated on the last episode of The Amazing Race. Why they didn't yield Team Bickering Couple will forever be a mystery. And the slow realization that Jennifer and Nathan might just win the race annoys me. I'm now pulling for Nicolas and Donald to win, even though I thought they would be the first ones to get eliminated. Maybe doing something drastic like getting a tattoo for the race will give them good karma.

2. Rose Parade Aftermath: Driving down Colorado Blvd. on New Year's Day made me so angry, as people who camped out just left all their trash on the street. What a disgusting sight seeing trash everywhere. No wonder the businesses along the boulevard take extra precaution to use chain-link fences to protect their property.


3. Fomato Cards: Our friend Emmie is the creator of the very clever Fomato Cards. Go ahead, check her fun site and see samples of her greeting cards. When I see them at the store, I want to buy each and every one to give to people.