On September 13, 2000, CBS announced that it was set to produce a new reality show, which would feature eight teams of two traveling to eleven international locations to win US$1 million.

The season was hit with multiple filming delays, including an airport strike in Rome and a sandstorm in Tunisia, the latter of which forced teams to begin sixth leg in Gabès rather than the original Saharan desert Pit Stop.

[5] The top of the World Trade Center was considered as the finish location for the season but was changed to Flushing Meadows Park after production was unable to secure needed permits.

[3] This would be changed with Keoghan informing all of the teams of their placements while accompanied by the local greeter in subsequent seasons in order to increase his in involvement in the show and prevent him from appearing like a grim reaper.

[8] Kevin & Drew made an appearance in The Amazing Race: Family Edition, handing out clues at a hot dog stand in New York City.

Season 1 was not particularly a ratings success as the series premiered six days prior to the September 11 attacks, after which interest in foreign travel waned and viewership fell correspondingly.

The website's critical consensus reads, "The Amazing Race elevates reality television conventions with its globetrotting scale, making for a suspenseful competition and fascinating travelogue.

[26] Following the season's premiere, Tom Shales of The Washington Post wrote "[The Amazing Race] brings new energy and respectability to the 'reality' genre popularized by the same network's Survivor -- and surpasses it in spectacle and human drama.

With this thrilling trip around the world, CBS blows away the Summer of Rats — thank you Fear Factor — while creating a terrific companion piece to the net's comparatively tranquil Survivor.

"[29] Hal Boedeker of the Orlando Sentinel wrote "Classier than Fear Factor, clearer than The Mole and swifter than Survivor, CBS' The Amazing Race jolts the reality format with tantalizing thrills.

[30] Rob Owen of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wrote "An exhilarating, fast-paced competition filled with colorful characters, The Amazing Race is a pulse-pounding good time.

"[31] Ed Bark of The Dallas Morning News wrote "It all makes for a watchable feast of accidental tourists navigating various twists, turns and blind alleys.

"[35] Following the season's conclusion, Linda Holmes of Television Without Pity wrote that she "was flat-out hooked for thirteen weeks, and the ending managed not to disappoint, which almost never happens.