Relative Race might be described as Who Do You Think You Are? meets The Amazing Race. The ten-episode reality TV series launches its third season on Sunday, March 4, at 7 p.m. (MT) on BYUtv. The show features four teams who compete in a race across the U.S. to complete challenges in a quest to find family they never knew—relatives discovered through genealogical research and DNA testing. And there’s another incentive: one of the teams will win $50,000.

“Every season we try to find new ways to introduce twists to the show to keep our viewers coming back for more,” says Dan J. Debenham, host and producer of the award-winning show. While contestants featured in the first two seasons were four teams of married couples, the third season of Relative Race changes the rules by featuring two married couples, a father and son team, and a sister duo.

In an exclusive interview, Dan Debenham tells GenealogyMagazine.com about the new season of Relative Race.

James Pylant: Let’s talk about the changes in store for season three.

Dan Debenham: There are some significant twists that are fun, some are difficult, and others will keep you guessing until Day 10. Episode one is a 90-minute premiere because we need to introduce so many of the different twists. The show starts in Washington, D.C., and for the first time the competitors and the viewers do not know where the show ends. It’s really fascinating. There are some discoveries and changes that you will find very quickly in episode one and we hope that will keep everyone glued to each of the ensuing episodes—right up to the final reveal on episode 10.

JP: This time around contestants are given more time to explore their family histories and discover their roots.

DB: That’s correct. From the network executives and from the viewers, we heard clearly over the first two seasons that they wished there was more time for the teams to spend with their families, and we made that adjustment in this third season. You’ll find that there’s even more time spent with their family once they discover that family.

JP: Your show must spend untold hours of research to make these episodes possible. Will viewers get more of behind-the-scenes glimpse into how that’s done?

DB: No, they won’t. However, those questions can be asked via social media, and they’re often answered by our staff or through the social media staff at BYU-TV. It’s interesting that you asked that, James. We don’t get into how many hours in the actual show, but I can share that we have eight full-time members on our team, including four professional genealogists and some who specialize in certain parts of genealogical research. For instance, we have two team members who specialize in uncovering sealed documents in various states when, for instance, it comes to adoption. We have others who are better in other types of genealogical research, and we assign those teams to work on various storylines that are developing as we continue to try to find these families and stories for our show. In season three, there have been hundreds—if not into the thousands—of hours that has been done in research. This may be surprising to some of your readers and to our viewers, but sometimes it requires legal efforts. I can tell you that in season two we had to hire a lawyer, and we had to spend thousands of dollars and about two months of time to unseal documents. Sometimes lawyers get involved, and we do this in a very determined manner to uncover storylines that we can follow for our viewers on Relative Race, because ultimately all that matters is that we try to increase and grow family connections. This is all about family. When people are disappointed that they did poorly, or they might’ve received a strike, or they didn’t finish in first place, or get that first place prize which gives them an advantage, you can see they had a difficult day. Maybe they’ve struggled emotionally or physically, but at that point, I very sincerely point out what this show is all about: the discovery of family; knowing that there’s somebody out there that shares the same blood that you do. That’s incredibly powerful, especially for people that have never known that.

JP:  In the new season, the teams meet a “bonus” relative. Can you tell us about that?

DB: I can’t get into the details without giving away one of the surprise moments, but there are more relatives discovered than in seasons past, and you really need to watch from the premiere to see how and when they occur.

JP: Last season had dramatic, emotional moments when a contestant met his father and another participant met her half-sister. Will we see more of these storylines in Relative Race?

DB: Yes, I can tell you there are even more of those moments—much more. The family members that we’ve found and the stories that we’ve followed are absolutely unbelievable. We are very grateful to find these deep family connections, and the real emotion that those connections elicit simply cannot be scripted, which is why this show is completely unscripted. You can’t write the reactions that come about on this show day after day. It’s a dynamic in my thirty-plus years of creating television that I’ve never experienced. It’s incredibly satisfying both personally and professionally, and we hope that our viewers find this to be some of the most unforgettable television they’ll ever watch.