Amazing Race Heads to China

BEIJING: Shanghai Media Group has acquired the rights to produce its own version of the Emmy-winning reality series The Amazing Race, via a deal with Disney-ABC International Television.

Airing on CBS in the U.S., the show has already been successfully adapted in Asia by AXN, with three seasons completed and a fourth in the works. The Chinese version, China Rush, will run over 12 episodes and will be shot at locations across the country. DAIT is set to provide format expertise as well as consultation to the production team at SMG for the series, which premieres in August. The finale will air in October to coincide with the end of the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai. The show will air in English, with Chinese subtitles, on SMG’s International Channel Shanghai (ICS) network.

“The Shanghai Media Group is committed to bringing the best in entertainment to our audiences," said Xu Hao, assistant president of SMG. "Our programs capture the spirit and vitality of this vast country. 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 game show. Working with Disney enables us to adapt a popular global program format for our audiences in China."

Rob Gilby, senior VP and managing director of DAIT Asia Pacific, added: “The Walt Disney Company has a tradition of creating programs that resonate with viewers across the world. The Shanghai Media Group has established itself as a major producer and distributor serving the Chinese-speaking communities worldwide. China Rush is the optimal example of bringing our expertise to work successfully with SMG’s experience and capabilities to produce a world-class version of one of the most universally popular game shows ever.”
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