September 2008 saw CBS series The Amazing Race continue to be the sole winner ever of the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Reality Competition Program, having won it six consecutive years since that Award’s inception. And the show’s total seven Primetime Emmys were recently joined by the Asian Television Award Best Adaptation of an Existing Format for The Amazing Race Asia 3, produced for Sony Pictures Entertainment Asia by activeTV Asia. A new category for 2008, the format presumably intends to make that category its own as it has done with the Emmy. In early 2003, van Munster created and was executive producer of critically-acclaimed ABC reality series, Profiles from the Front Line, which put a human face on the war on terrorism by profiling the brave men and women of the armed forces. Before that, he created and executive produced Paramount’s syndicated adventure series Wild Things; and prior to that served as producer on over 300 half-hour episodes and three one-hour specials of Fox Broadcasting’s long-running prime time series, Cops. So having been in the industry for so long, and with so many successful shows behind him, why is van Munster’s programming better known to the public than the man himself? “I don’t know, maybe you can help change that and make me a star!” he laughs, saying that his shows’ success speak volumes more than beating his own chest ever could. Assenting that letting the programmes speak for themselves certainly seems to agree with the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, who vote for the Emmys, van Munster says he is much better known in the business than to the viewing public. “Shows I’ve made have never lost money, and The Amazing Race (alongside Survivor) are acknowledged as the two shows that jumpstarted reality TV as we know it.” The Amazing Race’s co-creator Elise Doganieri is van Munster’s partner in both senses of the word, and they recently collaborated to executive produce Oprah’s Big Give. Bertram fondly recollects his first encounter with Elise, over a painting that had to be carried across the street of New York’s Soho district. He also proudly shows me a photo of their latest co-creation, a new baby, “Isn’t that insane?” Now approaching its fourteenth season, van Munster says he’s never missed a single leg of The Amazing Race. “I’m very hands-on, logistically, financially; I like to ensure the quality is not only consistent, but continues to improve – even after so many seasons. My style is very different, this is true reality with a different way of casting and reflective of my energy,” he says, explaining that the cameras go into the heart of the action – rather than the action being manipulated to suit the cameras. Asked whether the show is ‘staged’ to trigger certain reactions, van Munster says most of the drama is inherent in the existing relationship between the two-person teams – hence the importance of the casting process. “We were the first show to have two people competing as a team, rather than individuals pitted against each other. The phrase ‘pre-existing relationship’ is key to a team’s watchability, it’s their chemistry and how they get along under increasing pressure that’s really interesting to watch.” He says it’s also been a huge part of the show’s success, because people’s personalities are revealed much quicker if they are with someone they know (for better or for worse) – rather than other formats where people might try and conceal their true selves, try to re-invent themselves for the camera, or just take longer to warm up – “By which time you might be into the third or fourth episode and the viewer may have lost interest already.” Sparks flying between estranged couples, siblings, parents and children, the newly-dating and ‘gym-buddies’ has been the staple of The Amazing Race; a format that has remained largely unchanged (apart from a family edition and an all-star version) in its 13 seasons thus far. Far from being staged, van Munster says it’s the sheer unpredictability of the show that has made it such a success, and so nerve-wracking to work on. “Our camera people are the front-line, they are directors in their own right, they have the freedom to go with the action rather than having to wait to be told what to do.” On the topic of contestants, how does he feel about the ‘wannabes’ accused of taking the real out of reality by the very fact that they want to be famous? “Over the years, we’ve helped spawn a whole new industry of ‘professional’ reality stars, who are now famous whether that was their original intention or not. And yes, our casting people, who are phenomenal by the way, need to be able to consider contestants’ motives for auditioning – but above all teams need to be relatable – and have that chemistry that makes them watchable.” van Munster also has a long-standing partnership with Jerry Bruckheimer on The Amazing Race – as well as other projects on the horizon. “At the moment a lot of stuff is pretty stale, so we’re looking at something that’s a 90 degree departure from what can be duplicated.” Unwilling to be pushed any further than this, “It’s a very, very large project that would start everywhere at the same time…” van Munster’s concluding remarks on the reality genre, “If we want to keep reality alive it needs to be less manipulated.” TVAplus