An Idiot Abroad

if you're complaining that there is no gervais or merchant, then you're not getting it.

gervais has made lots of cash from claiming pilkington is an idiot, but after seeing the man through his own speech and action, then i have to disagree. and i wonder if this isn't another layer of gervais' caustic social commentary.

but if gervais actually thinks carl is a fool, then i have to say the joke is on him.

pilkington is a master of everyday, ultimate truth. a mastery that kicks the crap out of the vacillations of gervais, merchant, Nietzsche and me.

this man's brain boils down the b.s. of both the ancient and modern world, and turns all of it into simple equations -- with answers.

his conclusions must confuse populist, false intellectuals. and they wonder why? their training does not prepare them for carl; and the primary reason is: for many school smart people, the obvious is hard to grasp. and unfortunately; these are usually the same people who end up on television telling us what to think.

but i love his answers.

his shtick is the twisted mirror image of the fool thought sage.

Finally,an honest travel guide to accompany you to the most famous sightings in the world.Don't expect adoring sighs and ramblings about the lovely local beverages and cuisine though.

And that's exactly what makes this series a stroke of genius.Karl is a reluctant traveler and not easily impressed.He engages in philosophical monologues,and he's almost always spot-on.Even the most experienced globe-trotter laughing at Karls awkward attempts to mount a Mexican rodeo horse or Egyptian camel will probably agree,even if not out loud. Most exotic activities and festivities he will refer to as being "mental". He fills his suitcase with Monster Munch thus hoping to evade the worst expressions of local cuisine.Such as toad and balls. To no avail.Because Gervais and Merchant have,naturellement,booked him at the scruffiest of hotels(if he even gets to a hotel)and arranged for him to eat and experience things he probably never wanted to do ever in his life.To make things worse they send numerous text messages simply to annoy him.At one point Karl ponders the use of modern technology in the western world,how we mostly use it as entertainment. Behind him deaf Egyptian fast-food restaurant employees use their mobiles to make video calls. And Karl produces his own mobile to show for the camera what his friend Ricky G usually send him. I love it.Every annoying thing about traveling that you never dared to mention to your people-of-world friends will be aired here. Go watch!Pronto!

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" :)

Ok it has its really dumb moments where you're not quite sure if it's scripted or not, but for the most part this is a laugh-out-loud show that ironically gave me a lot of travel ideas! Ricky Gervais is hilarious in this too! His giggles are hysterical. Do watch!

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.