(Photo: CBS)

The Amazing Race is returning later this month with its milestone 35th season, but CBS has season 36 filmed and ready to go.

When the network approached executive producers Bertram van Munster and Elise Doganieri and host Phil Keoghan about airing supersized episodes of the competition series (to fill more time on the schedule due to the ongoing actors and writers strikes), that presented a problem.

The episodes had already been assembled and it would be difficult to pad them to make 90 minutes each. So, the three went to work and decided to film an entirely new set of episodes.

The episodes filmed in Fall 2022, which had already been created, will now air later as season 36. The supersized episode season that will launch later this month was just filmed in the past few months.

Doganieri said the following about the move, per Variety:

“When Bertram and I started scouting locations in March [2023], we went out there knowing that we were going to have these mega-sized episodes. We wanted to put more locations in, include more creative. We’re going to let the story play out a little more, get to know the relationships between contestants a little better. We always feel that there’s so much that we don’t get to show in the series because we have to cut it down for the one-hour episodes. Now we have a little more breathing room.”

There are some changes in addition to the episode length as well. Viewers will see 13 teams this season and every leg of the race will have an elimination. Commercial flights are also returning this season after COVID forced a switch to charter planes in the middle of season 33. The “Express Pass” and the “U-Turn” twists have also returned.

Doganieri said the following about the series having more teams this season:

“We like 13 teams. It also gives us the possibility to do no non-eliminations. There is an elimination every leg of the race. There’s no security blanket anymore. You will be eliminated if you’re last every leg of the race. Again, it’s upping the ante, keeping the energy up. There’s no downtime.”

As for the return of commercial flights, Keoghan said the following:

“Right out of the gate, they’re fighting to get on the best flights. That aspect is something that the viewers missed. I’m definitely excited to have that element back, that randomness, the ability to change up the lead. Instead of just guaranteeing them a comfortable seat on charter.”

Keoghan also spoke about the network expanding the series to 90 minutes

“I think to have it start at 9:30 p.m. and then pull people over into that hour, you’re going to get a different kind of momentum. Now people are going to be like, ‘Okay, Wednesday night’s our special night.’ I’m keen to see what’s going to happen. The thing that excites me the most about the 90 minutes is that we can open things up a little bit. Why this place, why we’re doing what we’re doing, why we’re sharing this experience with the teams.”

The Amazing Race returns for its 35th season on September 27th. Season 36 is expected to air in 2024.

What do you think? Are you excited to see the longer 90-minute episodes of The Amazing Race this fall on CBS?