Race Across The World - Series 3

[LindorDoubleChoc]

This starts Wednesday week on BBC1 (22 March).

Anyone want to join me on a thread about it? I saw some episodes of the previous two series but didn't watch them all and am kicking myself about it now because it really is such an interesting and beautifully shot reality series.

So am going to watch the whole of the next one - this time in Canada!

The scenery and wildlife was amazing tonight. No dramas but I quite liked that. Nice and chilled. I was wondering how they do the film crew logistics. They must have their own RV or something?

I also thought it was pretty boring. Nothing like the South America series where they had political unrest, language barriers, many cultures, landscapes, routes. This is just lots of cars going in the same direction, seeing the same things.

Why? Er, Because it’s a race. Of course sightseeing would be the real point of such a trip but you wouldn’t want to be the pair thrown out next week because you’d spent a day on a plane or skiing - but a day skiing makes a better travelogue. Without internet they wouldn’t even know those sights exist so everyone must be asked to take turns at doing something that’s good telly. Seem to remember in season 1 the last team got chucked out early at some point

One team got chucked out at about the half way point in series 1 - I think that was partly a way to stop people just staying in Europe longer, working a few shifts in All Bar One at Victoria station and making enough extra cash to take a taxi all the way through Kazakhstan.

Nobody got kicked out of series 2 because one couple dropped out when their money belt was stolen.

I think there must be an agreement that they all take a certain number of sight seeing trips for the sake of interesting footage.

Maybe because it’s the third series, but everything seems slightly “stage-managed” in a way the previous ones were not.
Still enjoying it, and the incredible scenery, but I’m a little disappointed so far, and not able to articulate why.
Taxi Dad and daughter, and the brothers , seem to be developing better relationships, thank goodness, as the last episode made uncomfortable watching at times.

And the ‘work’ is obviously all set up in advance to provide similar interesting/picturesque footage - although iirc there were occasions in previous series where there seemed to be more spontaneous encounters with people who invited them to their homes, etc?

Yes, Halsall - it’s the lack of spontaneity, and the feeling the teams were selected to play on our emotions .
A bit like X - factor with the tedious “journeys”.
Just not hitting the mark for me this time .

The problem so far is that they’re in very sparsely-populated areas so they’re only really meeting people giving them lifts, or in hotels or campsites. But hopefully that’ll change as they move into towns/cities. And it’s only episode 2 so I ought to give it time 😅

Completely agree. I appreciate that due to covid they couldn't do as the past 2 series have done and we haven't had the chance to see them navigate non English speaking countries , even on past 2 series we had the variance more in culture, food and even the "prepped jobs" seemed harder - this time it's like a 10 min photo op. Before we had the compete of trains v ramshackle buses and huge differences in cost of train tickets and journey times.

I'd guess by arriving 25 hours earlier and then whatever number of days break they all have that the 2 ladies have had a large chance to refill (and stock up on food from the breakfast buffet) to motor ahead although I will be a tad annoyed if they fix it so when they leave 25 hours earlier it's 1 day plus to the ferry /train they all need to get to next checkpoint. I so hope we don't end up with the chase at the end because they're all on the same bus and then have to run it wherever to end and a couple win by 10 mins .

I'd like the 2 ladies or lack and daughter to win. Please let the annoying father/daughter combo be in 5th place and eliminated - although does that mean they they get to stay out there in hotel until the other teams get to the end ?

The sightseeing/side trips element is really pissing me off.

It's a programme about a race (clue is in the title).

Yes, it makes for interesting footage, but there are numerous travel documentaries available for this.

Why on earth should a team be "credited" with that time as someone upthread suggested?

People running the London Marathon don't stop off and visit the Tower of London, because then the other competitors would easily beat them

Enter the competition if you want to win the race, if you just want to do some sightseeing then book and pay for your own holiday.

Can someone remind me how the two ladies got to the checkpoint so quickly after dropping off their hired car in Whitehorse? Did I nod off?

I wondered that too. I also wondered how the dad and daughter made it to the ferry after their loaner van broke down, and given they don’t have phones to call for help.

Also, what are they all doing for food? When you’re constantly on the move it’s difficult to prepare meals from scratch, and buying prepared meals is going to use a lot of their budgets, yet they never seem to mention this, apart from one time in the first episode where the daughter told her dad off for buying a coffee.

The ladies got a lift I think ?
It wasn't made clear
Was there a cartoon programme called ' Yukon.' Or something like that ? Might be getting mixed up with yogi bear ! Although that's Yellowstone park of course
It looks lovely
I've been to Toronto and Montreal , but this looks so different
Can't get over how expensive it is though and how remote it is too
I don't think I could cope living there

Yes Yvonne of the Yukon!

DP did nothing but hum the theme tune last night!

The friends got a lift with a trucker, but I assume that either he wasn't happy to be shown onscreen or they couldn't fit a camera in the setup.

Agree about the jobs, BeaLola - apologies I haven’t mastered the quote function on MN as yet .
Who can forget Jo ( series 2 ) cleaning the toilets on long -distance coaches 🤢, or Alex ( series 1 ) working all day in the café in Turkey and the owner refusing to let him stop for a drink !

I keep thinking we are missing chunks of the episodes...as I have to keep asking partner how they arrived at the various points on the map, don't think it's made clear...however I guess it would be even more boring if it showed every last lift they manage to get?
Need to fill thr episode with plane washing and shit picking Instead I suppose.

Was it better before when it was set in different countries ? I only saw a bit of series two once , but wasn't into it and didn't know what the rules were etc.
I'll have to watch the other ones I suppose!

Both of the previous series are on BBC I -player.
Very highly recommended !

I've not watched last nights yet but already I'm a bit 'Meh' about it, which is sad because I LOVED LOVED LOVED series 1 & 2. It doesn't seem to have the characters of season 2, Jo & Sam, Robbie(!) & Jen, Dom & Lizzie, they were all ace!

There were some terrific characters in previous series. Also, they had to cross borders and communicate in other languages. Instead of going in cars, they used public transport. I think that made it more interesting.

Maybe there will be better public transport links as they move along ? So far it's been a bit scant , but the voice over man said that it is there.

I mean, the voice over man has pointed out that the public transport links are not that great

There was a brief bit of footage of the two women in the sleeper space of a truck but the truck driver seemed a very reluctant TV star so maybe the majority was cut.

Trucks seem to be the way to go to get places quickly as they are bing paid to get from A to B quickly whereas if you hitch with people on holiday like Ladi and his daughter you end up having to go at their presumably leisurely pace.