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!

I'm finding it a bit boring so far as all they seem to be doing is hitching lifts - yes I know there's not much public transport but it doesn't make for interesting viewing.
Also agree with PP about it being a race, yet Zainib and husband take a massive detour to go on a plane trip.
I could understand if the lady friends had arrived a couple of hours ahead of the others, but 25 hours???
I thought it was hilarious when taxi dad ddi a sarcastic wave to the ladies as they overtook them, they finished first and he was last 😃

It was weird how when the van broke down they never showed how it was resolved.

For the sightseeing and working I think it must be in their contracts that they have to do a couple of each. Otherwise it would be a pretty dull programme just watching them in cars / trains all the time.

I wasn't sure where they got the van from and, as you say, how they resolved it and still got to the ferry terminal on time.

I think it’s just not nearly as interesting being stuck in one truck for hours on end as it is to be on a bus or a train – and the fact there is no choice of ways to travel means we’re not seeing those different varieties being pitted against each other. Everyone must be obliged to do a sightseeing detour once and a job once. I’m still going to give it the benefit of the doubt! Hopefully they’re already filming a next one, which will go be back on track – so I guess anywhere that goes through anywhere near Russia/Ukraine/Iran etc etc is out of the picture for now

As I recall, in the last two series the pairs moved fast for the first few episodes, maybe motivated all about the money, but gradually loosened up and took breaks to see the sights as they got further on. It felt more natural, both in terms of their development, in terms of our engagement with them as people, and because they were starting off in less photogenic areas (Victoria station and Mexico City) and gradually moving to more uncharted territory.

This time the contestants are more aware of the opportunities for adventure, because they've seen the show before, and the geography means that whichever direction you go there will be "must see"s near the beginning.

The editing is all over the place

Ok I've watched, I actually really liked it. The editing is really poor and there are chunks missing however!

I really like Zainab, she's obviously just a brilliant walk your own path type of person, I also think the friends have a lovely relationship.

I still can't bear taxi Dad and they'd do well to be eliminated in the next round, or the brothers, I just find their relationship difficult to watch.

The brothers don't like each other much.
It is very awkward

Ah I liked the brothers they seem like they want to repair their relationship, kind of rooting for them now.

Yiayoula gosh I remember that cafe and the no break allowed - for anyone on this thread that has never watched series 1&2 do so - they are really worth watching and really show the "journey" in such a great way that so far this series hasn't.

I would love to know how many people applied that they selected this grouping ?

I may go back and watch 1&2

Friend’s dd & her partner applied & for as far as phone interviews. I must ask more questions when I next see them.

I'm finding it a little bit artificial compared to previous series. All these lovely people are offering them lifts and becoming their best friends, I'm a bit cynical and wondering if its all because they are accompanied by a BBC film crew.

The film crew has to make a difference. No way would Zainib have considered the kind offer from trailer bloke with the unprepossessing look if she didn't know that there was a team of two BBC staff with satellite phones going with her. And likewise, any slightly paranoid drivers (they probably exist even in Canada) will be reassured that most serial killing hitchhikers don't bring their own camera crew with them (unless they've seen Henry, Portrait of a Serial Killer recently).

I've just caught up after re-living series 1. There were a few places and sections of that series that I've travelled through which really was amazing.

In that series the girls relied a lot on people skills, and it must be easier to do a deal with a stranger to buy a ticket in local currency and pay them back as you don't have the right currency when you've got BBC crew with you! I've gone hungry on the Trans-Siberian because the food pricing was over double the guide book prices (recent edition) and there was no way to get local currency and over stocking on roubles in advance would have left us with redundant money.

That said, we got out of an awkward lack of travel connections by a group that we had already befriended on a boat cruise before we became aware that there was no onward connection. Much of the group spoke English, but I'd also been chatting in French to some of the older people and they'd appreciated the mix of language. They had capacity in their bus and gave us a free lift to the next substantial town for onward connections.

I've hitched short distances in the UK in remote rural areas and there is more good will in the face of lack of alternatives.

I'm enjoying Ladi's attitide, and Monique seems fine, just unused to the lifestyle. Kevin is quite abrasive and it will be interesting to see if their relationship mellows. I hope the brothers can develop their relationship too. The two friends have a balanced, warm relationship and seem very pragmatic.

You do get to the point when travelling that you do need to unwind. Constant physical discomfort from cheap travel/ accommodation and the mental load of planning ahead is draining. Also the time lost to sight seeing is generally nothing compared to things like transport delays.

I'm so glad the series is back. I hope it will begin to feel more race-like when there are more transport options/ routes and complications beyond waiting for a lift.

This show reminds me of the infinitely superior french programme Pékin Express which is more suspenseful.
There are a lot more teams and one is eliminated every week, they only have 1euro per day and have to find food and accommodation with locals.
They do have challenges to do to obtain immunity from elimination but don't go on silly sight seeing diversions or do "jobs". They have a lot more interaction with local people which is informative and more authentic.

That sounds very interesting , Bichette.
Do you happen to know if it was serialised in the UK , please ?
After your post, I was able to find some clips on YouTube, but my language skills these days are too rusty to be able to follow much of it .
From your description, it would seem to have the authenticity that, for me , is not quite there yet in the current series.

Where can we watch pékin Express please?

It's on Amazon Prime, not free at the moment though.

There is - they also have to do X number of jobs per team, it's to try and slow them down to make the competition more interesting.

Did they not have camera crews on previous series?

Pékin Express is shown on french TV channel M6 but I'm not sure if it's available here.
They are on the 17th series now, it started in 2006.

Thanks, Bichette .

Yes they did but because they are mainly asking people for lifts rather than going on trains/buses and there is no language barrier it seems to have changed things a bit.

Yes! This was so annoying. And it wasn't really made clear enough that this was the same van that they got a lift in off the ferry (the Octopus van) and it wasn't to get them along the way to the next checkpoint but instead for a bit of sightseeing.

I also wasn't really impressed with the the contestants having to do an activity at the checkpoint hotel. In previous series it is clear that the checkpoints are an opportunity to rest and unwind for 36 hours before moving on. I felt a bit sorry for them being made to do more filming.

It suggests there isn't enough material from the actual race. What with the introduction, the recap of the previous episode and showing footage of the activity at the checkpoint hotel, it was 14 minutes into a 58 minute programme before the next leg of the race was shown.

But it kinds of goes full circle as this "padding" proves there was enough time in the editing to put in an explanation as to how Monique and Ladi resolved their broken down van issue.

I hope this series improves 😏

I wonder if they've changed the production company or something, it's just not quite the same -or quite as good- is it?