An Idiot Abroad

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.

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 was the funniest thing to grace British TV for years. No script, no actors, just a normal bloke from Manchester taken completely out of his comfort zone and sent to explore the world against his will.

The results is hilarious, with Karl hating every minute of his travels and Ricky and Steve making it increasingly difficult for him as the series progresses.

Whilst it may fall under the category of travel documentary, it's Karl's dour personality and relentless whinging that makes it so entertaining. The actual travelling, visiting the Seven Wonders and participating in bucket list activities, become merely a sideshow.

There aren't many TV shows that make you laugh out loud like 'An Idiot Abroad', it's comedy gold.

I love Karl Pilkington and have loved this series to date (4 episodes). I agree with many other reviews that certain parts were disappointing e.g the Israeli kidnapping, but in the main the show has been fantastic. Karl Pilkington is both the weirdest bloke I've ever seen but at the same time the most normal too....go figure! I love his monologues and anecdotes and my only complaint would be that the show should have more of these and fewer gimmicks/stunts.

As a concept, the show is great. Miserable, small-headed Manc going around the world's most prestigious and cultural locations moaning about them all. If you can just ignore the occasional blatant contrivance and enjoy the show for what it is, you'll love it.

Best line ever on the nudist beach, "Never seen anyone bend down as much as that bloke!" - quality!

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.