The unprecedented rise to fame of Karl Pilkington, from producer on a local UK radio station to global icon of idiocy with numerous books, podcasts, and television shows to his name, is a testament to the growth of new media technology over the last decade. That and Ricky Gervais' unerring determination to parade the man "with a head like a f**king orange" before the world.
Playing the role of Gervais' (and writing partner Steve Merchant's) stooge throughout the XFM radio shows and later the award-winning podcasts, Karl Pilkington quickly acquired a devout fan base through his tendency to say the worst possible things at the worst possible times - but always out of innocence, rather than malice. Listeners stopped tuning in to hear Ricky and Steve, instead hoping to catch the latest nugget of naive, sugar-coated bigotry from Karl: Chinese people don't age well; gays stay up too late; jellyfish are a waste of water. It was only a matter of time before he was given his own show.
Karl Pilkington is An Idiot Abroad
Described by Ricky Gervais as a highly elaborate and expensive practical joke, An Idiot Abroad is ostensibly a travel show. A documentary series where a presenter and production crew tour the recently updated Seven Wonders of the World and investigate what makes them so special. The difference here is that the presenter in question is Karl Pilkington, a man whose idea of exoticism is caravanning in Wales and who thinks the M6 is superior to the Great Wall of China because it serves a function. Fans of Alan Whicker and Michael Palin should probably look elsewhere.
Starting out in the aforementioned China it is swiftly apparent that Karl would, without question, prefer to be anywhere else. He almost drops his Monster Munch in horror as street vendors hawk scorpions, lizards and foetuses to appreciative passers by, and is quick to point out that as the Great Wall was restored in the 1980s it is no more worthy of adulation than a prefab housing project. Things don't get much better when his legs are set on fire by a masseuse, a fortune teller predicts his imminent death, and he is force fed toad. An Idiot Abroad is by no stretch of the imagination meant to inform or educate - it is a Pavlovian exercise in prodding and poking an unwilling subject and seeing what happens.
After China Karl Pilkington takes in the Taj Mahal, Petra, Chichen Itza, the Great Pyramid, Christ the Redeemer, and Machu Picchu. Throughout the seven episodes every excursion, every arrangement and every menu has been specifically engineered to push Karl over the edge. In Brazil he is sent to stay in the gay quarter during carnival time; on the way to Jordan he is kidnapped in a staged terrorist attack; and in Mexico he is enrolled onto an intensive wrestling course. An Idiot Abroad is less about seeing the world, and more about pushing a man to his limits and studying the (often hilarious) results.
Extras
Originally shown on Sky One last autumn, the DVD includes all seven main episodes as well as Karl's final debrief with Ricky and Steve and the initial preview show. Unfortunately, despite being spread over two discs, there's not a whole lot in the way of quality extras. The deleted scenes are a welcome, if short lived, addition and there is a rather pointless photo gallery, but aside from that nothing for fans of the series to get excited about. Given the trio's legacy in radio this would have been the perfect opportunity to record some commentaries for each of the episodes. In fact often the funniest scenes in An Idiot Abroad are those in which Karl relays his despair to Ricky and Steve over the phone. Unfortunately this is a trick that seems to have been missed.
Not that there isn't enough quality material in the episodes themselves. This is one of the all too rare occasions when the hype is justified and the joke doesn't wear thin over the eight odd hours. Still, given the huge amount of footage that must have ended up on the cutting room floor and the massive potential for podcast style commentaries, the bonus material feels somewhat scant.
Rowan Darby - Rowan Darby is a writer and journalist who hovers somewhere indefinite between London and the South West of England. He attended ...
Join the Conversation