Travel television is dead. Am I missing something? Do American viewers really enjoy the trash that has become normal programming on television?
This is not a rant about the creatures of Jersey Shore or the repulsive Kardashians, no matter how well-deserved that may be. That sort of crap is here to stay. I get it. This is a rant about travel television, or lack thereof.
What happened to travel television? Growing up, I used to watch the Travel Channel for hours on end. Yes, as a child, I loved watching shows about travel. I would sit in awe, learning about fascinating places around the world. I specifically recall the first time I saw a show about Angkor Wat and couldn’t believe such an historic place was never mentioned in school.
These were the good days of travel television. Viewers were entertained, informed and inspired. Oh, how times have changed.
The Golden Age of Travel Television
Travel television was in a great place. The late 90s and early 2000s brought the world to anyone with a computer. Great travel programming on TV was plentiful. In addition to this came entertaining shows, travel with a twist. Shows combined travel with food, sports, history and more.
What made the Golden Age of travel television unique – what also led to its demise – was the rise of travel personalities. Travel television had a wonderful mix of educational and entertaining programming.
Anthony Bourdain made us hungry for authentic travel. Cities of the Underworld piqued our curiosity of what lies beneath. Samantha Brown brought our travel dreams to life.
The days of early Anthony Bourdain’s programming, “A Cook’s Tour” and early episodes of “No Reservations,” marked a change from often boring (for some viewers), albeit informative, travel television. The change increased ratings.
Those shows were informative, engaging and entertaining. Watching Bourdain eat his way through far-away, foreign streets was exciting. He showed us places that the masses thought were out of reach. I may never have had the desire to visit Vietnam – and find that I absolutely love Hanoi – without this exposure. Bourdain’s opinionated, honest commentary was entertaining, but had a far-reaching effect. Millions of people were exposed to new places and new ideas.
Should that not be the goal of travel television? A few programs continue to showcase travel, but often the product is more garbage television.
The Shift
Too much of a good thing…
The shift in travel television happened later in the 2000s. Along with Bourdain came personalities like Andrew Zimmern, the man who would eat anything. Another character on the same network was American football player, Dhani Jones, who traveled exploring the world of sports and athletics.
The shift was obvious. The focus of travel programming on television was no longer about the destination, what to expect or how to prepare. The presenters of the program became the selling point, and the subjects that attracted viewers in the first place were cast aside.
With some of the most popular travel shows incorporating food, the Travel Channel seemed to think this was the future. This coincided with the Food Network’s parent corporation becoming the majority owner of the Travel Channel. The result was a second Food Network. Content focused less on travel and more on food.
No more informative shows. No more generic shows of travel lists and bests of. The result was stale programming. The food travel television era was fun at first, but it didn’t take long to spoil.
After this redundant programming ran its course, we were fed random crap.
Travel Television Today
Travel television today sucks. There’s really no other way to describe it. The minimal programming is absolutely dreadful.
Correction, this is how bad travel television has become: Megan Fox now has a program on the Travel Channel. Yeah, Megan Fox. Of all the people, whyyyy?!
The rest of what passes for travel television is ghost stories. Hours and hours of spooky drivel and ghost stories. What happened? I refuse to believe that the American viewer is so daft.
There are a few holdouts such as Rick Steves. While I do watch Rick’s programs – the information and scenery is great – the show is a snooze. Rick has done great things for the world of travel, but those stale, humdrum shows are monotonous and boring.
“Expedition Unknown” is mediocre. It does a good job incorporating history, mystery and travel. But it has too many damn commercials, and it is more entertainment than travel. From a traveler’s perspective, it’s only mildly absurd. It’s not exactly a true travel show anyway, but that’s about as exciting as the genre gets on television these days. At first glance, shows like “Raw Travel” sound like good ideas. Watching a few episodes was plenty. Why does everything have to be a social crusade? Get over yourself.
Like many others, I sought my travel television fix away from traditional viewing means. Netflix occasionally has good travel documentaries, but they tend to focus on nature and politics.
Fortunately for those in the UK, travel television seems to be a little better. Meanwhile, the crap on American TV is an ever-growing embarrassment to the nation.
Other Television Failures
Of course it’s not just travel, the same argument could be made in regards to TLC, Discovery and History channels, among others.
TLC, The Learning Channel, is only good for proving that sex isn’t the only thing on TV that sells. So does garbage. Apparently, programming about people, some tiny and some a thousand pounds, also sells.
The Discovery Channel is nonstop reality show nonsense. We get it, Discovery, people have weird jobs in Alaska.
As for the History Channel, the state is far worse than travel television. Forget learning anything. Forget about history! Documentaries and stories of the past are now absent from the lineup. Instead, it’s a channel about aliens and all the junk people hoard and (maybe) sell. I never thought I would reflect so fondly on the days of Roger Mudd.
Why is this important?
Yes, people watch too much TV. I am not arguing that, as I am also guilty of the crimes of procrastination, lethargy and boredom. However, I’m also an avid reader with an insatiable desire to explore and learn about the world.
If we could magically transform society’s habits to be less focused on TV, I am all for it. But something tells me that’s not going to happen.
With billions of people around the world addicted to television, why not offer some quality programming inspiring a few to live a better life outside of the living room? Instead, what you see below is a normal day on the Travel Channel.
Sorry for the old man comment, but it’s true: most kids in the 21st century would probably rather play video games than learn anything. Nevermind that travel stimulates the imagination, increases understanding of the world and is really fun, just give your kid the iPad.
But maybe there are some people out there who could be inspired to explore and learn by quality travel television. It’s worth a shot.
How hard could it possibly be to produce a simple show about backpacking? Something to show the real world of travel, not the photoshopped, tropical fairy tale portrayed by a bikini on Instagram. A show about real travelers going to real places. There’s no need for all the fancy camerawork, a massive crew, fake interactions or staged moments of suspense. Simply, authentic travel TV.
The future is bleak and only time will tell. I am not optimistic; but hopefully, the scope of travel television changes soon. In the meantime, I’ll keep on traveling and exploring for myself.
If there are any quality travel shows out today, let me know in the comments below!
I watch reruns of Globe Trekker, and Bourdain’s various past shows for the most part.
The trvl channel is no longer about travel unless you are about haunted castles and aliens. Its truly unwatchable anymore.
Pretty you tube “stars” love the travel format but are more interested in narcissistically selling themselves rather than cultures or destinations. Equipped with drones and ever better cameras they could potentially do good stuff, but instead usually keep all lenses focused on themselves. Its soul sucking to watch.
This pretty much leaves Rick Steves as the genera creator and now last man standing,
Very well said. I couldn’t agree more. I’d love to see some travel programming from actual travelers without the narcissism and without a massive crew.
I think the Travel channel is the greatest channel on TV and my TV stays on the Travel channel!!! I love it and I know many others do as well!!! Maybe they can change the name to The Ghost Channel, just don’t put shows about travel back on !!! If I travel it will be by car, bus, plane or boat. I don’t need to watch other people going off to places that a lot of us can never afford to go. If I need to plan a trip, I will go to a travel agent and get brochures!!!
Well a lot of people found the former lineup of shows to be informative, inspiring and entertaining. I will concede that they rarely showed practical, affordable travel experiences, but actual travel doesn’t have to be expensive! There are a lot of people, myself included, that travel far cheaper than people realize is possible. I’m actually working on a post about simple ways to travel cheaper that should be out in the next week or two. Check it out when it’s posted! In the meantime, thanks for reading and enjoy The Ghost Channel!
I watch the AWE channel constantly for great travel shows. They play a lot of shows from the last few years that are actually about travelling and informative. One great show is The Road Less Travelled. The host Jonathan Legg goes to all sorts of places such as India and Ireland but goes in less known parts and participates in many of the local activities and he’s more of a globetrotter and adventurer. He often goes where not allowed while explaining the history behind the places. Other great shows are Global Passport and Private Islands. It’s the best channel I’ve seen for actual travel shows.
That sounds great. I don’t have that channel, but I’ll look into it. Informative shows that are still entertaining are in short supply. I’d love to see a well-produced, realistic budget travel or backpacking show. In the meantime, I’ve been getting my travel tv fix on YouTube. I like the sound of the AWE programming, though! Thanks for reading!
I grew up watching Travel Channel. I haven’t had cable in 6 years and recently getting cable again. I couldn’t wait to watch Travel Channel. I was disappointed to find that is nothing but paranormal and shows about aliens. There’s nothing related to travel whatsoever. If they want to show this type of programming, they should have a separate channel. Travel Channel currently has 14 shows about the paranormal. That’s excessive. Travel Channel just turned into another History Channel with garbage programming. I’m disappointed.
You’re exactly right! It’s truly abysmal. There’s no travel on the Travel Channel, no history on the History Channel, etc etc. That’s the sad state of so many large networks. That’s why travel vloggers on YouTube have gotten so popular. I didn’t like them at first, but I’ve found some I like and really come around. It’s nice to some real travel content. Not the same production quality as a tv show, but it’s real travel, without a whole crew and all that. It’s something at least. Thanks for reading!
Change the name to the Paranormal channel. It seems none of the shows are about travel at all anymore on this channel. A little bit of ghost content thrown in here or there I could handle but it’s non stop paranormal content and that’s ridiculous. My boyfriend watches it and I hate it. I wish the travel would go back to the way it was when I was a child. I loved watching it with my grandparents. Please change the name or add some actual travel into the programming.
We have many historical sights across the world .
If the Travel Channel is so interested in ghosts , why not visit hotels and inns with some mysterious history , complete with interesting historical facts.
These ghost programs are not even entertainment , they are displays of ego and grandeur from ghost chasers that boast about psychic gifts .
Bring us some history and intrigue Travel Channel , this endless supply of boasting and dreary locations that no sane ghost wants to haunt is depressing and getting boring.
Well said! Couldn’t agree more.