British Travel Documentary "Idiot Abroad" Hits Big With 10-year-old

Karl Pilkington on assignment.

Because this is a British production it is a "documentary" rather than "reality TV." The premise is that the producers, Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, send Karl Pilkington, who hates travel, traveling around the globe for non-stop misadventure.

Karl complains at every new place, strange food, odd custom, no doubt to the delight of audiences everywhere who share his Homer Simpson sensibilities. Toilets, weird edibles, odd dress, nothing is off limits for this everyman.

The 10-year-old really loves this show, somehow Karl's observations jibe correct with the kid.

Karl, however, is not an employee at a nuclear facility or a coal miner or barkeep, rather an English radio and television personality, travel show presenter, actor, author and former radio producer. He has a calm deadpan that could be a good influence on an excitable child.

At least he's introduced several unusual destinations to the kid, such as America, giving him an outside look at our nutty culture.