"RTW" biking on Telly

**chris** · #1 18 Oct 2004

SKY ONE on Monday, October 18 (21h00-22h00) - "Long Way Round" (Part 1) Actors Ewan McGregor & Charlie Boorman go around the
world on R1150GS Adventures...

Should be interesting...

CB

**DougieB** · #2 18 Oct 2004

Ted Simon did an article in the Sunday Times (UK - Oct 10th) about them. He flew out to visit them in Mongolia. I dunno, his article seemed to have been edited quite a lot. I can't find the article online (you need to sign up), but the last few lines are:

'Surely, I taunted them, it would have been more revealing to do the journey alone. Why make a production out of it? "There's an element of truth in what you say," said McGregor. Then, in a burst of honesty, he admitted: "But we always wanted to tell people at home that things are achievable. It doesn't matter who you are - if you're stuck in mud, you're f****** stuck in mud.'

[This message has been edited by DougieB (edited 18 October 2004).]

**chris** · #3 19 Oct 2004

I am trying to live by the mantra: "If you've got nothing positive to say, keep your mouth shut".

So having seen the first episode, I believe future episodes can only get better and Ewan and Charlie will behave less like objectionable, spoilt w*nkers.

IMHO

ChrisB

**RichardW** · #4 22 Oct 2004

I didnt see the programme so I can't really comment - but when did that stop anayone!!!

I guess the problem for these two guys is tha to make a decent programme you need a crew, if they just filmed the trip on camcorners then there would not be the programme. This I would think provided a bit of a dilemma... From what I've seen in interviews etc they seem to be genuine bike nuts and pretty grounded but as I said I didn't see the actual programme.

My mate is taping the rest so I'll see...

**mcdarbyfeast** · #5 22 Oct 2004

We sold our house and saved hard for two years to fund our trip, as we know many people have done and I don't regret doing so for one second. What gets me is these guys, who are obviously not short of a bob or two, infact it's fair to say their loaded, expected to get free bikes for the trip because of who they were and when KTM turned them down, one of them who, incidentally, I've never heard of before, began throwing his teddy's around.

[This message has been edited by mcdarbyfeast (edited 22 October 2004).]

**John Ferris** · #6 23 Oct 2004

It will not show until next week here, but I will watch it. I like travel shows but I don't like the self promotion of watching someone telling how good they are and not mentioning the camera crew.
Terra circa is the best, filmed on the go.
I loaned my copy to someone "I think"

**davidmc** · #7 23 Oct 2004

When and where will this be showing in the US?

Dave

**John Ferris** · #8 23 Oct 2004

In Reno, NV on cable, Bravo 10 pm/9 central

**davidmc** · #9 23 Oct 2004

John, do you know which day this is?

**John Ferris** · #10 24 Oct 2004

Oh, I forgot Thursday October 28 10:00 pm
I think it is 6 hrs. I guess over 6 weeks ?

**Boxer** · #11 24 Oct 2004

While I don't doubt the courage of those who've done it alone, neither do I have a problem with the TV show. Yes they got free bikes, but one has just been sold at a star studded charity auction for, I believe, £87,000 - proceeds to charity. The DVD of the trip will be on sale for £9.99 - proceeds to charity. Perhaps with their knowledge of the entertainments and charity industries they've found a way to fund their trip and make a packet for charity. And maybe to do that in the most effective way they got a good support team and a professional camera man. What's the problem?

**chris** · #12 25 Oct 2004

i wasn't objecting to their support (office staff of 10+), their cameraman or their backup truck. i was voicing my opinion that they - as people - were objectionable, spoilt w*nkers.

as somebody above pointed out: they are rich (and famous... although i hadn't heard of charlie boy either) and then throw toys out of pram when ktm won't give them free bikes....

or comments like "oh no, it's ten days til our trip starts and we still haven't got crash-helmets"...

well, why don't you stop whingeing and go to the f***ing helmet shop and buy one...

i look forward to the action, scenery and people shots... for the benefit of the program they should also stick to the less said the better maxim.
Cheers
ChrisB

**canadianmike** · #13 26 Oct 2004

While I have yet to go off on my very own RTW, I must agree with Chris that these two dudes did nothing but complain.

I certainly hope that these will get better as the show progresses, but there was a fair amount of 'oh me oh my, how will I ever cope' whinging in the first one. It wasn't so much that the got free bikes and stuff, but that they seemed to feel entitled to free bikes and stuff and would complain when it didn't come through as quickly as they would have liked.

I also hope that they will give a nod to all those that have come before in the show. From the looks of the first episode it seemed that no one had ever considered riding a motorcycle RTW, and it was Mr. McGregor and the other guy who invented the concept.

Just my two cents.

Mike

**beddhist** · #14 12 Nov 2004

EMG has not only written a book about the trip, entitled Long Way Round, but he's also read excerpts from his book on BBC Radio.

I found it rather touching, not at all as described above, and I would like to share his readings with you. As I don't think it's available on the BBC web site any more I have transformed the 5 parts into MP3 files, which you can find here: http://beddha.free.fr/LWR/

Enjoy. I did.

------------------
Salut from Southern France, the bikers' paradise,

Peter.

**Chris Scott** · #15 20 Dec 2004

Missed the TV but just finished the book . IMO much bitching, pining, but still an honest and fun read (see Ewan Mac G Hits the thread for a review).

I think its fair to say that not many who use this forum would be impressed with the 'Terra Circus' machine, but they did actually do something pretty hard that money and sat phones could not always ease.

Interested to read above/below that Ted Simon reported:
'Surely, I taunted them, it would have been more revealing to do the journey alone. Why make a production out of it?" It's what I was expecting him to say but in the book he is a chummy old codger "never short of a jovial anecdote" and accepted "you use whatever is best at the time" which did not ring true from what I know of TS.

In the end I think all the more respect to those of you who DIY. Mongolia sounds great but the book would right put me off schelping all the way to Magadan!

Chris S

Must not protest too much, I got a nifty quote for the back of AMH5 out of it ;-)