LEARNING INTENTIONS

To compare two travelogue shows in terms of their implied benefits of travel.

To examine techniques used to parody the travelogue show genre.

Travelling can be expensive and  for many of us one of the only ways to embark on a grand overseas adventure is via the vicarious pleasure of watching someone else on one.

This is the magic of the travel documentary series where we're whisked away by charismatic presenters who vividly document their journeys and provide incisive, sometimes hilarious, insights into exotic and not so exotic places.

A travelogue is a truthful account of an individual's experiences traveling, usually told in the past tense and in the first person. Travelogue shows take us on the journey and allow viewers to come along for the ride.

Tropes of the Travelogue Show

A travelogue is a non-fiction work, about traveling to various places, usually a vacation destination. Film and television proved well-suited to the travelogue genre. Short travelogue films were a common product of early American film studios, frequently appearing in theatres before features. The television travelogue show has been popular pretty much since the medium was invented.

The most basic travelogue shows is a bare description of the locale being visited. More sophisticated travelogue shows go into depth about local culture and "colour", and may heavily showcase local cuisine. They may also sometimes heavily showcase methods used to get from point A to point B. 

Essentially, a travel show or travelogue, will examine the culture and people of one or more places, will have some point A to point B element of travel within it, and will probably have a narrator/host from whose perspective the story is told.

Implicit in each travelogue show are beliefs about why travelling is good for us- and it is these motives for travel that often distinguish and individualise shows. 

We looked at the benefits or reasons for why travelling is good for you when we started this unit.

ANTHONY BOURDAIN v HAMISH AND ANDY

We will watch two different travelogue shows and then compare them for the implied benefits of travel. 

You need to think about the presenters - how they travel, where they go to, what they experience and then decide what their motives for travel are.

Use the list of 20 reasons why travel is good for us to help you describe the presenters motives for travel and what the show is implying about what we get out of the experience of travelling.

Parts Unknown

THE PRESENTER

Anthony Bourdain, the former New York chef turned author turned travelogue legend, who took his own life in 2018.

THE LOWDOWN

In 2013, Anthony Bourdain revolutionized the travel show genre with CNN’s Parts Unknown. This was Bourdain's fourth travel series and his first for CNN, a show that, while still food-focused, allowed the host to further explore politics and the human side of travel. The chef and author hosted Parts Unknown until his shocking death. Parts Unknown had a warm, personal touch not before seen on a TV show of its kind. Bourdain would travel to places we’d never heard of, and he would show the food and culture of the lands, as well as uncovering breath-taking personal stories of their natives. Parts Unknown takes an honest and holistic look at the world and at travel, considering the impact politics, history, and location have on the people who call a country home.

 Bourdain’s advice on life: 

“If I’m an advocate for anything, it’s to move. As far as you can, as much as you can. Across the ocean, or simply across the river. Walk in someone else’s shoes or at least eat their food. It’s a plus for everybody.”

Parts Unknown: Congo

The show is divided into two section - getting to the Congo River and then being on the Congo River.

Towards the Congo River

Bourdain’s original inspiration for the trip to the Congo was Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness and he is well educated on the violent tumultuous history of the country - a country ravaged and a people slaughtered in search of ivory and rubber, an omnipresent colonial power that vanished, and the rebel forces left in the wake of Colonisation who will kill for an inch of power.

Bourdain’s journey to the Congo River begins in Rwanda where the crew meets with their fixer, Dan. A concrete wall is what separates the relative normality of paperwork, procedure, and Wi-Fi in Rwanda from Congo - a country where good food, security, and, at times sanity, are hard to come by.

The first stop is Goma: A city where one million Congolese live at the base of a smouldering volcano. A city where locals say wildlife once attracted visitors.

“Goma was a touristy place for a long time,” they say. “Things change quickly in Congo.”

The show maps the presence of various rebel groups in the region using visual effects to highlight important economic and geopolitical concepts as well as emphasise the complexity and instability of the political situation in Congo.

In the crew’s next stop, Kisangani, Bourdain visits with the Wagenia fishing village where the crew eats tiger fish steamed in a banana leaf. It is one of the few moments of the episode focused on cooking techniques in Congo. Local fishermen use a system of wooden poles and acrobatic precision to catch what fish are left in the river.

The fishermen explain that tourists used to visit when the river was more plentiful and the region more peaceful, a business they hope will one day return.

Bourdain looks at the country’s near non-existent transport infrastructure. The crew opted for a flight earlier in the episode stating that road travel in nearly impossible and later explore the quiet Kisangani train station. The story of workers arriving at the station, which “has slowly receded into the jungle,” every day “ready and waiting for the situation to improve” is heart-breaking.

“If only we could receive modern technical support, we could get moving today,” tells the railway minister to Bourdain.

On the Congo

Once on the Congo, Bourdain and crew make a quick stop to meet with a local dignitary. The local is outfitted in a full suit with native headgear and the entire town seems to have descended on the river to meet Bourdain. He is short on time and stays just long enough to gift the town a small black pig and receive a large copper bracelet. Bourdain is authentically floored when he discovers the origins of the traditional bracelet, which has been passed through the generations only to end up with him.

The epiphanies are few and far between as the river journey continues and Bourdain becomes increasingly frustrated with the execution of his dream. After funnelling chicken blood in plastic water bottles, losing power in the midst of his chopping, and dining in the company of fist-sized moths, Bourdain gives into reality, stating, “…I should be loyal to the nightmare of my choice.”

The episode and Congo river cruise ends at Yangambi Research Library. Similar to the train station, the library staff arrives each day to maintain the grounds and library’s vast content. Their dedication to the colonial institution brings Bourdain to question whether some of the Congolese view Belgium colonization as “the good times,” but no answers or solutions are realized by the end of the episode. 

Overall Bourdain seems surprised to find a country still standing proud. Railway workers that show up to work without pay to keep the railway ready for action, library staff that organize and clean a long-forgotten collection, and a society that would buy soap over a sandwich to stay clean.

Hamish and Andy's Perfect Holiday

Travel Man - Barcelona 

Richard Ayoade wants to make travelling more fun, more efficient, and less tedious. In this four-part series, he shows us how to have the most culturally efficient holiday possible - with all the boring bits taken out. In the first episode, Richard jets off to Barcelona with comedienne and actress Kathy Burke, experiencing the best of this popular holiday destination in just 48 hours - including a visit to the Barcelona Football Club museum, a guided tricycle tour, and a trip to see the Surrealist work of Catalan artist Joan Miro.

Michael Palin: Travels of a Lifetime 

Leaving the towns and cities of Pakistan and India behind, Michael ascends into the mountains, to encounter the societies who live at the top of the world. This is one of the most spectacular landscapes in the world, but also home to a diverse range of people. Michael seeks out remote inhabitants across this extraordinary region.

TRAVEL GUIDES  S01 • E01

Six groups of ordinary Aussies take on the job of travel critics, rating and reviewing their experience in some of the world's hottest travel spots. In this hilarious new series, one person's holiday heaven proves to be another's idea of hell.

Unlikely Travellers - Journey

Episode three has the troupe on a non-stop itinerary in Egypt, which includes Cairo, the Nile, Abu Simbel, the temple of Sobak, Luxor, the Pyramids and a dawn trek up Mount Sinai. There are challenges at every turn, with the food, the hygiene, physical stamina, culture clashes, homesickness and dealing with each other. But the excitement and achievement of dealing with a strange new world brings joy and fulfillment. How will it change them?

BEING OVERSEAS

Young first time traveller Roger Ungers takes us to the fascinating and awe-inspiring travel destinations around the world. 

In this first episode, Roger heads to Europe. 

His first stop is London where Roger shows us the major tourist attractions, before experiencing the boisterous celebrations in Ireland during St Patrick's Day. 

He also visits the beautiful coastlines of southern England including Bristol, Brighton and Cornwell, sharing his handy travel tips along the way. 

(Premiere) (From Australia) (Travel/Documentary Series) G CC

From Sydney To Tokyo By Any Means

In this travel show with a difference, Charley Boorman attempts to travel north from Sydney up the Pacific Rim to Tokyo, using only local forms of transport. Tonight, Charley heads up the east coast of Australia with a huge biker convoy in tow. Along the way he meets unique characters, travels in a replica Spitfire, tries his hand at cattle mustering, and even gets bitten by a snake. 

Parodying the Travelogue Show

All Aussie Adventures, also known as Russell Coight's All Aussie Adventures, is an Australian mockumentary television series that parodies the travel-adventure genre. Comedian Glenn Robbins plays Russell Coight, a survival and wildlife expert who charts his disastrous travels through Australia, spreading misinformation and causing accidents.

What tools of parody are use to create humour?

Extras

Parts Unknown: Vietnam

Hamish & Andy’s American Caravan of Courage 

Summary of the show

BARRELLING down the back roads of the US in search of looney birds is a well-trod comedic path. But Hamish insists they've taken a different route. "I think everyone is pretty used to seeing Americans picked on and hung out to dry and that was something we didn't want to do," he says on the phone from a caravan park in Show Low, Arizona. "We didn't want to specifically look for crazy people — we are looking for what average Americans are doing." For "average Americans" read: Jerry the anvil shooter in Mississippi; David the "skunk ape" tracker, who lives in Florida; and Dave the 136-kilogram Georgian bounty hunter. Y'all come back now, ya hear.

What Hamish and Andy play up is the friendship between the two performers: they may constantly be setting each other one up, but there is rarely any sense of real meanness behind it. They are – just two mates messing around. Using pranks over scripted comedy also gives the advantages that things feel spontaneous. The audience feels as if they are watching something happening right in front of them.