Exploring Africa to Find Riches in Ratings
Brent Stirton/History Channel

Published: May 21, 2009
“DR. Livingstone, I presume.”

From The New York Times

Vince Bucci/Getty Images

It is one of those inescapable phrases that everyone seems to know, though just how remains a mystery. It is also the only connection most Americans have with David Livingstone, the subject of the phrase, and Henry Morton Stanley, the man who (reportedly) said it.

So finding these two men at the center of an expensive hybrid television series — part history documentary, part reality show — may be something of a surprise, until the concept of the show is tied to Mark Burnett, the television producer most closely connected to adventure programs in exotic locales. “Expedition Africa: Stanley and Livingstone,” an eight-part series starting May 31 on the History Channel, is Mr. Burnett’s latest foray into the wilderness. The series sends a team of high-energy, frequently fractious, quasi-professional explorers on a trip to recreate Stanley’s 1871 journey to find Livingstone, the lost titan of African exploration.

The program is a change of pace for the History Channel, where the programming has tended toward World War II documentaries and, more recently, reality fare like “Ice Road Truckers.” The goal was to “find a more active and entertaining storytelling style,” said Nancy Dubuc, the general manager of the network.

She approached Mr. Burnett with the idea of an exploration series. He started in television producing “Eco-Challenge,” essentially a race through rugged, uncivilized territory, then hit the jackpot with “Survivor,” which puts ordinary people at the mercy of the environment (and their own egos). The original expedition notion leaned toward Lewis and Clark, but Ms. Dubuc and Mr. Burnett quickly realized the terrain of the American Northwest had changed far too much since those two men’s journey more than 200 years ago.

But Africa, they thought, might fit the bill. Mr. Burnett, who grew up in England, was familiar with Livingstone (he is routinely taught in school there) and his expedition to find the source of the Nile.

In a telephone interview Mr. Burnett said he visited the Royal Geographical Society, where he is a member, and “I went to Westminster Abbey and spent time alone with Livingstone’s tomb.” He even rewatched films like “Out of Africa” and “King Solomon’s Mines” to “get the fabric of the lensing we could do on the show,” with wide-vista shots and gauzy cinematography. He sent a team to do what he called his “truth-on-the-ground survey.” It found that the trip through Tanzania from Zanzibar to the village of Ujiji (where Stanley ultimately found Livingstone) would be scenic, testing and probably dangerous. “Until you’ve walked it, you don’t know,” Mr. Burnett said.

He went casting for experienced adventure seekers and scientists, people who would be in it for the challenge and the experience. Novices didn’t need to apply; the journey would be much too difficult for them, Mr. Burnett said.

The group of four he assembled included Benedict Allen, an author and filmmaker who had twice been left to die in the Amazon jungle; Kevin Sites, an author and former war correspondent for CNN who had once been captured by the Fedayeen in Iraq; Pasquale Scaturro, a geophysicist and expedition leader who once led a group of blind climbers up Mount Everest; and Mireya Mayor, who has a doctorate in anthropology, was a Fulbright scholar and discovered a new species of mouse lemur.

Of course the group does not exactly resemble the high school science club; this is reality television show after all. Mr. Allen looks right out of central casting for the safari leader. Ms. Mayor jumped into anthropology after working as a cheerleader for the Miami Dolphins.

“I gave up my pompons and walked off to go to Guyana,” Ms. Mayor said. “The other cheerleaders said, ‘You’re going to leave all this and chase monkeys without hot showers and hair dryers?’ ”

But, she said, exploring was simply in her and her comrades’ blood. They felt a pull to retrace Stanley’s steps. Of course Mr. Burnett picked them for another reason. He needed conflict. “Four Type A people all trying to lead is a recipe for disaster,” Ms. Mayor said.

The idea was to duplicate Stanley’s conditions as closely as possible, so a harrowing trip from Zanzibar to the mainland was made in a 19th-century vintage boat, and no modern conveniences were allowed.

That meant no bottled water, and the greatest difficulty the expedition came to face did not involve the prevalent lions, snakes or bugs, but nearly nonexistent potable water. This led to what Mr. Burnett described — in oblique terms — as a true life-threatening event. “We had a real case of malaria,” he said.

Could it really be all that tough when constantly accompanied by camera crews? Mr. Burnett said the rule on all his shows is that the crews say and do nothing to help. Ms. Mayor and Mr. Scaturro said the lack of interaction soon caused them to forget the crews were even there. “We called them the Others,” Ms. Mayor said,

So how closely did the expedition duplicate Stanley’s journey? The show’s team takes 30 days to travel a distance it took Stanley 16 months to traverse. And with roads and villages having sprung up near the route, the trip took many detours.

“At times we were pretty close to his exact route,” Mr. Scaturro said. “Other times we would veer off. We would do figure 8’s around things.”

In the end, despite the feuds and the jockeying for power, the journey brought the group together, Ms. Mayor said. “In a heartbeat I would do it again.”

That is very much what the channel and Mr. Burnett would like to see happen. If the show pulls an audience, he is ready to gather the same gang of four and send it on another adventure. He mentioned a few possibilities: retracing Marco Polo’s trip to Asia or journeying the paths of Genghis Khan through Mongolia or Pizarro through Peru.

“I’m ready to start again today,” Mr. Burnett said.

I'm definitely looking forward to watching the series. It starts next week (i.e. on Sunday) here in the States.

quote:

Originally posted by Use Enough Gun:
I'm definitely looking forward to watching the series. It starts next week (i.e. on Sunday) here in the States.

I am as well - lately, due to this being my one year anniversary of my hunt, I've wanted to watch anything related to Africa.

I am set to record the whole series.

I couldn't watch more than twenty minutes of it tonight.

What a ridiculous soap opera.

Stanley would have kicked the whole lot of those pissers and whiners back to the bloody seaport whence they came.

I guess that I shouldn't be disappointed, though.

Most people these days, if left to their own devices, would starve to death in a supermarket.

I am holding out, hoping for better scenery in the future.

As for the "drama"...

Damn, I recorded it and haven't seen any of it yet, Thanks for the warning, but I will try my best to enjoy it.

I hope it gets betrter. Last night sucked.

quote:

I couldn't watch more than twenty minutes of it tonight.

What a ridiculous soap opera.

Amen MR. I wouldn't tolerate 10 minutes of their "leader." Where in hell do they come up with these people?
Regards,
David

Major disappointment. Another POS "reality" show. Will check out the next episode, if no change in the first ten minutes, I will remove it from my "to do list"

I was hoping for so much more.

there is an easy way to tell a documentary from an outdoors soap opera. If they have at least one nice looking woman in it and use the term "reality" even once...

Webster's Dictionary definition: reality show; about as far from reality as one can transgress.

Rich
Buff Killer

Same here.
Unfortunately the editors wasted the opportunity to share a truly heroic adventure and spent toooooooooooooooooooo much time with the BS of Which way to go to get around the muddy mangroves.
Read Dark Safari instead.
Frank

I agree. It was definitely a disappointment. More styled to suit the "Survivor" crowd than to do justice as a reality documentary on Stanley and Livingstone. As an example, the build up to crocs and crossing the river was ridiculous, as was her encounter with the spitting Cobra(after which she goes over and announces that she has seen a spitting Cobra-no one else went over to exam it or see it-maybe is was caught and staged for the show) Even my wife complained about it. If it doesn't get better in the next round then it's toast.

And you can rest assured that they won't kill anything but bugs and expectations on their trip.

quote:

Originally posted by AfricanHunter:
I hope it gets betrter. Last night sucked.

I watched it, too.

AH's post bout sums up my impression!!!!

Have to agree with most of what said here about quality of the show. Only thing which held my interest was the scenery. Plus, everything else on was crap- true of most TV. Should have retreated to the bookshelf. These socalled experienced hands arguing about whether to take water with them into unknown(to them) territory was absurd to the extreme. And, why was there no reference to consultation with the "head porter", also supposed to be experienced & qualified? This was just, to me, the most egregious example of dumb stuff. Simply put, this is not a serious effort to portray the reality of Stanley's quest. It is "entertainment" designed for the masses of asses who do not know any better and can be easily suckered into watching such drivel. It is not meant for those of us who have spent any significant time in the wilds, particularly, Africa. Don't expect it to get any better.

What a pile of Tripe!!!!!!! I will not waste any more time on that! By the way, I've been to Ujiji.....worked in the clinic (whats left of it) Livingston built. Took the train from Dar to Morogoro to Tabora to Kigoma. 57 hours. Just one notch above walking, and that was "first class".

Yep, I agree, a disappointment as compared to what I was expecting. It was like a cross between an MTV reality show and The Amazing Race.

Most of it was corny, but I really disliked the part where they were crossing the river in the dugouts, and kept showing picts of big croc's, as if they were in the same scenes together. "Animal Planet's" Wild Kingdom does this all the time, drives me nuts, as it is unnecessary.

But...I ain't got anything better to do Sunday nights at 10pm, and it is Africa...so I'm with you guys hoping they get better!

For all you Mireya groupies out there: http://mireyamayor.com/

Can anybody suggest their favorite book on the Livingston adventure?

As I mentioned above, everyone should read
"Dark Safari" by John Bierman. The life behind the legend of Henry Stanley.

This is very interesting reading and I now know that it was Stanley and not Livingston that actually discovered the source of the Nile. When you get to Victoria falls be sure to visit the walking paths and spend some time there viewing what must have been a wonderment and still is a greatest wonder of the world. Can you imagine being there. Next will be "Missionary Travels" by Livingstone.

A very interesting read.
Frank

It made me long for the authenticity of a Mark Sullivan video.

It was a waste of time. I'm not watching again unless you guys say it is better.

There I was, thinking I'd missed something. Now, I don't feel so bad.

BTW, "The Scramble for Africa" by Thomas Pakenham covers Stanley's explorations in good detail.

Typical for TV. I did find it interesting they never consulted with the Massi warrior as to directions. They did show him commenting he never got lost in the bush but maybe get lost in town . It depends on ones enviorment. The water thing made good theater for the non informed but that is the whole show and edtited for TV. It must be really tough, what with a whole camera crew (I am sure they had water), enjoy the landscape there isn't much else, the whole cast are pretty homely. Why the Hell didn't they hire Cindy.

Truth be told it wasn't much worse than watching some fat lady throwing fester sticks at a water hole.

To add to what Frank has said above, while you're visiting Vic Falls be sure to see Livingstone's statute at the Falls.

Can't be but about 40 miles from Bagamoyo to Dar Es Salaam. Maybe the film crew was sneaking 'em all beer, booze, and water from the bar down the road. Do you suppose they could see the glow of the city lights at night?

This crap is just got Mark Burnett's director style all over it. Create "Survivor" controversy amongst a bunch of pissy urbanites who will utlimately prevail and merge into a champion explorers club.

Thos Massai slopping around the muck in full regalia look like WTF are these idiots doing?
Doesn't anyone know there's a road nearby with a bus run to Arusha?

Stanley wasn't that stupid, and he wasn't that nice to his help either.

Stupid crap! When one of the crew got lost, they are blowing whistles and shouting... any one of the Porters or the Masai could have backtracked him in 5 minutes! If we all hope and pray, maybe they will run into JudgeG's lion pride and the cats will be in a less than charitable mood!

Perhaps I've adjusted my expectations...but I thought episode #2 was better. Some nice scenery in the mountains, seemed a bit less contrived....and they ate a village goat.

I agree Bill. The second one was a bit better. Some of the personalities on the show are already wearing on me though. For being "experts" they are still pretty dense at points.

The team leader is a bumbling fumbling fool. The second is a sensitive new age milk toast looser. I'd have head shot the leader within 10 minutes or at least 10 minutes after he got lost while following a river.

Hollywood crapola!

quote:

Originally posted by yellowstone:
Maybe the film crew was sneaking 'em all beer, booze, and water from the bar down the road. Do you suppose they could see the glow of the city lights at night?

This crap is just got Mark Burnett's director style all over it. Create "Survivor" controversy amongst a bunch of pissy urbanites .

This is a Burnett production so that is exactly what you get: artificial drama exacerbated by creative editing and mood music. People are chosen by character faults, not strengths. I have heard that alcohol is integral to most of the reality shows nowadays just to keep the rails greased. Remember, they only got a few minutes to get the drama on track.

The main problem with all of Burnett's shows is that the contestants must only overcome each other, not the situation. There is no team, only a glorified game of musical chairs with outdoor settings.

Chet

I thought I should check this show out after seeing it posted here. Africa - Stanley and Livingstone - what more could you ask. About five minutes into the show I could see it was the most pathetic piece of crap you could imagine. What a waste of time!

Pretty much agree, watched the 1st episode, and wrote it off. Unlike my wife, I don't get into "reality tv".

Mad Dog

I thought the second show was better and the scenery was great. They did climb some hills. I loved the girl eating the goat kidney, don't know about raw but would loved it cooked. I find this no different than edited hunting shows of course the raw footage is just boring. They are condensing days into an hour. I am sure many on here would do a much better job of playing the Alpha males and Alpha female.

The second show was a little better, but too much like the "Survivor" series. Not for me anymore. It was almost fake, coming into the village and having all of that fruit and veggies laid out for them, the dancers in the evening, etc. I can just imagine Stanley having experienced the very same thing.

I like watching it. It's about Africa and the only thing on at 10 pm Sundaya night...beats the heck out of watching another design show with the wife.

Well in the third show they had to worry about "wild and dangerous" animials, where is the rifle?

quote:

Originally posted by Die Ou Jagter:
Well in the third show they had to worry about "wild and dangerous" animials, where is the rifle?

Hey.....they got two Massi with spears....what more 'ya need?

I love how they always need to make it 12 miles that day but never break camp till 10:00 and walk through the heat of the day to make it 6 miles.