Series synopsis
An Idiot Abroad is a British comedy documentary television series that premiered on Sky One on September 23, 2010. It ended on December 14, 2012. It was created by Ricky Gervais. It stars Karl Pilkington, Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant and Warwick Davis.
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.
Premise
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.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Karl Pilkington as Self
- Ricky Gervais as Self
- Stephen Merchant as Self
- Warwick Davis as Self
Guest cast
- Chas Hodges as Self
- Dave Peacock as Self
Episodes
This series spans 4 seasons with 64 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 0 | 45 | September 5, 2010 | December 28, 2012 |
| Season 1 | 8 | September 23, 2010 | November 11, 2010 |
| Season 2 | 8 | September 23, 2011 | November 11, 2011 |
| Season 3 | 3 | November 30, 2012 | December 14, 2012 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The Preview Show Alongside exclusive footage, Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant quiz their perfectly round headed best mate Karl Pilkington about his forthcoming travels around the world. |
September 5, 2010 |
| 2 |
Unseen Karl - China Karl Pilkington struggles through a Chinese lunch break featuring heavy suction and a platter of Chicken feet. |
September 23, 2010 |
| 3 |
Unseen Karl - India Karl gets a gift from the production team to assist him on his travels and makes an amazing admission about one of his favourite pastimes. |
September 30, 2010 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
China Karl Pilkington's journey begins in the Far East. As well as casting his verdict on The Great Wall of China, he immerses himself in the culture with laugh-out-loud results. |
September 23, 2010 |
| 2 |
India Karl travels to India and gives own unique verdict on its ancient customs and vibrant culture. |
September 30, 2010 |
| 3 |
Jordan This week, Karl Pilkington's voyage takes him to Petra in Jordan, by way of Israel. What will he make of the 'rose-red city half as old as time'? |
October 7, 2010 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Desert Island Karl makes his way through the 'Bucket List' that has been created. First up he ends up spending a a night on a private island. |
September 23, 2011 |
| 2 |
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. |
September 30, 2011 |
| 3 |
Dolphin Swim Karl gets the chance to swim with some dolphins but with Ricky and Steve as the holiday planners there are a few surprises. |
October 7, 2011 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The Short Way Round: Venice Karl is joined by Warwick Davis as they attempt to follow in the footsteps of Marco Polo. They begin their adventure in Venice. |
November 30, 2012 |
| 2 |
The Short Way Round: India Karl and Warwick's journey continues as they make their way to India. Laughing yoga and parts in a Bollywood film are trumped after Karl experiences his first holiday highlight. |
December 7, 2012 |
| 3 |
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. |
December 14, 2012 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | Sky One |
|---|---|
| First aired | September 23, 2010 |
| Last aired | December 14, 2012 |
| Runtime | 43 minutes |
| Status | Ended |
| Schedule | Friday at 21:00:00 |