"Peking Express" (2004) TV series 2004-????

User Rating:

8.4/10   

Director:

Ludo Poppe

Writer:

Ludo Poppe (idea)

Seasons:

3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | unknown

Release Date:

14 March 2004 (Belgium)

Genre:

Adventure | Reality-TV

Tagline:

Eight teams make an incredible journey, hitch-hiking from Moscow to Peking. In the 2nd series new couples hitchhike from Peking to Bombay

Plot:

In this original format, eight pairs of candidates, some lifelong partners (e.g. twins, father and child) or nearly (even divorced from each-other)...

Plot Keywords:

Reality Series

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Art Rooijakkers	...	Himself - Host / ... (33 episodes, 2005-2008)
Roos Van Acker	...	Herself - Host (25 episodes, 2004-2008)

Country:

Netherlands

Language:

Dutch

Color:

Color

Certification:

Netherlands:AL

Filming Locations:

Bolivia

Company:

Kanakna Productions

Trivia:

In 2006 there are two series. One regular series with Dutch and Belgian contestants and in the second series of 2006, the contestants are all Dutch VIPs.

Quotes:

Reinier: Drive, you... klootzak!

Soundtrack:

Summon the Worms

The perfect mix of adventure, culture, reality, ...

Normally I'm not a fan of all those reality shows. Shows like Big Brother, Idols, Temptation Island... and all their variations just don't do it for me. But there is one big exception and that is "Peking Express". It isn't easy to give a good definition for this series, but I guess you can call it a reality documentary or a documentary-game show. Fact is that it is probably the only show I taped every time, just to be sure that I wouldn't miss a minute of it.

During the first season, eight couples had to hitch-hike from Moscow to Peking (Bejing) with no money and no place to sleep. The second season eight new couples had to make the same kind of trip, but this time from Peking to Bombay (Mumbay). Where the third series will go to is still a mystery and I can only hope that there once will be a fourth one, because this is a series that I'll never get tired of. The fact that they can't pay a ticket for the train or the bus, makes that they will have to try to catch a lift in a country they don't know, where a language is spoken they don't speak except for a couple of words. Add to this that they'll have to hope for some hospitality from the locals, because otherwise they will have no food or place to sleep and you know this will be a difficult journey. And if that isn't enough, they will also compete with each other, because the last one to arrive at a certain point has to go home with nothing. Only the people who have won prices during their journey and who win the final will earn some money.

What also makes this show so good is the excellent mix of culture, tension and adventure. This is so much better than a brochure from the local travel agency when you want to see something about how the people really live over there. You'll get to see some marvelous touristic attraction of course, but poverty and heavy industry aren't cut out of it either. This adds a lot to the reality of this show and makes it so special.

Despite the fact that this format was created by and shown on one of our commercial TV-stations and in corporation with a Dutch commercial TV-station, I must say that the quality is excellent. I sure hope they'll be able to sell the format to the rest of the world, because they deserve that kind of recognition. If we could vote for it I would give it a 10/10.