An Idiot Abroad

Karl Pilkington is sent to foreign countries under the guise of visiting the New Seven Wonders of the World. Though these Seven Wonders include the Colosseum in Rome, this is not one of Pilkington's destinations because Ricky and Stephen thought that he might feel too comfortable in Rome; instead he visits the Great Pyramids in Egypt (which is the last of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World to remain intact). Despite the stated focus of visiting the wonders, most of each episode focuses on Karl’s reactions to cultural differences and idiosyncrasies in the countries he visits. To make things more interesting, Ricky and Stephen unexpectedly call Karl during each trip, to assign him tasks often not related to why he believed he was visiting the country in the first place. These include training as a luchador, traveling the desert on a camel, and dancing with a samba school in a Carnival parade. It was confirmed by the show's producers that Pilkington has no prior warning about these situations. Gervais commented: "This is a [more real] documentary than most others you'll ever see on television. We don't plan it, he doesn't know what's going to happen."