Race Across the World

[Liquorandvinegar]

New series starting next week - really looking forward to it. The teams are travelling in Asia, but I can't find information about the couples yet. Wednesday nights sorted!

Joining from the other thread. Thanks Tokyo !

There were some interesting episodes of The Rest is Entertainment about how this is made.

They have someone following them and filming each couple. There is also a back up car that follows each couple but they never see them. It’s just if they get into trouble that they will actually get in touch.
There is also a production car which is behind everyone. They get told by the people following the couple what they have seen, or been past. So for example that they comment on a bridge, then the production team come past the next day and film the bridge or a long shot of the train etc.
They are expected to go and visit a sight and take a job on each leg.

Yes i've warmed to Yin and Gaz..

Young Welsh lad might have trouble if his sugar levels drop in the middle of nowhere?

Type 1 diabetes! That's some jeopardy right there.

Isn’t she. I couldn’t believe her age! I’m amazed that she can’t speak any Mandarin. Surely she would have leaned from her parents or other family.

Evening all. Just checking in but I love this programme. It makes me want to travel right now!

I missed her age.

My nieces and nephews have a Chinese mother but it's quite hard to keep up speaking the other language. Kids get embarrassed about being different.

Which are the couple that split up then? Yin and Gaz?

One of my colleagues good friends is on the production team. They're really secretive and don't let anything slip. Annoyingly 😁.

Yep, they were married for 30ish years and ran a takeaway together then split up and she was with someone else for 3 years who then sadly died.

Are they back together?

Oh that’s such a shame about Yin and Gaz. They seemed like a really solid couple.

Tom is like a Harry Enfield posh boy character.

The marriage market

That's sad. They do seem like a good couple.

Woah, so they're not together together.. good on them for staying so close!

What a lovely place!!

What an amazing looking village!

Lovely to see this back. It is one of the few reality shows that does not set up a villan/hero pair from the start. There has never been a couples have actively disliked, although there have been some I have got behind more than others. It is definitely not the show it was in series one, lots more back stories etc, but it still avoids a lot of reality show clichés. In previous series my favorites have definitely changed as the journey has gone on and I love that it is not all about young people who want to have an Instagram career. So far too early to say who I back this year.

My absolute favorites were mum and son in series two. At the time DC was in the throws of loads of difficult teenage stuff and delayed grief from DHs sudden death as a tween. Seeing the mum and son, who she adopted and had FASD amoungst other challenges. I work in this area and her patience, love and absolute adoration of her son (whilst as it turned out in recovery from cancer) was just beautiful and life affirming television.

So beautiful but so mobbed

Would be quite nice to go with an ex you still got on with and trusted. They know everything about you.

Don’t have any favourites yet I don’t think.

Impressed by how much mandarin the girl learnt through her time there - it wasn’t that long overall. But I guess in a place where very few speak any English at all you have far less choice but to learn some in order to get by.

She did say she’d lived in China for 6 months. You pick up a lot when you have to. I was on holiday in Japan for two weeks and picked up a lot.

For the first time ever I like all the couples! After episode 1 I wouldn't mind who won, but that will likely change when one of the couples annoy me.

The places they have seen already is stunning! And I'm not a backpacker traveller at all!

I think the young couple are really brave to go for it at 18/19. I couldn’t have done anything like RATW are their age.

This series seems really promising so far. I’m surprised at how much they seem to be allowed to film in China, although I suspect the routes are tightly controlled.

Don’t like the mother and son much, but I wouldn’t mind any of the other couples winning (so far - could always change)