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Hacks Delivers an Authentic ‘Amazing Race’ Crossover in Its Final Season

The three-year build with real Race assets underscores a character-first finale run.

Overview

  • The Season 5 crossover episode, which aired Thursday, features host Phil Keoghan on camera alongside a lineup of real TV personalities.
  • Producers borrowed actual clue boxes and envelopes, matched the CBS show’s on-screen graphics, and brought in Amazing Race camera operators to capture the action.
  • A steep cheese-hill challenge drove complex stunt logistics that used both real and sand-filled wheels, custom carriers, safety plans, and extensive hill scouting.
  • Although the story plays out in Mexico, filming spanned Santa Clarita and the Universal Studios lot, staged a clown task in Riverside, and shot airport scenes in Ontario, Canada.
  • Costume and design teams created original clown suits and detailed period pieces for Deborah’s sitcom flashbacks, supporting a season centered on legacy as the series approaches its end.