The fourth season of the Travel Channel's 5 Takes series began this past Saturday night in Buenos Aires, Argentina. I've been a fan of the series, having watched the three previous seasons where 5 travel journalists (or TJ's as they're called) backpacked around Europe, Australia/New Zealand/Southeast Asia, and the United States.
It was a rather motley crew of travelers which had been selected for the Latin America season, including a chubby bald guy, Vinny, who started crying about Eva Peron. Didn't Madonna sing "Don't Cry For Me Argentina?" After about 20 minutes, having being introduced to the new characters as they learned to tango and explore the Argentine culture, I realized I wasn't interested. I turned it off.
Perhaps my negative attitude has less to do with an interest in the hosts of the fourth season and more to do with my exhaustion of TV travel shows. You name it and I've seen it over the past few years. I've decided to take a break from them all - no 1,000 Places to See Before You Die, no 5 Takes, no GlobeTrekker, no Travel Channel period (except maybe No Reservations which is more about food)!
As Tom Petty sang, "the waiting is the hardest part."
Mike says
Wow, I thought it was just me! I have a TiVo-ful of all of the shows you mentioned above and I just can't bear to watch them anymore. I'm Travel Channel'ed out. Perhaps I'm tired of watching everyone else explore the world but me.
Of course, that leaves only a handful of other cable channels that I have any interest in watching. I think I have 900-something channels at my disposal and I only watch The Discovery Channel and whatever channel Law and Order happens to be on that night.
Mike says
Wow, I thought it was just me! I have a TiVo-ful of all of the shows you mentioned above and I just can't bear to watch them anymore. I'm Travel Channel'ed out. Perhaps I'm tired of watching everyone else explore the world but me.
Of course, that leaves only a handful of other cable channels that I have any interest in watching. I think I have 900-something channels at my disposal and I only watch The Discovery Channel and whatever channel Law and Order happens to be on that night.
Dave says
I'm up there with the TV channels too, and decided not to downgrade my cable after The Sopranos wraps up next Sunday.
After all, I can go from a recording of Sunset Tan which is a new series about what else but tanning, to a National Geographic documentary on the Green Berets in Afghanistan.
I need a life!
Dave says
I'm up there with the TV channels too, and decided not to downgrade my cable after The Sopranos wraps up next Sunday.
After all, I can go from a recording of Sunset Tan which is a new series about what else but tanning, to a National Geographic documentary on the Green Berets in Afghanistan.
I need a life!
ourman says
Largely agree, however, Ian Wright on Globe Trekker always manages to remind why I like traveling so much.
Mike says
Ian's perhaps my favorite travel show host - he makes both travel and hosting a travel show look easy.
Dave says
I remember reading on the BootsnAll message boards that he does speaking engagements, and that it was known he was often intoxicated during filming. :)
ourman says
Largely agree, however, Ian Wright on Globe Trekker always manages to remind why I like traveling so much.
Mike says
Ian's perhaps my favorite travel show host - he makes both travel and hosting a travel show look easy.
Dave says
I remember reading on the BootsnAll message boards that he does speaking engagements, and that it was known he was often intoxicated during filming. :)