Race Across the World (BBC)

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I considered applying for the next series, there’s a section that asks you if there’s any life experiences you’ve had that have affected you. They’re definitely looking for people with back stories to make good TV, rather than just people who are only interested in the race.
 
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I've got loads, like the time I drove off with my washing on top of my car. Probably not the hard hitting stuff they're looking for though!

I wonder where the next series will be and the route etc. I guess they haven't done India yet but they did do countries close by. I'd like to see India though.
 
Im fascinating by the backstories and the filming as well.

Ive loved all 3 series, Was a bit bemused by a Race across Canada, but perhaps the producers got a bit burned by security (unrest in one country) and medical issues, (Jo had to go for tests in Brazil) in season 2 and issues around Covid, so felt they needed a bit of security!
In a way the scenery and distances covered in Canada almost made up for the fact that it wasn't more than one country! I wonder where they will choose to go next?

I was happy with the winners, I like Cathie and Trish, and they were almost the most normal and everyday pair. I would have loved Ladi and Monique to win, but the way Monique almost grew up in front of our eyes, was a highlight of the series. As was the wonderful daddy daughter pairing between the tow of them. Shown in sharp contrast with Claudia and Kevin!

There was a discussion on diversity and tick boxing earlier on, and I must admit i do think this takes place before contestant pairs are chosen, which adds a tricky dimension. eg there were equal numbers of men and women, so if they chose the 2 ladies as a couple, then they would also need a couple with 2 guys, eg the brothers. Which must make choosing the initial contestants tricky, if you have to balance all the diversity elements out.
They must lose some interesting potential contestants along the way? In season 1, it was an unknown idea, and the contestants reflected this, and I though they were a lot more interesting!
I was wondering if perhaps they could separate the groups out a bit more, eg or run 2 or 3 different races, or have a few extra contestants? Or run a race for married couples, or a race for under 30s , or over 40s or parents and children?

So for instance I found it an odd comparison to have 2 father and daughter couples in one series. It highlighted the tension between Claudia and Kevin compared to Monique and Ladi. Season 1 had a lot more married couples in it, and I found it odd that this season only had one married couple.
Im not sure the 2 brothers were ever remotely interesting or stable enough to be great contestants, the shy one would have always found the challenge extremely difficult. So I ended up wondering if they were written out after a few weeks or if it was always the intention to drop a team?

And I'm also not sure what Claudia and Kevin added? The emotional gaps and misunderstandings between them were vast. in our family we kept saying that Kevin was an example of someone who would always throw money at a problem to solve it, eg getting a taxi immediately.
Although to be fair, at the beginning both Claudia and Monique were as bad as each other, both coming across as a bit of a spoilt princess who didnt want to get their hands dirty! The producers were lucky that Monique grew up and became a lot more interesting and likeable!

Id also like to see the background filming, and the run throughs, to get a better idea of how much planning is involved? They obviously have cars and vans available for the crew to take them from place to place, Its fascinating!
 
Milliemoo99 said:
Im fascinating by the backstories and the filming as well.

Ive loved all 3 series, Was a bit bemused by a Race across Canada, but perhaps the producers got a bit burned by security (unrest in one country) and medical issues, (Jo had to go for tests in Brazil) in season 2 and issues around Covid, so felt they needed a bit of security!
In a way the scenery and distances covered in Canada almost made up for the fact that it wasn't more than one country! I wonder where they will choose to go next?

I was happy with the winners, I like Cathie and Trish, and they were almost the most normal and everyday pair. I would have loved Ladi and Monique to win, but the way Monique almost grew up in front of our eyes, was a highlight of the series. As was the wonderful daddy daughter pairing between the tow of them. Shown in sharp contrast with Claudia and Kevin!

There was a discussion on diversity and tick boxing earlier on, and I must admit i do think this takes place before contestant pairs are chosen, which adds a tricky dimension. eg there were equal numbers of men and women, so if they chose the 2 ladies as a couple, then they would also need a couple with 2 guys, eg the brothers. Which must make choosing the initial contestants tricky, if you have to balance all the diversity elements out.
They must lose some interesting potential contestants along the way? In season 1, it was an unknown idea, and the contestants reflected this, and I though they were a lot more interesting!
I was wondering if perhaps they could separate the groups out a bit more, eg or run 2 or 3 different races, or have a few extra contestants? Or run a race for married couples, or a race for under 30s , or over 40s or parents and children?

So for instance I found it an odd comparison to have 2 father and daughter couples in one series. It highlighted the tension between Claudia and Kevin compared to Monique and Ladi. Season 1 had a lot more married couples in it, and I found it odd that this season only had one married couple.
Im not sure the 2 brothers were ever remotely interesting or stable enough to be great contestants, the shy one would have always found the challenge extremely difficult. So I ended up wondering if they were written out after a few weeks or if it was always the intention to drop a team?

And I'm also not sure what Claudia and Kevin added? The emotional gaps and misunderstandings between them were vast. in our family we kept saying that Kevin was an example of someone who would always throw money at a problem to solve it, eg getting a taxi immediately.
Although to be fair, at the beginning both Claudia and Monique were as bad as each other, both coming across as a bit of a spoilt princess who didnt want to get their hands dirty! The producers were lucky that Monique grew up and became a lot more interesting and likeable!

Id also like to see the background filming, and the run throughs, to get a better idea of how much planning is involved? They obviously have cars and vans available for the crew to take them from place to place, Its fascinating!
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They always drop a couple so wasn’t unexpected and nothing to do with therm imo.
I’m also glad Monique changed as I found her annoying to being with (Ladi as well) but by the end they were my favourites.
Although as I said before I’m glad Tricia/Cathie won since they took a different route at the end and I think it would’ve been boring to again see them all on the same ferry. Also I thought it was a risk as I thought the other option was better but obviously not.
Although I didn’t like Claudia/Kevin I don’t necessarily see them as bad contestants as they were different to the others and the conflicts they had at least showed something different than people just getting on with no issues with eachother.
I reckon they may have made it if they didn’t go to the falls and worked a few jobs in their 24 hour(?) time difference. Instead they did what Claudia wanted and went to the falls, she seemed difficult with wanting to see a lot whereas Kevin was more about speed so I don’t think Claudia making them go to the two places helped with the spending Kevin did as well.
 
Former_Antelopee said:
They always drop a couple so wasn’t unexpected and nothing to do with therm imo.
I’m also glad Monique changed as I found her annoying to being with (Ladi as well) but by the end they were my favourites.
Although as I said before I’m glad Tricia/Cathie won since they took a different route at the end and I think it would’ve been boring to again see them all on the same ferry. Also I thought it was a risk as I thought the other option was better but obviously not.
Although I didn’t like Claudia/Kevin I don’t necessarily see them as bad contestants as they were different to the others and the conflicts they had at least showed something different than people just getting on with no issues with eachother.
I reckon they may have made it if they didn’t go to the falls and worked a few jobs in their 24 hour(?) time difference. Instead they did what Claudia wanted and went to the falls, she seemed difficult with wanting to see a lot whereas Kevin was more about speed so I don’t think Claudia making them go to the two places helped with the spending Kevin did as well.
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I wondered about the trip to Niagara falls, Id imagine the producers were probably trying to persuade contestants to do interesting and photogenic things on the side, even if it meant quite a wide diversion- but I also wondered if the contestants spoke to each other during the hotel stays, and whether in reality Kevin and Claudia knew they were way down on the money and decided to blow it on going somewhere incredible? They really hadnt worked out how they were meant to get to the next checkpoint at all!

Im sure they also present contestants in a particular way, there were bits I didnt realise until the meet up show, like Kevin was heavily involved in scouts, and enjoyed camping as a child, and that he was enough of a mechanic to be able to fix the broken down car on one of the legs himself.

I would have been interested to see more about the breakdown between those who camped and those who didnt. Trish and Cathie and Mobeen and Zainib didnt camp, and came in first and second! They were also the couples that chose to take the land route to the first checkpoint, and therefore had to get the hang of hitch hiking first. So they had a weeks extra experience of how best to ask for lifts, compared to the rest. And I am sure there were ways to get the hang of it, the best places to wait, how to get over being embarassed.....how to approach people for lifts etc
 
Milliemoo99 said:
I wondered about the trip to Niagara falls, Id imagine the producers were probably trying to persuade contestants to do interesting and photogenic things on the side, even if it meant quite a wide diversion- but I also wondered if the contestants spoke to each other during the hotel stays, and whether in reality Kevin and Claudia knew they were way down on the money and decided to blow it on going somewhere incredible? They really hadnt worked out how they were meant to get to the next checkpoint at all!

Im sure they also present contestants in a particular way, there were bits I didnt realise until the meet up show, like Kevin was heavily involved in scouts, and enjoyed camping as a child, and that he was enough of a mechanic to be able to fix the broken down car on one of the legs himself.

I would have been interested to see more about the breakdown between those who camped and those who didnt. Trish and Cathie and Mobeen and Zainib didnt camp, and came in first and second! They were also the couples that chose to take the land route to the first checkpoint, and therefore had to get the hang of hitch hiking first. So they had a weeks extra experience of how best to ask for lifts, compared to the rest. And I am sure there were ways to get the hang of it, the best places to wait, how to get over being embarassed.....how to approach people for lifts etc
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True the producers could’ve but Claudia seems to want to go somewhere on each leg. Like with Lake Louise but Kevin actually said no to her that time. I’d have thought they would’ve just gone to the falls then dropped out rather than standing in the rain trying to find a lift for hours of that was the case. I think cus Ida and Kevin went to more attractions than the others? But the others did more jobs which they filmed instead.
Zainab and Mobeen didn’t camp but did they buy supplies still? As I’m sure he said they had sleeping bags on them for when they stayed in the cabin?
I think Tricia and Cathie were more direct in asking for lifts compared to others, made them seem ruder but obviously worked and they were grateful and said thanks afterwards. I also think they offered to pay gas money more often than others which probably helped, I don’t really remember any other couples doing that?
 
You’d have to make a decision early on I think on whether you’re going for the win, or whether you’re there for a once in a lifetime experience with a (mostly) expenses paid trip. How many of us could down tools and spend 6 weeks backpacking across Canada? The way Claudia and Kevin spent their cash, I don’t think they were ever really trying to win the prize.
 
Milliemoo99 said:
Im fascinating by the backstories and the filming as well.

Ive loved all 3 series, Was a bit bemused by a Race across Canada, but perhaps the producers got a bit burned by security (unrest in one country) and medical issues, (Jo had to go for tests in Brazil) in season 2 and issues around Covid, so felt they needed a bit of security!
In a way the scenery and distances covered in Canada almost made up for the fact that it wasn't more than one country! I wonder where they will choose to go next?

I was happy with the winners, I like Cathie and Trish, and they were almost the most normal and everyday pair. I would have loved Ladi and Monique to win, but the way Monique almost grew up in front of our eyes, was a highlight of the series. As was the wonderful daddy daughter pairing between the tow of them. Shown in sharp contrast with Claudia and Kevin!

There was a discussion on diversity and tick boxing earlier on, and I must admit i do think this takes place before contestant pairs are chosen, which adds a tricky dimension. eg there were equal numbers of men and women, so if they chose the 2 ladies as a couple, then they would also need a couple with 2 guys, eg the brothers. Which must make choosing the initial contestants tricky, if you have to balance all the diversity elements out.
They must lose some interesting potential contestants along the way? In season 1, it was an unknown idea, and the contestants reflected this, and I though they were a lot more interesting!
I was wondering if perhaps they could separate the groups out a bit more, eg or run 2 or 3 different races, or have a few extra contestants? Or run a race for married couples, or a race for under 30s , or over 40s or parents and children?

So for instance I found it an odd comparison to have 2 father and daughter couples in one series. It highlighted the tension between Claudia and Kevin compared to Monique and Ladi. Season 1 had a lot more married couples in it, and I found it odd that this season only had one married couple.
Im not sure the 2 brothers were ever remotely interesting or stable enough to be great contestants, the shy one would have always found the challenge extremely difficult. So I ended up wondering if they were written out after a few weeks or if it was always the intention to drop a team?

And I'm also not sure what Claudia and Kevin added? The emotional gaps and misunderstandings between them were vast. in our family we kept saying that Kevin was an example of someone who would always throw money at a problem to solve it, eg getting a taxi immediately.
Although to be fair, at the beginning both Claudia and Monique were as bad as each other, both coming across as a bit of a spoilt princess who didnt want to get their hands dirty! The producers were lucky that Monique grew up and became a lot more interesting and likeable!

Id also like to see the background filming, and the run throughs, to get a better idea of how much planning is involved? They obviously have cars and vans available for the crew to take them from place to place, Its fascinating!
Click to expand...

There were two sets of unrest in season 2, they had to change a checkpoint and then one pair being told to get out of the country they were in plus the brother of the brother and sister pair had a fit (I don’t think I’ve reached Jo having to go for tests yet) so yeah, I think they were really burned by it all.

I think Canada was an intentional choice for a few reasons based on that, relatively safe and stable, no border crossings to throw up trouble re:covid restrictions and if something did happen (like a lockdown) it’s much easier to deal with in a country where almost everyone speaks English and even in the French area there would still be loads of English speakers around. Probably saved them a fortune in insurance costs as well.
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Hopefully this will add on to my last post - I really like how they let the teams leaving say goodbye to the other teams in season 2. I don’t think they did that in season 3? I remember a “do you know about Kevin and Claudia” situation and the boys just got told to stay where they were and wait for instructions.
 
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Sprezza said:
They've never had a mother daughter pairing which would be good to see.
Also 2 sisters and 2 older blokes.
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I go away a couple of times a year with my daughter and we can manage 4 days tops without killing each other and as for the thought of spending 8 weeks with my mother, I took my dad’s place on a cruise with her once and it’s amazing we didn’t have a man overboard situation!

I could however imagine spending the time with both my dad and son, I think our skills would complement each other, but I’m not going to apply simply because the editing team would have to cut most of our footage due to my swearing.

I agree with the lack of goodbyes to the couples along the route, I have a feeling that less time was factored in at the checkpoints so maybe a logistical issue, in any event, the teams this time didn’t seem to bond as well, perhaps they were encouraged not to socialise to keep the Covid risks to a minimum?

I do think that a tattler should at least apply for next year, if only to get some inside info on the process.
 
LittleMissOnions said:
I go away a couple of times a year with my daughter and we can manage 4 days tops without killing each other and as for the thought of spending 8 weeks with my mother, I took my dad’s place on a cruise with her once and it’s amazing we didn’t have a man overboard situation!

I could however imagine spending the time with both my dad and son, I think our skills would complement each other, but I’m not going to apply simply because the editing team would have to cut most of our footage due to my swearing.

I agree with the lack of goodbyes to the couples along the route, I have a feeling that less time was factored in at the checkpoints so maybe a logistical issue, in any event, the teams this time didn’t seem to bond as well, perhaps they were encouraged not to socialise to keep the Covid risks to a minimum?

I do think that a tattler should at least apply for next year, if only to get some inside info on the process.
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It seems like less time because none of them were that far behind in s3.

I’ve just started season 1 now, a couple had to go home in the first episode because her mum became seriously ill and obviously I understand no goodbye in that situation but when it’s “normal” elimination it just feels a bit mean.
 
cat1312 said:
I considered applying for the next series, there’s a section that asks you if there’s any life experiences you’ve had that have affected you. They’re definitely looking for people with back stories to make good TV, rather than just people who are only interested in the race.
Click to expand...
I'd love to do Race Across the World and I guess I do have a life story that they would find interesting but I'm not sure I would want it exploiting for an entertainment programme. You never know how things are going to come across on the edit and I wouldn't want to put myself out there. I felt a bit uncomfortable at times when they focused on their back stories, particularly seeing Zainib and Mobeen put on the spot re their infertility issues. I don't think their back stories necessarily added to the show, I was more interested in how they grew and developed as the weeks went on.
 
We’ve been binge watching all three series and have just got halfway through series 3. It’s not as exciting with no having to cross countries and struggle with currency and language changes but I am enjoying seeing them hitchhike more and the kindness of the Canadian people- you’d never get that in England! Monique and Ladi are my favourites and I quite like Zainab and Mobeen- they’re a bit like Jen and Rob but she’s not as dramatic. I didn’t mind the older ladies at first but they’re starting to annoy me now, especially the taller one crying- I think it’d be better to see how she’s navigating the race as someone with sight loss, rather than just showing her cry when there’s a problem.

Claudia and Kevin annoy me the most, I hope they run out of money. Claudia seems to dislike her dad, I think the attitude she has that her parents basically neglected her for their business is quite childish. Running your own business is very time consuming and it sometimes you have to make sacrifices to provide for your family! You’d think as an adult now she could see that. I also hate how they keep spending loads but then comment whenever someone else makes a slightly more expensive decision- like when the brothers hired a car.
Didn’t care much for the brothers but I’m glad they were able to improve their relationship.
 
Sharkfan said:
We’ve been binge watching all three series and have just got halfway through series 3. It’s not as exciting with no having to cross countries and struggle with currency and language changes but I am enjoying seeing them hitchhike more and the kindness of the Canadian people- you’d never get that in England! Monique and Ladi are my favourites and I quite like Zainab and Mobeen- they’re a bit like Jen and Rob but she’s not as dramatic. I didn’t mind the older ladies at first but they’re starting to annoy me now, especially the taller one crying- I think it’d be better to see how she’s navigating the race as someone with sight loss, rather than just showing her cry when there’s a problem.

Claudia and Kevin annoy me the most, I hope they run out of money. Claudia seems to dislike her dad, I think the attitude she has that her parents basically neglected her for their business is quite childish. Running your own business is very time consuming and it sometimes you have to make sacrifices to provide for your family! You’d think as an adult now she could see that. I also hate how they keep spending loads but then comment whenever someone else makes a slightly more expensive decision- like when the brothers hired a car.
Didn’t care much for the brothers but I’m glad they were able to improve their relationship.
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I agree about Claudia and Kevin, they were pretty dislikeable. I kind of liked Zainab and Mobeen as a package but, man, she could be nasty at times. I laugh at how everyone think of Cathie and Tricia as being really old but they were only late 40s.

We are half way through the second series now and like the brother and sister and mother and son groups so far.
 
My kids and I have finally finished series 1 (watched it all backwards) and really enjoyed it. It's a shame the couple dropped out in episode 1, it would have been hilarious to watch them trying to race across the world with two suitcases on wheels.

'Celebrity' version coming in the autumn I seen. That should be good. Wonder what concessions they'll make for them?
 
petitspois said:
My kids and I have finally finished series 1 (watched it all backwards) and really enjoyed it. It's a shame the couple dropped out in episode 1, it would have been hilarious to watch them trying to race across the world with two suitcases on wheels.

'Celebrity' version coming in the autumn I seen. That should be good. Wonder what concessions they'll make for them?
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I think it's a shame they have to make celebrity versions. It's nice, for once, to have Joe Public involved.
 
Celebs have been announced! I hope the fact they’ve paired them with people they know/love will help it keep some of the magic of the regular RATW.
 

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