Craziness and comedy across the globe in 'An Idiot Abroad 2'

Everyone's favourite reluctant traveller, Karl Pilkington, returns to the departure gate on An Idiot Abroad 2: The Bucket List, this October on TLC. After his magnificent tour of the Seven Wonders of the World, Karl could be considered an international jetsetter however his recent global exposure has made him even more resistant to the call of the open road. Nevertheless, world-class tormentors Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant prove that one man's anguish can be another man's amusement, as they send him around the world to fulfill his Bucket List. Now Karl can only hope that his quest to accomplish the definitive list of "things to do before you die" does not kill him first. 

 

On An Idiot Abroad 2: The Bucket List, Karl is coerced into round two of the world's most ridiculous social-experiment as Ricky and Stephen use the planet as their playground and compile the most outrageous to-do list ever concocted.  Having learned from the first season of An Idiot Abroad, Karl only agreed to do another series if the rules changed. This time on An Idiot Abroad 2: The Bucket List, he is allowed to select where he goes and what he does from the Bucket List. Even with the opportunity to pick his poison, each task results in an adventure of absolute absurdity. From arse boarding and spending time with a Prince Phillip-worshipping tribe in the South Pacific, to coming face-to-face with a gorilla in Uganda, to being sent to a village inhabited by hundreds of deadly snakes in Thailand, to diving with Great White sharks in Australia, Karl's adventures are loaded with the same unpredictable, yet hilarious, surprises from his puppet masters back in London.

 

Beyond the craziness and comedy, the eight-part series of An Idiot Abroad 2: The Bucket List traverses across the globe to bring viewers on non-cookie cutter travel experiences that unravel off-beaten routes, cross uncharted waters and access rarely seen communities and cultures. With so much to see around the world and so many options to strike off from his List, will Karl survive make it through all the challenges and survive An Idiot Abroad 2: The Bucket List? 

 

Catch all the adventures and idiosyncrasies of Karl Pilkington on the following episodes of An Idiot Abroad 2: The Bucket List:

 

Desert island

 

Karl's first 'to do' is to spend the night on a desert island in the South Pacific. Soon after he arrives, a new type of vacationing interrupts his visions of relaxation. Karl then goes bungee jumping with some natives, spends some quality time with a Prince Phillip-worshipping tribe, goes arse boarding, and models some very exotic underwear.

 

Transiberian Express

 

The next destination for Karl is a trip aboard the Trans-Siberian Express. The trail - which starts in Russia and ends in China - is Karl's most hated place. He's hoping for luxury, but Ricky and Stephen have other ideas. Karl receives an intense Russian steam room rubdown, stops over at a dwarf village, and is buried alive to experience ritual customs of the natives.

 

Swimming with dolphins

 

Karl heads off to Australia to tick off an iconic Bucket List item: swimming with dolphins. Before he touches down in Australia, Ricky and Stephen have a planned a little stopover in Thailand. After being given a makeover by the famous lady boys of Thailand, he is entered in blindfolded Thai kickboxing contest, and sent to village inhabited by 100s of deadly snakes. Finally, when Karl finally arrives in Australia he discovers he is not going to swim with dolphins, but instead dive with Great White Sharks.

 

Whale watching

 

Karl is hardly prepared for the arctic conditions he faces in Alaska. To fulfill his adventure here, Ricky and Stephen have planned some dogsledding, a meeting with the Innuits, and a visit to the North Pole. When Karl finally gets to catch his whale-watching cruise, he learns that his cohorts have stuck him on a deep sea fishing trawler.

 

Face-to-face with gorillas

 

Karl is off to Africa to meet a gorilla before traveling to Uganda. Ricky and Stephen want Karl to have an authentic African experience, so they arrange some time in a slum for him help rebuild a shelter. Karl visits Jessica the Hippo, and Ricky sends him to join a Rhino conservation project. Lastly, Karl is sent on a journey through the impenetrable forest in Uganda before coming face-to-face with a gorilla.

 

Route 66

 

Karl has always wanted to drive along the iconic Route 66 in an open top Cadillac, but Ricky and Stephen have a few other items to add to the list.  Along the way, they want him join a high school choir, hang out with New Age therapists, and meet the Amish. Karl finally wraps up his American adventure by wing walking on a plane.

 

Climb Mount Fuji

 

Karl is off to Japan's most spiritual destination: Mount Fuji. Here, he completes a 15-hour trek to the summit of Mount Fuji filled with unexpected surprises. He then stays overnight in a 'capsule' hotel, heads to a Sumo wrestling match, and goes for a ride on the world's steepest rollercoaster.

 

Karl comes home

 

Karl returns home to London to meet Ricky and Stephen and reflect on his adventures tackling the Bucket List. The adventures of An Idiot Abroad 2: The Bucket List premiered on October 18 at 9:00 p.m. on TLC. Encores every Thursday at 3:00 p.m., Friday at 8:00 a.m. and Sunday at 8:00 p.m.  Press release and photo from TLC