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Original poster

Race Across The World - really enjoyed it!

255 replies

TwitterQueen1 · 03/03/2019 22:42

Did anyone else watch this tonight? I thought it was great! The contestants are warm, genuine and with normal ego levels. There's no pouting, posing, naked bodies.... just ordinary people racing to Singapore with little money and no internet. I'm loving the glimpses of people helping them along the way.

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JasperRising · 31/03/2019 21:54

That article on the production is fascinating. Must take a particular type of mentality to be the cameraman who does this type of programme! Not to mention the two researchers... I mean I still don't full understand how they did that - did they have to split up because there are several episodes where there was more than one route that could be done so it can't have been easy to research them all. Does explain how the 'guidebook' of convenient temporary jobs was put together. It must have been a shock when the two women suddenly blagged a lift a few episodes back - there weren't many travel options out of that location so they must have had to source their own car. Or maybe it was the support vehicle they refer to in the article. I wonder how much the production teams spent compared with the contestants...

CurbsideProphet · 31/03/2019 22:20

I'm so enjoying this. I was really glad that at the end the announcer flagged up how to apply for next year. Perhaps they will reverse the race?

I'm not keen on Tony and Elaine (so negative) and the two male friends (passive aggressive sniping at each other), but I imagine editing has a lot to do with that.

purpleme12 · 31/03/2019 22:46

I think they're all quite likeable actually.

IsabelleSE19 · 31/03/2019 22:57

What a great leg by Tony and Elaine! Kudos to them.

Can't get over the total lack of health and safety around Vietnamese railways - that train looked as though it ran straight through people's back yards!

Horsemad · 31/03/2019 23:03

I can't work out how Tony & Elaine have got the most money left, when they've taken quite a few expensive taxi trips and not worked much along the way...🤔

JasperRising · 31/03/2019 23:07

Not caught up on the last episode but if it's the train I think it is then it is fairly well known and, yes, the rest of the day people are just playing/sat out in chairs in the street like a back garden and have to clear out of the way when the train come through...

Elaine and Tony used taxis a lot when they were in countries with really cheap fares and then have gone to the other extreme and gone for really slow/crap transport so maybe that is how they still have money?

Petalflowers · 01/04/2019 08:39

I wondered how they would make the race different next time also. I presumed a new destination such as one side of America to the other, but reversing it is a good idea. I guess next year’s contestants will be a bit more savvy, know what to expect, and possibly done more research before the trip.

NewSchoolNewName · 01/04/2019 10:42

If I was making this show, then next year I’d change things enough so that the contestants would find it difficult to do enough research in advance.

Even if they keep the start and end destinations the same, changing the checkpoints would make it different for the contestants.

IsabelleSE19 · 01/04/2019 13:31

Oh yes, changing the checkpoints is a good idea! I was really pleased to see it would be back, even if it will be a bit repetitive. I suppose choosing the contestants wisely will help keep it interesting, although for me it's been the places rather than the people that have made it so fascinating. I must go back through it and list all the places I now want to visit - Tblisi was one I think?

CurbsideProphet · 01/04/2019 15:29

Chris Tarrant filmed by the Vietnamese railway line that is squeezed between buildings last year and we almost expected him to pop up Grin

Yes Elaine and Tony have been on the slower trains that cost much less than the direct trains. I think the last leg will be a close race between all pairs.

aristocat · 01/04/2019 17:02

I'm loving this programme too. Such a great adventure Smile

bullyingadvice2017 · 01/04/2019 18:16

I am loving this. I like the contestants, glad Whiney Alex is growing up.

I didn't like josh and felix playing games with the girls on the bus. I like them less now

BareBelliedSneetch · 01/04/2019 20:52

I’m really enjoying it, but does the fact they are so close at the start of the final leg feel a bit “managed”?

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TwitterQueen1 · 01/04/2019 21:45

I'm now encouraging my DD to sign up for next year's race...

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Sarcelle · 01/04/2019 22:21

The thing is the second series will be full of people that want to be famous.that's the way these reality shows go. Second series onwards, the contestants get too knowing.

JasperRising · 01/04/2019 23:02

That was my thought Sarcelle the motivations and strategy is never quite the same when the contestants have been able to see an earlier series.

Catching up on the most recent episode now. The two hipsters are annoying me a bit. Tony and Elaine seem to lack consistency - it is all hard core budgeting one week and then splurge money on fast travel the next!

Does anyone know why they ditched the last team in episode 2 and haven't done that since? Did they not have visas for more than four production teams to go past that point... I assumed they would ditch at least one more team.

Horsemad · 01/04/2019 23:28

It'll be like Big Brother - an interesting social experiment for the first one but subsequent series were full of everyone wanting their 15 minutes (or more) of fame 🙄

Petalflowers · 02/04/2019 03:35

I wondered that as well. It seems like the rules of the game changed. I thought they would ditch one team per checkpoint. Maybe they realised that following fewer teams wouldn’t be so interesting.

CurbsideProphet · 02/04/2019 09:54

We also thought they would get rid of 1 other pair to leave 3 for the final leg.

I hadn't considered the reality tv issue. Would bbc 2 casting be of a higher calibre than, say, channel 4? I would hope so!

SimonJT · 03/04/2019 08:26

I finally caught up on this episode last night, Felix is still lovely. It’s nice to see Alex growing, but it is also really positive to see his Dad being so honest about his mistakes as a parent, we all make them, but it’s so refreshing to see someone being so honest, it’s something that needs to be normalised more.

Sarcelle · 05/04/2019 16:11

Got until 1 July to apply for the next series if you are interested....

JasperRising · 06/04/2019 06:54

You guys might enjoy this www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-47827316. Some of the information is similar to the article linked earlier on production but there's a few extra snippets and comments from contestants. It is spoiler free for the final leg.

Horsemad · 06/04/2019 07:06

Nice article, thanks Jasper Smile

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TwitterQueen1 · 06/04/2019 22:31

Yes, thanks Jasper - interesting insights.

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Horsemad · 07/04/2019 18:00

Final tonight, predictions? 🙂 I think (hope) it'll be Darron & Alex. 🚖⛴️🚂🌏