6 Idiot Abroad Rip-Offs
An Idiot Abroad
An Idiot Abroad is a TV show where Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant send their friend, Karl Pilkington, travelling the world – and he hates it.
I couldn’t help but notice a lot of British comedians stealing the idea of sending someone grumpy around the world that is hating every second of it. Some of the shows even have a very similar feel in terms of the way the show is shot and the music.
Then I saw this tweet from Ricky Gervais himself:
Is it just me, or is there a new terrible rip off of An Idiot Abroad every few months on British TV these days?
— Ricky Gervais (@rickygervais) June 12, 2017
So, what exactly are the TV shows that are, in my opinion, ripping off An Idiot Abroad?
Travels With My Father
Jack Whitehall takes his father, Micheal Whitehall, around the world and guess what – his dad is grumpy and moaning about everything. In the title sequence Jack says “The thought of Micheal Whitehall Slumming it…” It’s like he’s letting you know it’s the exact same premise as An Idiot Abroad before it’s even started – stick a grumpy bloke in a rubbish hotel.
Jack might as well turn to the camera and say, “It’s basically An Idiot Abroad“
Is It Worth A Watch?
Yes. Jack Whitehall’s Dad is hilarious.
Joel & Nish Vs. The World
Nish Kumar and Joel Dommett are a couple of buddies. The premise of the show is Joel travelling the world and trying various physical activities, like martial arts, from other cultures. Oh, and Nish follows him around passing comment on how he is doing. Yes, you read that correctly.
Nish has a little try at some of the activities and guess what – he’s grumpy about it. And with the music and the way it’s shot, it just feels like An Idiot Abroad.
Is It Worth A Watch?
Kinda. Mainly for Nish. However, even though Nish is funny, the chemistry between the two isn’t exactly sparkling and doesn’t compare to Jack Whitehall and his Dad.
In fact, Karl Pilkington’s interactions with his camera man in An Idiot Abroad are funnier then these two.
Asian Provocateur
Romesh Ranganthan was born and has lived in England his whole life. His family is of a Sri Lankan background – that he knows nothing about. So, his Mum sends him to Sri Lanka to learn about his culture. Here’s the twist – He’s grumpy most the time.
In season 2 he brings his mum with him too.
I’m surprised he didn’t have the idea of bringing a dwarf along for series 3.
Is It Worth a Watch?
Yes. Romesh is the British comedian making the funniest TV shows right now and this is one of his best.
The Misadventures of Romesh Ranganathan
Once you’ve ripped someone off once you might as well keep going. Romesh worked that one out – clever man.
This time Romesh is visiting places that no one has visited for a TV show before. In the intro he’s naming places that he wants to visit and his camera is saying “No, so-and-so has already been there.”
Romesh says, “What about Thailand?” and his camera man replies “Karl Pilkington has been there”
Ballsy move.
He’s letting everyone know – yeah, I’ll rip you off… and I’ll mention you in the show. What ya gonna do?
Is It Worth A Watch?
Yes, Obviously. It’s Romesh Ranganathan.
Micky Flanagan’s Detour De France
As soon as the show starts it feels like An Idiot Abroad. It’s Micky talking to the camera and it really has that “Ricky and Steve talking to Karl in the Idiot Abroad intro” vibe. You know the vibe.
Really, you could just replace Micky with Karl and call it An Idiot Abroad 4.
Is It Worth a Watch?
Micky can be funny so sure, I guess.
Moaning of Life
After the success of An Idiot Abroad – and I imagine, the money in Pilkington’s bank account – He‘s decided to do his own version and called it The Moaning Of Life. This time, without Gervais and Merchant.
Each episode has a theme that he explores including: Marriage, Happiness, Kids and Death. He travels to different countries and discovers how different cultures deal with these issues.
Is It Worth A Watch?
Yes. Karl Pilkington is a legend and if you enjoyed An Idiot Abroad, Moaning Of Life is basically the same. Just without the phone calls from Ricky and Steve.