Is the Great Race the one where they have only 100 dollars to make it back to Britain from the middle of Tibet - and the first one to reach Trafalgar Square wins an ice-cream? Although it would be the American equivalent.
I saw something like that once, although I think they won 10 grand or something. The people were really, really annoying.
My favourite reality TV show took place on some remote Scottish island where a colony was set-up and people really did have to survive and work as a community. There was no 'game-show' element - no voting, money spinning phone-ins or anything like that. It was more a documentary. It lasted a year I think.