There’s no doubt that the executives as well as the production staff and contestants of the Australian version of The Amazing Race have proven wrong all the skeptics that it could match the hype of becoming one of the most-watched and long-running reality television worldwide.

Hours after its first episode aired on Channel 7 Australia Monday night, The Amazing Race Australia has gone abuzz on the social networking sites with some Twitter users giving the program their big thumb ups, including those cynical that the show can deliver.

But the numbers were talking.

Though short on the target ratings earlier set by Channel 7 at 1.5 million, AdelaideNow.Com.au is reporting that the opening series of the reality show recorded an outstanding 1.26 million viewers.

The Amazing Race Australia came third in the overall rating for the major programs Monday evening. And it did well on the ratings relative to the shows in the first two spots - - Channel Nine’s Come Fly With Me and Channel Ten’s MasterChef.

The viewership share made by The Amazing Race Australia was on a par with the results raked in by the night’s top two winners: Come Fly With Me which debuted with 1.49 million viewers and MasterChef which recorded 1.57 million viewers tuned in Monday night.

AdelaideNow.Com.au noted that The Amazing Race Australia fell short of the target by over two million viewers. But this doesn’t mean that Australians were not happy with the way the local version is presented judging by the reactions they posted on Twitter.

The following are some of the positive feedback received by The Amazing Race in its opening series, according to the AdelaideNow.Com.au:

Toddsmith: "Amazing Race was awesome, definitely going to keep watching, hardly watch tv."

DoctorDazza:"Loving the production quality on (The Amazing Race Australia ) actually making me proud for the Aus TV industry."

Do you share DoctorDazza’s take on The Amazing Race Australia? Does it also make you proud? Will you also be watching the show like Toddsmith?

Also READ:
“The Amazing Race” goes Down Under

'The Amazing Race Australia' begins tonight on Seven

Tell us what you think. Share your comments below.

Click the video for a quick peek of what you missed on the first episode of The Amazing Race Australia. This is part one of seven of the first episode of the first season of the show aired on Channel 7 last Monday, May 16. Hosted by Grant Bowler, The Amazing Race Australia airs on Channel 7 Monday nights at 8:30p.m.

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