Documentary series · Sky One
An Idiot Abroad
Who's in it
Cast
The principal ensemble across the run of the series.
The Nutevio profile
TV DNA
How An Idiot Abroad actually feels to watch, measured on the traits our editors track across every series.
Signature profile
An Idiot Abroad reads strongest on Character Depth, Bingeability and Humour.
How fully written and psychologically layered the ensemble is.
How hard it is to stop after one episode.
How often the series is genuinely funny, by design.
How often an episode ends on a hook you can't ignore.
The sustained pressure the series keeps you under.
How much the series is designed to affect you.
The scale, internal logic and texture of the world.
How much each hour depends on the one before it.
Visual ambition — scale, craft and set-piece filmmaking.
The story
What it's about
An Idiot Abroad is a British travel documentary television series broadcast on Sky1 and Science, as well as spin-off books published by Canongate Books, created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant and starring Karl Pilkington. The ongoing theme of both the television series and the books is that Pilkington has no interest in global travel, so Merchant and Gervais make him travel while they stay in the United Kingdom and monitor his progress.
The run
Seasons
3 seasons · 19 episodes.
Where the series peaks
Best Episodes
The hours that define the show, ranked by audience response and editorial signal.
S03E03
The Short Way Round: China
It's the final part of the journey as Karl and Warwick get ready to make their way to China. A surprise makes sure that the series ends on a high.
S02E05
Meet a Gorilla
Karl heads of to Africa to go meet a Gorilla. Before he travels to Uganda, Karl agreed to start in South Africa as he’s been there on holiday he heard it was alright. Ricky and Steve want Karl to have an authentic African experience so they arrange some time in a slum with a family and helping a charity rebuild a shelter. Karl visits Jessica the Hippo who lives with a family and Ricky sends him to join a Rhino conservation project before heading off traveling through the impenetrable forest in Uganda before coming ‘face to face’ with a Gorilla.
S01E02
India
Karl travels to India and gives own unique verdict on its ancient customs and vibrant culture.
S02E02
Trans-Siberian Express
Karl takes a trip on the Trans-Siberian Express. He is expecting luxury, but Ricky and Steve have other ideas for the trip.
S02E04
Whale Watching
Karl isn’t really prepared for the arctic conditions in Alaska. Ricky and Steve have also planned some dog sledding, a meeting with Innuits and a visit to the North Pole. When Karl finally gets to catch his whale watching cruise, he learns that Ricky and Steve have stuck him on a deep sea fishing trawler.
S02E06
Route 66
Karl wants to drive along the legendary Route 66 in the USA in an open top Cadillac but Ricky and Steve have other ideas. Along the way they want him join a high school choir, hang out with New Age therapists, meet the Amish before ending his journey by Wingwalking.
Recently aired
Latest Episodes
S00E31
An Idiot Abroad Series 3 Q&A
S00E38
Photo Gallery
S00E29
The Short Way Round: A Commentary
S03E03
The Short Way Round: China
S03E02
The Short Way Round: India
S00E19
Unseen Karl - Karl on Art
Behind the series
Created by
Showrunners, creators, executive producers and the writers who set the voice of the series.
The craft
Key Crew
Directing, writing, production, camera, music and editing.
Executive production
- Ricky GervaisProducer
- Stephen MerchantProducer
- Richard YeeExecutive Producer
- Richard YeeProducer
Direction
- Luke CampbellDirector
Where to watch
Streaming
Availability verified against regional listings.
- Amazon VideoBuy
- Google Play MoviesBuy
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