Bertram Van Munster and Elise Doganieri accept the reality-competition Emmy for 'The Amazing Race.'
"The Amazing Race" started out as an underdog. Now it's turning into an Emmy dynasty.
The Jerry Bruckheimer/Bert van Munster reality skein won its third consecutive statuette for reality competition programming Sunday. Feat puts "Race" in the august company of such Emmy stalwarts as "The West Wing" and "Frasier."
What's more, the win caps off what's been an amazing year for "Race," which last season finally transformed itself from a ratings also-ran into a full-fledged Tuesday night hit for CBS.
"The audience has finally found us," Bruckheimer said backstage after collecting his award.
According to van Munster, he and his production team "make a specific effort to do something worthwhile" when filming "Race," rather than simply look for the big moments of TV-friendly drama common in most reality skeins. What's more, he said the show's success stems in part from the fact that it is "a true reality show."
"We are just as surprised at the outcome as the audience," van Munster said.
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