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Debuting in 1997, the show saw eight “racers” selected from thousands of applicants to receive a crash course in filmmaking and be sent backpacking around the world with video cameras to record what they saw. Their resulting short films were then screened and judged each week. While it was a breakout hit and launched the media careers of many of its participants, the original iteration of the show ran for just two seasons, ending in 1998 due to the costs and logistics involved with sending eight contestants to far-flung areas across the world alone. Interest in the show’s initial run was reignited recently when a March episode of Australian Story reunited contestants from the first season to speak about the highs and lows of the competition. “I was just thrown into this thing and had to work it out,” said John Safran, who was working as an advertising copywriter but soon became the first season’s breakout star – and parlayed his attention-grabbing short films into a successful career as a comedian, author and filmmaker. “I just knew I wanted to do something odd or funny but I hadn’t worked it out yet.” The show’s original host Richard Fidler called its success “one of those really happy accidents in TV history.” And surprisingly given today’s news, some involved with the original series insisted on Australian Story that the show would not work today. “I don’t think Race Around the World would work just because of the way technology works now,” said David Caesar, who served as a judge on the original series. “You don’t need to have access to a television station or whatever. You can go out with your mobile phone and film a story, edit it on the phone itself, and then broadcast it through YouTube or any of the other video sites.” Host Richard Fidler agreed that a reboot wouldn’t work, saying that “identity politics would be lathered over the whole thing.” “Like, should you have gotten that kind of person? Does that person have the right to tell that story? I think we live in a kind of culturally constipated moment that wouldn’t want that.” The ABC clearly thinks a revival has legs, and has today put the call out for “the next big filmmakers, content creators and storytellers from across Australia” to apply for this reboot of the series. “If you have curiosity, creativity, and the courage to produce a film every 10 days for 100 days across 10 different countries, this is your sign. A chance to captivate audiences with your imagination, voice and vision on a national scale awaits,” reads the callout, encouraging people to apply online. ABC Head of Entertainment, Rachel Millar said in a statement that she was “thrilled to bring back this iconic series to Australian audiences — to reignite that sense of creative adventure and champion a new generation of storytellers is really exciting.” Race Around the World will premiere on the ABC next year.
