Country of origin United Kingdom Running time 60 minutes No. of episodes 218+ First episode date May 26, 1994 | No. of seasons 17 Role Television Series Original language(s) English Name Globe Trekker Language English | |
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Starring Various hosts (known as Travellers) Genres Documentary film, Reality television, Adventure Film Episodes 4 London City Guide 3Season 15 - Apr 5 - 2012, 4 London City Guide 3, 7 Senegal/ ZambiaSeason 13 - Nov 15 - 2012, 7 Senegal/ Zambia, 30 Alps & LaplandSeason 12 - Dec 29 - 2013, 30 Alps & Lapland, 29 MozambiqueSeason 12 - Dec 22 - 2013, 29 Mozambique, 28 Caribbean Islands: St Lucia - Martinique & MontserratSeason 12 - Dec 15 - 2013, 28 Caribbean Islands: St Lucia - Martinique & Montserrat, 27 AntarcticaSeason 12 - Dec 1 - 2013, 27 Antarctica, 26 Globe Trekker Special: World War II in the PacificSeason 12 - Nov 24 - 2013, 26 Globe Trekker Special: World War II in the Pacific, 25 Globe Trekker Food Hour: Southern ChinaSeason 12 - Nov 17 - 2013, 25 Globe Trekker Food Hour: Southern China, 24 Ice Trekking the AlpsSeason 12 - Nov 10 - 2013, 24 Ice Trekking the Alps, 23 Paris City Guide 2Season 12 - Nov 3 - 2013, 23 Paris City Guide 2, 22 Buenos Aires City GuideSeason 12 - Oct 13 - 2013, 22 Buenos Aires City Guide, 21 Southern MexicoSeason 12 - Oct 5 - 2013, 21 Southern Mexico, 20 Madrid City GuideSeason 12 - Sep 15 - 2013, 20 Madrid City Guide, 19 Globe Trekker Food Hour: LebanonSeason 12 - Aug 11 - 2013, 19 Globe Trekker Food Hour: Lebanon, 18 NigeriaSeason 12 - Aug 4 - 2013, 18 Nigeria, 17 Greek IslandsSeason 12 - Jul 28 - 2013, 17 Greek Islands, 16 ScotlandSeason 12 - Jul 21 - 2013, 16 Scotland, 15 Globe Trekker Food Hour: Spice TrailsSeason 12 - Jul 14 - 2013, 15 Globe Trekker Food Hour: Spice Trails, 14 Mid-Atlantic StatesSeason 12 - Jul 7 - 2013, 14 Mid-Atlantic States, 13 Globe Trekker Food Hour: VietnamSeason 12 - Jun 30 - 2013, 13 Globe Trekker Food Hour: Vietnam, 12 Honduras & El SalvadorSeason 12 - Jun 23 - 2013, 12 Honduras & El Salvador, 11 Georgia & ArmeniaSeason 12 - Jun 16 - 2013, 11 Georgia & Armenia, 10 BangladeshSeason 12 - Jun 9 - 2013, 10 Bangladesh, 9 Utah & ColoradoSeason 12 - Jun 2 - 2013, 9 Utah & Colorado, 8 Around the World East to West: Istanbul to ViennaSeason 12 - May 26 - 2013, 8 Around the World East to West: Istanbul to Vienna, 7 Around the World Silk Road: Kashgar to IstanbulSeason 12 - May 19 - 2013, 7 Around the World Silk Road: Kashgar to Istanbul, 6 Around the World Silk Road: Xi'an to KashgarSeason 12 - May 12 - 2013, 6 Around the World Silk Road: Xi'an to Kashgar, 5 Around the World Pacific Journeys: Tonga to New CaledoniaSeason 12 - May 5 - 2013, 5 Around the World Pacific Journeys: Tonga to New Caledonia, 4 Around the World Pacific Journeys: Santiago to PitcairnSeason 12 - Apr 28 - 2013, 4 Around the World Pacific Journeys: Santiago to Pitcairn, 3 Around the World Panamericana: Incas & InquisitionsSeason 12 - Apr 21 - 2013, 3 Around the World Panamericana: Incas & Inquisitions, 2 Around the World: Panamericana: Conquistadors - Aztecs & RevolutionsSeason 12 - Apr 14 - 2013, 2 Around the World: Panamericana: Conquistadors - Aztecs & Revolutions, 1 Around the World: Across America: Route 66 & BeyondSeason 12 - Apr 7 - 2013, 1 Around the World: Across America: Route 66 & Beyond, 1 Ultimate MexicoSeason 10 - Apr 16 - 2006, 1 Ultimate Mexico, 2 Ultimate FranceSeason 9 - Sep 11 - 2004, 2 Ultimate France Similar Wright Out of Bounds, Awesome Adventures, Dhani Tackles the Globe, Gordon's Great Escape, The Moaning of Life | ||
Theme song Globe Trekker theme song | ||
Globe Trekker (sometimes called Pilot Guides in Australia and Thailand, and originally broadcast as Lonely Planet) is an adventure tourism television series produced by Pilot Productions. The English series was inspired by the Lonely Planet travelbooks and began airing in 1994. Globe Trekker is broadcast in over 40 countries across six continents. The program won over 20 international awards, including six American Cable Ace awards.
Contents
Program Synopsis
Each episode features a host, called a traveller, who travels with a camera crew to a country—often, a relatively exotic locale—and experiences the sights, sounds, and culture that the location has to offer. Special episodes feature in-depth city, beach, ape, dive, volcano, shopping, journey, history, festival, and food guides.
The show often goes far beyond popular tourist destinations in order to give viewers a more authentic look at local culture. Presenters usually participate in different aspects of regional life, such as attending a traditional wedding or visiting a mining community. They address the viewer directly, acting as tourists-turned-tour guides, but are also filmed interacting with locals and discovering interesting locations in (mostly) unrehearsed sequences. Globe Trekker also sometimes includes brief interviews with backpackers who share tips on independent travel in that particular country.
Production details
It usually takes 12 to 15 weeks to complete an episode of the show from start to finish, including at least four weeks of research, three weeks of planning and preparation (speaking to tourist boards, making travel arrangements), two to three weeks of actual filming, and three weeks of editing and post-production.
The presenter is often accompanied by five or six members of camera and production crew, who almost never appear on camera. Specifically, the crew consists of a camera operator and a sound technician, plus a producer and a director, who scout locations two weeks before filming. A driver, pilot, or other type of facilitator is often hired locally. A presenter and crew almost never spend more than three nights in one particular area.
Theme music
The series is known for its distinctive theme and background music, which consists largely of instrumental, downtempo, electronic dance compositions containing global folk music elements. Most of the music is written for the show by Ian Ritchie, Michael Conn, Colin Winston-Fletcher, Makoto Sakamoto, Jesper Mattsson, Stephen Luscombe and Pandit Dinesh.
Presenters
Pilot Productions employs several presenters for its variety of programs which include Planet Food, Bazaar, World Cafe, and Treks in a Wild World. This list of presenters is limited to those appearing in Globe Trekker.