[TV] Race across the world

[Ⓩ-Ⓐ-Ⓜ-Ⓞ-Ⓡ-Ⓐ]

These were a great series

 

[PeterT]

I wonder if the concept can be sold (maybe already has been?) to other countries. Would be really interesting seeing, for example, travellers from other countries navigating the U.K. in the same way and seeing how they got on, and whether we’d stop to buy them ‘chips’, Oreos and bananas!

 

[thedonkeycentrehalf]

*NO SPOILERS, DON'T WORRY!*


Great final last night. Chuffed for the winners, although I grew to like all of the couples in the end.

Having discovered this series late (we'd only seen the first series before this one - and that was by accident), Mrs Bobkin and I can now catch up on the ones in the middle

I wouldn't bother with the one they did across Canada - there were so few transport options it really didn't work as well as the other series.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

I wonder if the concept can be sold (maybe already has been?) to other countries. Would be really interesting seeing, for example, travellers from other countries navigating the U.K. in the same way and seeing how they got on, and whether we’d stop to buy them ‘chips’, Oreos and bananas!

There is a very similar show, though more competitive (the last placed couple get booted at the end of most legs), and with much bigger prizes, called 'The Amazing Race' - of which we have watched multiple series of American, Canadian and Australian versions.

the American contestants are so annoying that we've found them literally unwatchable. The Australian ones are always really good though.

 

[Napper]

decent series , the winners especially the son absolutely melty . Her own doing as waited on him constantly which she reinforced by constantly bleating about her lost life. I assume she financially didnt have to work so did come across a bit victim like.

Shame the old boys didnt win , they were the best value

 

[Simster]

*NO SPOILERS, DON'T WORRY!*


Great final last night. Chuffed for the winners, although I grew to like all of the couples in the end.

Having discovered this series late (we'd only seen the first series before this one - and that was by accident), Mrs Bobkin and I can now catch up on the ones in the middle

Bizarrely, I'm the same. I watched the first series when it was on, but it went off my radar until this one. I now need to catch up all the ones in between.

Great television.

 

[Simster]

decent series , the winners especially the son absolutely melty . Her own doing as waited on him constantly which she reinforced by constantly bleating about her lost life. I assume she financially didnt have to work so did come across a bit victim like.

Shame the old boys didnt win , they were the best value

I tend to agree with most of that. I felt the narrative around her rediscovering herself is something that probably resonates with a lot of women and I'd commend her for being honest about it and doing something about it.

But as you say, the way she ended up waiting on him got on my nerves a bit a. Being scared to wake him up was particularly pitiful. If he wakes up in a grumpy mood, tell him to f**k off and get his act together, don't normalise that sort of behaviour by leaving him a bacon roll as a present FFS.

 

[Simster]

It's good because the cash prize is almost secondary to the show, it's not a huge pot for the effort involved which puts off the greedy

I'm not even sure why they bother with a cash prize at all.

 

[Greg Bobkin]

Bizarrely, I'm the same. I watched the first series when it was on, but it went off my radar until this one. I now need to catch up all the ones in between.

Great television.

Not sure if I mentioned it on here, but we were looking on iPlayer and saw it, clicked on it and it just started from the first ever show, as opposed to the first in this run. We were completely oblivious that it was the first series until we'd finished the whole thing!

 

[kevo]

It's their back stories that make you care about them though. I thought the scene of the Mum and son in the last episode was great. Yes they're pushed by production but it makes good TV.

Agreed. The kids were a bit irritating at times, but then you discovered the poor young guy has diabetes. Same with the son and his cerebral palsy. The sisters were a bit boring, but the old duffers quite good value. Definitely one of the best in the series, especially with the close finish and fantastic locations.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

The Welsh kids are probably the most annoying of those left. He seems have the patience of a saint but she just loves a whinge. I know they are young and should get a bit of slack but her outburst in the last episode "why does it only happen to us" after her histrionics because it was a bit noisy put me off her. I think they will run out of money before the end.

As for the Welsh kids, she is a naive blubber with nothing much about her

I thought the Welshgirl improved a lot over the series

I said about three weeks ago, that the producers were editing her harshly, and that she seemed far more capable than we were led to believe. All to reinforce the backstory that they were basically Welsh bumpkin children who had never left their valley before.

Last week's episode, where she absolutely BOSSED the char wallah 'job' - working the room effortlessly, sealed it for me that this was the case.

Anyway, now it is finished, and there was no risk of spoilers, I looked at their instagram pages.

Gong only by those posts, since October 2022 she (mostly with Fin) has travelled to (a minimum of):

Washington DC
New York
Edinburgh
Tenerife
Rome
Venice
Milan
Gran Canaria
Geneva
Dubai
Sydney
Gold Coast
Brisbane
Fraser Island
Whitsunday Islands
Cairns
Uluru

She's a remarkably seasoned traveller, for her age - and whilst the scale and chaos of the Chinese and Indian cities was undoubtably a little overwhelming at times, she was far more capable than the story we were fed.

 

[Mellotron]

Being scared to wake him up was particularly pitiful. If he wakes up in a grumpy mood, tell him to f**k off and get his act together, don't normalise that sort of behaviour by leaving him a bacon roll as a present FFS.

Yeah that moment made me and Mrs Mellotron re-evaluate their relationship - making him breakfast in bed and then sneaking out so she doesn't wake him?! FFS. That goes beyond mollycoddling.

And as said above, by the end the money really feels fairly insignificant.

I like having the narratives (especially the divorced couple) but it does sometimes feel like they hammer the same point home episode after episode. Any time I feel like TV is holding my hand, it annoys me.

Great show anyway, and looks like Rob Brydon is hosting something similar-ish and new on BBC - Destination X. Not sure if it'll be any good.

 

[Mellotron]

Terrible news just breaking that Sam from series 2 has sadly died in a car crash.
I am shocked and find this incredibly sad. Only 24 years old.

BBC News - Former Race Across the World star Sam Gardiner dies after crash - BBC News

Former Race Across the World star Sam Gardiner dies after crash

Sam Gardiner featured in the second series of the TV show with his mum Jo in 2020.

www.bbc.co.uk

That's really sad - he and his mum seemed to have a really sweet relationship. Poor woman.

 

[Official Old Man]

One of the reunion episodes has a bit about the number of crew following them. It may have been last year's.

I think it's two, camera & producer. Rule is that any transport booked MUST have 4 seats. So if they need to get a coach and only two seats remain they are not permited to book it. These 'extras' are also not permited to give any directions or help.

 

[Birdie Boy]

I wanted the brothers and then the mum and boy, so not to bad. Three missus and I love the program. However, it pissed me off when the brothers and the sisters all stayed overnight on the last leg allowing the others to catch up and create a close finish. Why would the sisters need to get a bed for the night when they just done a sleeper bus? Any other leg fine but the last one, no its a race.

 

[PeterT]

I wanted the brothers and then the mum and boy, so not to bad. Three missus and I love the program. However, it pissed me off when the brothers and the sisters all stayed overnight on the last leg allowing the others to catch up and create a close finish. Why would the sisters need to get a bed for the night when they just done a sleeper bus? Any other leg fine but the last one, no its a race.

And also the winners had a whacking budget left, 22%. They could pretty much have taken taxis all the way on the final leg rather than waiting for a day that let everyone else (almost) catch up!

 

[Birdie Boy]

And also the winners had a whacking budget left, 22%. They could pretty much have taken taxis all the way on the final leg rather than waiting for a day that let everyone else (almost) catch up!

Exactly. I was surprised the brothers didn't do it again.

 

[Napper]

Yeah that moment made me and Mrs Mellotron re-evaluate their relationship - making him breakfast in bed and then sneaking out so she doesn't wake him?! FFS. That goes beyond mollycoddling.

And as said above, by the end the money really feels fairly insignificant.

I like having the narratives (especially the divorced couple) but it does sometimes feel like they hammer the same point home episode after episode. Any time I feel like TV is holding my hand, it annoys me.

Great show anyway, and looks like Rob Brydon is hosting something similar-ish and new on BBC - Destination X. Not sure if it'll be any good.

thank goodness for the fast forward button , can skip the sob stories everytime the TV starts shoving it down our throats

 

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

decent series , the winners especially the son absolutely melty . Her own doing as waited on him constantly which she reinforced by constantly bleating about her lost life. I assume she financially didnt have to work so did come across a bit victim like.

Shame the old boys didnt win , they were the best value

To me she came across as a downtrodden, almost bullied woman.

We never met or saw her husband, but he sounded like a right ****

 

[Birdie Boy]

To me she came across as a downtrodden, almost bullied woman.

We never met or saw her husband, but he sounded like a right ****

I mentioned to the missus that she might be getting a divorce when she gets home!