Relative Race

I don't normally watch reality tv and all the lame drama, but this shows rises above it all. It makes me laugh and cry. It is something we can watch and enjoy as a family. The contestants are so real and vulnerable as they search for and meet family. Love it!

Wholesome in every way, and a must-watch for the entire family. Four teams of 2 people - Red, Green, Blue and Black - have their DNA tested and it is used to find family members they have not met or have been estranged from for some reason. All of the teams have compelling back-stories, and every team's search is unique. Each of the first 9 episodes in the 10-episode season is spent traveling to meet these relatives. The teams are given a designated amount of time for travel, without smartphones or GPS, but plenty of good-old-fashioned paper maps. The team with the best time wins the week, while the team who goes over their allotted time the most receives a strike for that week. Once a team has accumulated 3 strikes, they must leave the race. After the teams reach their destination each week, the they must complete a "challenge," and are then given their relative's address. Then be ready with the tissues. The face-to-face meetings are often quite emotional, but in the end they grow family connections that help them complete their personal stories. Never a dull moment, and full of compassion and grace, this show delivers...EVERY. SINGLE. WEEK. During the last episode, the remaining teams with fewer than 3 strikes compete in a series of final challenges, and the winning team receives a prize of $50K. In the end though, they are all winners with the new family they find, and with the relationships they build with the other teams in a shared experience. Dan Debnath is an excellent host, and draws on the teams' emotional experiences each week as he recaps at the end of every episode, awarding wins and strikes as they video-chat together. We started watching during the first season, and look forward to every new season as they air. We are hooked, and each season is better than the last. Give this one a go - you will not be disappointed!

This is the one show we never miss. Our daughter and grandchildren love watching the tender meetings with family members. I'm thankful for he production crew and all their efforts. It's mind-boggling to think of the logistics for each show. We've followed it through all the seasons and will continue

We binged the first couple of seasons after stumbling across this show one evening. Since then, we have waited impatiently for the next season to start, and mourned its passing ten weeks later. Four teams, two people each, submit their DNA and then allow professional genealogists to identify and locate relatives the members of the team have never met. At the start of the race, team members surrender their smart phones and other GPS devices. They are given paper maps to work with in stead. Naturally, each team is sent to a different address where one of their relatives lives. Along they way they must overcome a challenge (same activity for each team), and prove they have arrived in the correct city before they can receive the exact address of their relative each trip is given an allotted time, and the team this overshoots that time the most gets a strike. Three strikes and the team is out. That's the bones, and it would probably be interesting just for that. Where the real allure comes in is the life stories and raw emotion each of these meetings brings out. I have a favorite team every season, but never once have I rooted against a team. I've not done the show justice, but hopefully I have sparked enough interest that you'll watch just one episode.

If so, DO start with the first episode of any season- whatever you do, don't start with the final episode you will miss most of the best parts.

When I first started watching this show, I didn't expect it to be so emotional for the contestants or how touching it was to watch as they discover family. Once I got started I wanted to see another season without hesitation. This is an inspiring show.