Throng

Australians are proving they are ready to conquer the world with unprecedented interest in the hit reality show, The Amazing Race Australia.

In just over a week since announcing Aussie travellers would have the chance to navigate the globe in a local version of the Emmy award-winning show, 100,000 potential contestants have visited Channel Seven’s official casting website.

“The level of interest in The Amazing Race Australia is just extraordinary. We knew the show had a huge number of fans, but we've been blown away by just how many of them want to compete in the race,” says executive producer Trent Chapman.

Applications close on September 6. For further information and to apply visit www.yahoo7.com.au/amazingrace.

The Amazing Race Australia is a Disney format and will be produced in conjunction with Active TV.

Auditions are now open for ‘The Amazing Race Australia’

Disney Media Distribution Asia Pacific has signed an agreement with Channel Seven to produce a local version of the Emmy award winning ‘The Amazing Race’ series for the first time ever in Australia.

As a part of this agreement, Disney and Seven are collaborating to produce a world-class Australian version of one of the most universally popular reality competition shows ever. The series will feature teams comprising Australian couples and will be shot in various locations around the world. Production will commence later this year. Australia joins other countries and regions including Asia, Brazil, China, Israel and Latin America in producing a local version of the worldwide smash hit reality show.

True Blood renewed for fourth season

Vampire series True Blood has been renewed for a fourth season by HBO following a strong start to the third in the US. The new season will kick-off next year in th US.

Phil Keoghan's new race

The Amazing Race host Phil Keoghan is set to host a new race series profiling the Velux 5 Ocean race. The yachting competition, which sees skippers attempt to sail their racing yachts around the world, will be filmed and packaged in a reality/documentary format.

Charice does join Glee

Rumours a few weeks ago suggested teen pop star Charice was about to join Glee and as it turns out they were true. The Filipina singer has landed a recurring role on the series as a foreign exchange student who is set to rival Rachel’s talent.

9:30pm - Thursday, June 10 on Seven

- season finale

- "THEY DON'T EVEN UNDERSTAND THEIR OWN LANGUAGE" (SHANGHAI) AND "HUGER THAN HUGE" (SAN FRANCISCO)

The 16th season of THE AMAZING RACE concludes tonight - which team will take home the million dollar prize?!

The Final 4 teams struggle with the language barrier in Shanghai while sorting through hundreds of golden Buddhas and thousands of Chinese stamps in their pursuit for a spot in the Final 3.

Then, with the million-dollar prize on the line, Racers come face-to-face with Darth Vader, and Teams drop all pretense of friendliness after a cut in line cuts into another Team's time while an angry confrontation awaits another at the finish line.

Emmy Award-Winning THE AMAZING RACE received its seventh consecutive Emmy for Outstanding Reality Competition Program in 2009. The series is hosted by PHIL KEOGHAN.

9:30pm - Thursday, June 3 on Seven

- double episode

- "DUMB DID US IN" (SINGAPORE) AND "I FEEL LIKE I'M IN, LIKE, SICILY" (SHANGHAI)

A season-long feud culminates with a U-Turn and a venomous reaction in Singapore, on this week's AMAZING RACE double.

Tempers and tensions flare when Racers place a target on one Team's back, and feuds come to a head when a U-turn comes into play.

After noodling their way through their first Roadblock, Teams are forced to complete a second Roadblock, and the fate of two Teams lies in the hands of confused cabbies.

The Emmy Award-Winning THE AMAZING RACE received its seventh consecutive Emmy for Outstanding Reality Competition Program in 2009. The series is hosted by PHIL KEOGHAN.

Some major changes on the horizon for programming at Seven with numerous season finales occurring in coming weeks.

The Pacific - Final Wednesday June 2, 8.30pm

Bones - Season finale Sunday June 6, 9.30pm

Castle - Season finale Sunday June 6, 8.30pm

30 Rock - Season finale Sunday June 6, 11.30pm (but airs as a double episode from 11pm)

Surf Patrol - Season finale Wednesday June 9, 8pm.

The Amazing Race - Season finale, Thursday June 10, 9.30pm (airs as a double until 11.30pm).

Brothers and Sisters - Season finale Monday June 14, 9.30pm

Australia's Got Talent Grand Final - Tuesday June 15, 7.30pm

Private Practice - Season finale Tuesday June 15, 9.30pm in a double episode

Flashforward - Final Thursday June 24, 11.30pm

Grey’s Anatomy - Season finale Tuesday June 22, 8.30pm in a double episode (tbc)

And over on 7TWO:

9:30pm - Thursday, May 27 on Seven

- double episode

- "ANONYMOUS" (SEYCHELLES) AND "YOU'RE LIKE JASON BOURNE, RIGHT?" (MALAYSIA)

Team race to the Syechelles and get a breathtaking view of island paradise from above the ground and under the sea, this week on THE AMAZING RACE.

And Malaysia greets our racers with vibrant colours and scorching heat as Teams learn that luck has no loyalty in a sweat-drenched test of endurance where they must choose to face a 153-step climb or take a 35-foot-high lesson in Chingay.

The Emmy Award-Winning THE AMAZING RACE received its seventh consecutive Emmy for Outstanding Reality Competition Program in 2009. The series is hosted by PHIL KEOGHAN.

The past week saw Seven win their first week of ratings over Nine since Easter. The win has for the most part been attributed to the huge share the network on Friday night by showing live AFL into Melbourne. Losses in previous weeks have been mostly due to Seven’s poor Thursday night performance where, since AFL show The Bounce was rested, the network has shown different programming in different markets.

In the NRL markets, the Matty Johns Show remains at 7.30pm while the AFL markets see UK comedy the Vicar of Dibley. At 8.30, the NRL markets get Criminal Minds repeats while the AFL markets were given another UK comedy - Benidorm - to try. These programs are then followed by double episodes of the Amazing Race with Flashforward wrapping up the night after 11.30pm.

9:30pm - Thursday, May 20 on Seven

- double episode

- "I THINK WE'RE FIGHTING THE GERMANS RIGHT?" (FRANCE)

Racers become their own worst enemy on a French battlefield where short tempers and arrogance could lead to their demise, on this weeks AMAZING RACE double.

A World War I reenactment - complete with air attacks, gunfire and explosions - tests the Racers' nerves, and one Team finds that their cocky attitude may cost them dearly when a Blind U-Turn comes into play.

Then champagne on the brain leads racers to the wrong city, and one team's position in the Race is secured by a roll of duct tape.

The Emmy Award-Winning THE AMAZING RACE received its seventh consecutive Emmy for Outstanding Reality Competition Program in 2009. The series is hosted by PHIL KEOGHAN.

9:30pm - Thursday, May 13 on Seven

- ARGENTINA

Racers are steered off course while racing through the expansive Argentinian countryside, this week on THE AMAZING RACE.

A Team is led astray when one Racer overestimates their ability to use a compass while another team rushes off the Race and into an emergency room.

The Emmy Award-Winning THE AMAZING RACE received its seventh consecutive Emmy for Outstanding Reality Competition Program in 2009. The series is hosted by PHIL KEOGHAN.

Seven are set to complicate Thursday night programming even further with a change in the AFL states.

The Vicar of Dibley remains at 7.30pm, but following the Vicar at 8.45pm will be Benidorm. Benidorm, previously scheduled for 7TWO but never shown, is set in the Spanish resort of the same name and exploit’s the typical working class Brits abroad. Benidorm makes more sense as a flow on program from Vicar of Dibley while Criminal Minds simply seemed out of place - especially seeing that the program was starting at 8.45 - 15 minutes after Nine, 15 before Ten - so lead in theory was really the only hope here.

Amazing Race remains at 9.45pm, in double episodes. The change is effective from Thursday May 20.

9:30pm - Thursday, May 6 on Seven

Chile gets chilly as racers sling insults, form alliances and face fickle livestock this week on THE AMAZING RACE.

A Roadblock turns into a recipe for pain when one Racer encounters a moody cow, and things turn sour when a newly formed alliance rubs teams the wrong way.

The Emmy Award-Winning THE AMAZING RACE received its seventh consecutive Emmy for Outstanding Reality Competition Program in 2009. The series is hosted by PHIL KEOGHAN.

Flashfoward is being pushed further and further back into a late night time slot as Seven schedules a double episode of Amazing Race for Thursday, May 13 and 20 from 9.30pm.

Last night (April 29), Flashforward aired in the 10.30 timeslot for the second week, with The Amazing race at 9.30pm. Flashforward - on the day that the show is all about flashing forward to - on managed to pick up 260,000 viewers while Amazing Race was watched by 626,000.

Updated: Flashforward 11.30pm from Thursday May 6.

Unless a programming amendment advises of the new Thursday night line up sooner (which is likely), Thursday night on Seven form May 13 will see double Amazing race from 9.30, with Flashforward from 11.30.

2010 certainly looks like the year to catch up on past seasons of Amazing Race.

Since April 6, at 1.30am Tue to Friday mornings, Arena has been screening season 10 of the Amazing Race. The finale of that season will be at 1.30am Tuesday 27.

At 1.30am, Wednesday April 28, Arena continues with season 11 - Amazing Race All Stars - the series that sees teams from the previous 10 seasons battle it out once again to reach the final pit stop.

Meanwhile, Arena is airing season 13 at 6.30pm Saturdays, and the latest season - 16 - comes to Seven at 9.30pm Thursday April 29.

That means, that for one week, there will have been four seasons of Amazing Race on air at once!

In summary:

Finally.

Amazing Race series 16 is coming to Seven.

After the poor performance of Flashforward this week (Thursday April 15), Flashforward will be pushed back to 10.30 from April 29, making way for the Amazing Race at 9.30pm, Thursdays. Next week, April 22, Flashforward is still scheduled at 9.30 for two hours.

In the US, series 16 is about to conclude - so if you don’t want to know any of the results, best to be careful on the internet especially around US based TV sites.

Series 16 on Seven comes just as series 10 concludes on Arena at 1.30am Tue-Fri mornings (its about half way through now, but will end prior to April 29) and as Arena are showing series 13 at 6.30pm Saturday nights.

Programming info: TV Tonight.