An Idiot Abroad

People either love or hate Karl Pilkington. There isn't much middle ground. If you've been following the XFM radio show and podcasts over the past few years, you'll be well aware of the man and may even be part of his ever-growing cult following -- the bald Manc tw@t who began his career as the radio producer for Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant single-handedly stole the show from both of them, effectively making it The Karl Pilkington Show.

Gervais had the rather genius idea of sending Karl around the world for this documentary to give his take on the "seven wonders of the world" (this was, in fact, its original title, before Gervais changed it in post-production to An Idiot Abroad, unbeknownst to Pilkington himself).

If you "get" Pilkington then you will adore this. You'll find his dry humour and insights to be brilliant. (His detractors claim he's simply stupid, but there is a certain level of genius to the majority of his comments and quick wit, including that story about the toad at the end of episode one and how he masterfully tied it together with the theme of the episode itself and his earlier experiences attempting to eat one of the creatures.) It's just great fun. I can't wait to watch the rest of the season. And if by chance you stumble across this show and enjoy it, do yourself a huge favour and go download the XFM shows and podcasts featuring Ricky, Steve and Karl -- some of the funniest recordings you'll ever listen to.

I happened upon this programme by accident as whilst enjoying The Office and Extras I'd become a little bored of Ricky Gervaises Hollywood offerings. I'd never heard of Karl Pilkington, but within minutes of watching the first episode I was crying with laughter. Karl's view of the world is so honest and uneffected that he says what the rest of us are thinking most of the time. Pure genius - a travel programme that doesn't take itself seriously, is funny yet still hits the emotional buttons in each of the episodes I've watched so far. From a travel perspective he stays in places that your average tourists wouldn't stay in and whilst not necessarily enjoying the experience Karl makes an effort to immerse himself in the local culture. He is full of wisdom - and totally without the BS I see in so many other travel programmes.....Karl - you are a star!

This is what a travel show should be. It's not sugar coated and it's not like any show thats come before. It's a regular bloke, sent abroad, speaking his mind. Is Karl Pilkington an idiot? Is he a genius? It's very hard to tell, but I can tell you one thing and that is, i could watch the bloke on TV all day long and not get bored. One reviewer was complaining that the show was crap (before it aired i might add) because Gervais and Merchant were not in the show as it appeared that they were in the poster campaign.... I couldn't disagree with the reviewer more; Karl Pilkington is what makes 'the Ricky Gervais' podcasts funny and Karl Pilkington is what makes this show funny.

Gervais and Merchant are fantastic writers and the Office and Extra's are amazing but at the same time, they know that Pilkington was the main drawer for their podcast and they very wisely came up with this little gem and for that, i applaud them.

An Idiot Abroad features a guy who loves the comfort of his own home travelling the globe in order to visit each of the Seven Wonders of the World.

A friend of actor/comedians Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant who also appear in the series, Karl at times comes across as a dim wit but most of the time makes some hilarious observations and raises questions monkeys want answering.

This is one of the greatest travel shows you'll ever see, there is a truth and an unwitting innocence in everything Karl Pilkington says and does. With comments like "...a little tornado innit. You don't see that in the brochure. Shitty old nappy whizzing through the air. They tend to leave that out." While standing in Egypt not far from the Pyramids of Gaza. "What's so good about The Amazon? Can't be that good; there are things in it that would rather live in me knob." And (on The Great Wall of China) "Just goes for miles and miles....but so does the M6."

Granted not everyone will get the British humour or the jokes but there is pleasure in watching presenter Karls pain as he stays in some rotten places, meets some 'interesting' people and eats some varied foods.

In season two it's more of the same only this time Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant have put together a bucket list - things to do before you die. Karl sets off on his travels this time carrying out tasks that most wouldn't want to do, as well as visiting countries and experiencing their diverse cultures.

It's a kind of Michael Palin gone wrong, mixed with the characters Frank Spencer and Victor Meldrew. You get to follow Karl on his highs and lows, highly recommend reality TV.

To all who know Karl Pilkington from the hilarious audio shows, you will not be disappointed. The man who doesn't know if he controls his brain, or his brain controls him, delivers exactly what you would expect - winging and whining about absolutely everything. And he does so in an amusing and a charming way that makes me squeeze his head really tight! From start to finish, Karl's comments are unique and honest - about the toilets in China, about eating fetuses and insects and about the Alright Wall of China. I can't wait to see the rest, but I have a feeling everything Gervais touches, turns to gold. Let's be honest, it's not Palin, but as Karl brilliantly said, "It's the parts from Palin they would cut out" :)