1. An Idiot Abroad
One of the many irritants discussed by Karl over the course of the Podcasts was his lack of interest and understanding in global travel. Despite having visited a number of places on holiday (he was often criticised by Ricky and Steve for having too much time off) he failed to see why people would go trekking around the world visiting various places, wonders and landmarks. In 2010. Ricky and Steve decided it was time for Karl to experience the seven wonders of the modern world and later to experience some of the items on the bucket list (things to do before you die) to see if they could provoke a change Karl's mentality. Originally titled 'Karl Pilkington's Seven Wonders of the World' the show was appropriately rechristened 'An Idiot Abroad' during Karl's visit to Peru. Unlike other travel documentaries, the show focussed on Karl's reactions to being set tasks by Ricky and Steve without prior knowledge, often exposing him to the extremes of particular cultures. Whether learning how to be a Luchador in Mexico, crossing a desert by Camel or swimming with Sharks, Karl's priceless attitude and analysis of these experiences provided fantastic viewing. In a later series he would be accompanied by Warwick Davis, an actor with dwarfism, on a route loosely based on the one taken by Marco Polo. Throughout his visits to some of the greatest sites on Planet Earth, crossing off some of the most sought after experiences a person would want to do in their life and travelling from Venice to China with a dwarf, Karl's grouchy yet philosophical outlook made you wish you were right there with him. Top 5 An Idiot Abroad quotes "She gave me the jabs and said I was covered for every worst-case scenario, including being bitten by a dirty chimp. I told her this is why we have over-population problems. Why are idiots who annoy dirty chimps being protected?" Karl Pilkington, An Idiot Abroad: The Travel Diaries of Karl Pilkington "This is the problem with over-crowded inner-city schools there aren't enough parts for everyone in the nativity story." Karl Pilkington, An Idiot Abroad: The Travel Diaries of Karl Pilkington "I've never been touched by such an old man." Karl Pilkington, An Idiot Abroad: The Travel Diaries of Karl Pilkington "It's interesting to see that people had so much clutter even thousands of years ago. The only way to get rid of it all was to bury it, and then some archaeologist went and dug it all up." Karl Pilkington, An Idiot Abroad: The Travel Diaries of Karl Pilkington "I'd be bullshit man. There's so many meetings going on where, you know people are bullshitting. I'd just like to walk in. I wouldn't need a special costume, just dressed like this and I would fly in and I'd go, "Bullshit. He's talking bullshit." Karl Pilkington, An Idiot Abroad
The fact is, if you already know of Karl Pilkington then this article would have been a pleasant reminder of the joy and laughter his downright idiocy would have bought you over the years. No doubt you read through some of my quotes and immediately thought of several that were not included that are just as brilliant as the ones listed in which case, please submit them in the comments section. For those of you who have never heard of this man with a perfectly spherically shaped head, I would encourage you to get your hands on anything and everything you can in which he features. Youtube is littered with every radio show and podcast and the TV show cannot be hard to find. Search iTunes, Google and anywhere else you can think of and familiarise yourself with the world of Karl Pilkington. His new show, 'The Moaning of Life' starts tonight (9pm, Sky 1) so still have time to play catch up. I would consider it a crime if I did not end with a quote from the man himself. "If an idea isn't daft, it isn't worth thinking about" Karl Pilkington