China Rush!

Amazing Race heads into China

The CBS reality adventure format The Amazing Race is to be produced locally in China and will air this summer, Disney-ABC International Television Asia Pacific has confirmed.

The company has signed a rights deal with Shanghai Media Group (SMG), under which the Chinese firm will produce a 12-episode weekly series, titled China Rush, to air from August. Disney will provide consultation to the production team at SMG.

The season finale will air in October 2010, to coincide with the end of the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai. The show will be telecast in English, with Chinese subtitles, on SMG’s International Channel Shanghai (ICS) network.

"China Rush will showcase the best of Chinese culture, cities, cuisine and cordiality; as participants travel far and wide across our great nation throughout the gameshow," said Xu Hao, assistant president of SMG.

This isn't the first time the format was been produced locally in Asia. Disney and Sony Pictures Television's AXN Asia channel announced an Asian edition of the race, billed as The Amazing Race Asia, back in 2006. The format has also been localised by Discovery Channel in Latin America.

I want to join! Biggest dream ever! :)) I don't mind if it's just China we'll be touring. It's a TAR franchise so it's basically just the same! And you don't have to be Chinese to join. Any nationality, as long as you speak English. And you have to be 18 years old. Perfect.

God! Waah! I need to learn how to drive now! And have Shobe teach me Mandarin! AND lose weight! HAHAHA! I need to look good on TV!

I want! I want! Waaah!