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These elements are involved in two competing series from CBS and NBC. The shows, “The Amazing Race” and “Lost” respectively, feature teams running across the globe to be the first to earn their handsome reward. However, the two shows couldn’t be more different in how they are structured.

“Lost” from NBC features 3 pairs of contestants. The members of the teams don’t know each other and are often oddly matched. Each pair has one cameraperson who is assigned to them. The single cameraperson has the responsibility of catching all the pair’s activities from the starting point to the finish line.

The finish line for the first arc of “Lost” was the Statue of Liberty. The starting point? Outer Mongolia. Literally. The pairs were dropped off in Mongolia without maps and with just their backpacks. Their first assignment was to identify what country they were in. Upon identifying their starting point, they were allowed to open a cash box with some money. One requirement of the game is that the 3 travelers must rest for 6 hours each day.

I saw the three episodes of the first “Lost” arc (pun alert!). I thought the first episode was a little slow, but it was exciting seeing the teams figure out (some more quickly than others) where they were. One team’s guess that they were in “Czechoslovakia” still has me screaming with laughter. Hint: The land and the people of Mongolia look nothing like the Czech Republic.

The second and third episodes of “Lost” were uncomfortable for me. The teams had to travel through very poor countries on their way back to the U.S. To see the teams begging poor people for money to participate in a game is offensive to me. One team broke down during episode two because they really felt guilty having to ask the people even for food. In the final episode of the arc, the same team panhandled in an airport to get money for 3 plane tickets from Tokyo to New York City.

In direct contrast to “Lost” is “The Amazing Race.” This is a lovely show that is probably my second favorite reality show (right after “The Mole”). TAR is fast-paced, well produced, and exciting. I have been on the edge of my seat wondering who will be the team who is eliminated each week. As of yesterday (October 3rd), there have been 4 episodes of TAR.

What is wonderful about TAR is that it seems the teams (also pairs) get money at each main leg of their journey. In every episode, the teams must reach two or more checkpoints to receive directions to the next place of their journey. The fact that they have money and must budget it in each leg is more comfortable for me as a viewer. This allows the teams a fair amount of independence during their journey. They can afford taxis when they need them and can pay for tickets on boats or planes.

The rest time for TAR is double that of “Lost.” The TAR teams must rest for 12 hours before they begin the race again. What is extraordinary about this rule is that this can shift the power dynamic. The people who come in first could be disadvantaged in the next leg of the race. In episode 3, the first team started the race at 11:00 p.m. at night and had to get to a certain spot (La Grande Roue) that was open from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. The next spot the teams had to reach was the Pantheon or Notre Dame – neither place was open before 9:00 a.m. So the teams were equally disadvantaged while they waited for either place to open to get the clue to the next destination.

The show started out with 12 teams and the last team to reach the final checkpoint in the episode is eliminated. There are currently 7 teams left in the race to the finish line.

“Lost” is on NBC, Wednesdays at 8:00 p.m. ET. The second arc of episodes starts soon.

“The Amazing Race” is on CBS, Wednesdays at 9:00 p.m. ET.