An Idiot Abroad

The companion guide to the hysterical television show of the same name, in which Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant force their arrestingly simple pal Karl Pilkington on a global journey

 

A cult celebrity due to his role in The Ricky Gervais Show, the most-downloaded podcast ever, Karl Pilkington has been accused of being a comic creation, so unburdened is he by complex thought—but that is truly just him. The trio's newest project mines Karl massive provinciality: put simply, Karl is not big on traveling. Given the choice, he'll go on vacation to Devon or Wales or, if pushed, eat English food on a package tour of the Mediterranean. So what happened when he was convinced by Gervais and Merchant to go on an epic adventure to see the Seven Wonders of the World? Does travel truly broaden the mind? Find out in Karl Pilkington's hilarious travel diaries.

Karl Pilkington is a Sony Award–winning, Emmy Award–nominated radio producer, best known for producing and cohosting The Ricky Gervais Show on the radio and later in the form of podcasts and an HBO television show. He is the author of Happyslapped by a Jellyfish, Karlology, and Ricky Gervais Presents: The World of Karl Pilkington. Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant revolutionized television with their contemporary comic classic The Office, and later collaborated again on Extras. Gervais's many awards include three Golden Globe Awards and two Emmys, and he was on Time's 2010 list of the world's 100 most influential people.