Amazing Race
“The Amazing Race” will be returning to CBS for a 30th season, and these are 5 ways the show can commemorate such a landmark. CBS

After seeming like it could be on the bubble and at risk of cancellation after 29 seasons, CBS has given “The Amazing Race” another chance to bring fans around the world in pursuit of a $1 million prize.

According to Variety, the reality competition series, which has won 15 Emmy Awards since its 2001 debut, will be back for a 30th season, though it is unclear if it will debut in the Fall this year, or if the show will be limited to a once a year format. However, it does note that the current installment, which featured teams consisting of all strangers, has seen some decent ratings, with an average 6.5 million viewers and a 1.5 in adults 18-49.

The show’s success this season could be attributed to the new concept with the teams, but it may also be benefiting from the new timeslot it received as well. Previously on both Sunday and Friday nights at 8 p.m., the show has since been given a Thursdays at 10 p.m. timeslot in the current season, and though most of the ratings may be coming from on-demand views, it’s still performing reliably enough, which led to the decision to bring it back for a 30th installment.

Read: Which “Amazing Race” Team Will Be Eliminated In Hanoi?

Of course, fans of the show would love to have a guarantee that it will also be back longer, but the new season will be a landmark one, meaning the producers should think of something great when it comes to celebrating the show’s success. Here are five ideas for how they can commemorate the 30th season:

A New Cast Of Complete Strangers:

Fans have been mixed about the decision to create teams of perfect strangers in Season 29, with some loving how it’s turned out, while others have hated it. Though not everyone loves the concept, overall the teams have proven to be some of the most interesting ones in show history. While some pairings seemed to make perfect sense (Matt and Redmond, Francesca and Jessie, Tara and Joey to name a few), others seemed like complete oddball match-ups (Mike and Liz, Ashton and Vanck). Sure enough, this has made for a more entertaining look at the season, as the incredible differences in personalities and character have led to some of the teams seeming to self-destruct on every episode. With the entertainment value that this has provided, it would make sense for the show to try that again.

A New All-Stars Season:

All-Star pairings have usually done well for the show, bringing back fan favorite racers and teams that everyone loved to hate for a second chance at the million dollar prize. However, as much as fans did like seeing people like Harlem Globetrotters Flight Time and Big Easy, and cowboy brothers Jet and Cord, it also became tiring seeing the same teams more than twice. Since Season 24 was the last time the show brought racers of the past back, they’d have a gold mine to choose from when it comes to mining for returning teams from Seasons 25-29. Among some favorites for a perfect season would be Kym and Alli (Season 25); Hayley and Blair and Mike and Rochelle (Season 26); Justin and Diana, Tiffany and Krista and Denise and James Earl (Season 27); Liz and Mike from Season 29, and if they are also eliminated during the current season, Becca and Floyd (#TeamFun).

A Different Twist On A “Love” Season:

When the show tried to force matches in Season 26 with blind dates, it was a disaster because not a single match went on to find love. However, seeing Hayley and Blair fight it out every episode was incredibly entertaining. And, as Season 29 has proven, love connections can still form on the show, with Logan Bauer and Sara Fowler currently dating. If the show tried again with the love story angle, it would need a different approach. Making a race of all blind date couples who get to choose their partners (instead of being forced together like they were the first time) could actually work, because it combines the potential elements of both seasons 26 and 29 that did work.

All Older Teams:

Younger teams tend to usually fare best on the show, with most winning pairs featuring at least one winner who was under the age of 40. Yet, there have been some older contestants throughout the seasons who have proven that age is truly just a number. Why not a season of teams that all consist of older pairs? It’d be interesting to watch as they apply the kinds of real world experiences that younger teams simply don’t have to the Race (like Tara and Joey are currently doing on Season 29), and could go a long way to remove the stigma that some who want to participate on the show may feel, since there’s usually a bigger focus on teams that skew younger in age.

More Than One Winner:

The ultimate goal of “The Amazing Race” is to be the first team to cross the finish line in the final leg and to win $1 million. But it would be an incredibly awesome and amazing twist if there could be more than one winning team in the end. While giving out two $1 million prizes might be excessive, it would be nice to see other teams who make the final and cross the finish line something other than a basic “well done” and a pat on the back. It’s especially heart breaking to see a team that never placed first in a prior leg make it all the way to the final and still walk away with no prizes (most recently with Sheri and Cole in Season 28). Giving another team a chance to win something at the end—and most importantly unveiling it as a surprise for both viewers and the Racers themselves, would be an awesome twist that no one ever saw coming.

While we may still be waiting a while for Season 30, fans can still keep up with the action by watching Season 29, which currently airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. EDT on CBS.

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