# An Idiot Abroad (2010)

> Karl Pilkington is made to travel the world against his will while Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant watch from Britain and mock his every misadventure.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/31304

## Facts

- Seasons: 3
- Episodes: 19
- Episode runtime: 43 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: comedy, documentary
- Created by: Ricky Gervais
- Network: Sky One
- Cast: Karl Pilkington, Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant, Warwick Davis, Chas Hodges, Dave Peacock
- TMDB rating: 8.3/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1702042/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: none
- Tone: deadpan, irreverent, playful, awkward, affectionate

## What critics say

Audiences broadly acclaim the series for Karl Pilkington's bewildered, unfiltered reactions to far-flung travel and the sharp comic friction with Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant.

## Synopsis

An Idiot Abroad (2010-2012) is a British travel documentary comedy series created by Ricky Gervais for Sky One. Karl Pilkington, the blunt and easily baffled presenter who has no interest in going anywhere, is sent around the globe on a series of increasingly ambitious journeys, while Gervais and Stephen Merchant stay safely in the United Kingdom and monitor his progress from afar. Their running commentary and scheming to test him drive the engine of each episode: Pilkington must complete a set challenge in an unfamiliar country, and the frustration, mishaps and his own unfiltered reactions to famous landmarks, local customs and foreign food provide the comedy. The show runs across three seasons and nineteen episodes, with each season built as a loose sequence of standalone trips rather than one continuing story. Warwick Davis appears in a handful of episodes. Its tone is deadpan, irreverent and warmly affectionate, with a mockumentary-style sense of awkwardness at its heart. Fans of The Trip, Borat and other British comedy travel formats with a reluctant or out of place host will find much to enjoy in its mix of bewilderment and mischief.

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