An Idiot Abroad (Karl Pilkington Travel Show)

[Ciz41]

Long time geek, first time blogger. I saw an ad earlier this week on Sky for a new show where Karl Pilkington of Ricky Gervais fame is sent all over the world by a perpetually giggling Ricky and Steve. Karl looks like he has a crap time and says ridiculously funny things whilst not enjoying himself. I loved the Jetson’s style animated Ricky Gervais show and Karl was by far the best bit. Does anyone know anything about this show? I found a preview clip on youtube but haven’t seen much else. Is this real or mocked up? How much is in the studio with the 3 of them on chairs? Where does he go? Does anyone have any answers or seen any other clips?

Check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpePyoqbtJ0

Ricky – You are the strangest man on the planet.
Karl – You haven’t been to China

[Ribbons]

I caught an episode of this last night, where good old Karl went to Cairo (long before the riots I think). It was pretty good! Karl is indeed a strange dude, but he's kind of likeable in spite of all that.

[Fievel]

I've seen Egypt, Mexico, Jordan, and India so far. HILARIOUS!!!
If you like Gervais's humor then you'll like this show.

[Ribbons]

Yeah, boyee! I definitely want to check out more episodes.

It's funny because before this show I'd never seen Karl in the flesh before. All I had to go on were those cartoons of him on The Ricky Gervais Show. He DOES look surprisingly like his picture, though.

[SilentScream]

I've watched a few of these and really liked them even though I think Pilkington is putting it on a bit. But he is generally spot on in his observations. I've been to Eygpt and was mightily unimpressed. Cairo was a pit hole, noisy, polluted, too full on to the point of being unfriendly and too many street vendors trying to hawk money off you. The pyramids themselves were spectacular to look at for, oh, about 10 minutes and the excursion inside them totally ruined by a conveyor belt of tourists doing the same and spoiling the so-called magical effect.
The rest was sand, sand, sand and air pollution I'm afraid.

[Tyrone_Shoelaces]

I just noticed I can watch this on my cable system's OnDemand system so I'll be checking it out.

[Seppuku]

Been watching all the clips I can find on the Tube of You since seeing this thread. Karl's an interesting fella... He can be totally sweet, completely inconsiderate and always a huge coward (although to be fair, if you're caught in the middle of an out of control fireworks parade where everyone around you is getting singed by rogue fireworks, you have a right to get a little jumpy). No one as gifted in the art of rattling off perfectly quotable soundbites as him is quite as ign'ant as he's letting on, though.

There does seem to be a bit of a mean-spirited Jackass-style thing at the bottom of some of this. Even as a fan of transgressive comedy, that fake-kidnapping bit in particular was a wee bit off.

[Hermanator X]

oops

[Hermanator X]

oops

[Seppuku]

What the...

Anyway...

I've been streaming the full episodes online today. Just noticed that whenever Karl says something he knows is pretty funny, like some Crossroads reference when he's out with the Mayans in the middle of nowhere, he does this sort of idiot gape where he lets his mouth hang open... It looks to me like he's trying to swallow back a laugh. Makes me think it's all a bit of an act, or that he's at least egging it on a bit for the cameras. Really enjoying this show. I hope someone invents a few more Wonders just so he can go visit them and whine about how much his back aches.

[Ribbons]

No one as gifted in the art of rattling off perfectly quotable soundbites as him is quite as ign'ant as he's letting on, though.

After having seen a couple more episodes, I have to concur with this sentiment. It's not so much that I don't believe Gervais and Merchant could have found someone funny or stupid, it's just that Pilkington is too often stupid in ways that are accidentally brilliant. He does seem genuinely annoyed and exasperated a lot, though.

Act or not, I really enjoy this show for what it is. It's a unique spin on the TV travelogue, considering most hosts (or at least their producers) are educated and worldly on the one hand -- then on the other hand you've got Karl, who goes to India and eats carrot pudding.

[Seppuku]

Anyone been following the second series, The Bucket List? Still can't believe he agreed to a second series after vowing never to go further afield than his street after what he went through in the first one.

Couple episodes haven't been that great (like the first episode in particular where the highlight was him not bungee jumping), but some have been straight fire as the kids say. The Trans-Siberian Railway one in particular. I think that must have been the moment when he became like a full-on proper comedian. He was just that relentless.

The last one with him flying shotgun on the creaky old bi-plane was classic as well. "You fucking twats!"

[SilentScream]

Anyone been following the second series, The Bucket List? Still can't believe he agreed to a second series after vowing never to go further afield than his street after what he went through in the first one.

Couple episodes haven't been that great (like the first episode in particular where the highlight was him not bungee jumping), but some have been straight fire as the kids say. The Trans-Siberian Railway one in particular. I think that must have been the moment when he became like a full-on proper comedian. He was just that relentless.

The last one with him flying shotgun on the creaky old bi-plane was classic as well. "You fucking twats!"

Yes, that episode was was VERY funny. He was genuinely shitting bricks. And I don't blame him.

[Ribbons]