 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
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Madventures
- Travel Channel
- Genre: Reality TV
Common Sense Media says
Edgy travel show follows Finnish duo on eye-opening trips.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this reality series -- which follows two Finnish travelers as they explore off-the-beaten-track locations around the world -- covers activities and customs that that might be considered bizarre or unacceptable by Western standards, such as taking natural hallucinogenics, participating in
fetish-oriented activities, and trying very unusual foods. But the hosts approach each new adventure with open minds and, despite some rough behavior (salty language, drinking, smoking, etc.), they send a clear message about respecting native people and
practices at all times. Expect some scenes that could upset the squeamish, as well as images of weapons and fighting and occasional discussion of mature topics like gang violence.
What's the story?
MADVENTURES is an award-winning Finnish reality series that follows backpackers Riku Rantala and Tuomos “Tunna” Milonoff as they travel the world looking for unusual places to visit and bizarre rituals to take part in. The adventurous duo explores everywhere from the dangerous shantytowns of Brazil to the deserts of Yemen as they immerse themselves in their host communities' non-mainstream (to Western viewers, anyway) cultural practices -- from drinking natural hallucinogenics under the watchful eyes of a jungle shaman to illegally speeding cars down spiraling mountain roads with Japanese driving gangs. In each episode's "Mad Cook" segment, the two also get the chance to sample distinctive local delicacies, including boiled monkey brains and the moving tentacles of a “dancing octopus."
Is it any good?
This unscripted show plays like a video diary of the team’s journey as they make their way through places that most tourists wouldn’t dream of visiting. Riku and Tunna are entertaining to watch as they gamely try activites from working as a body sushi plate to trying to swallow "distinctive" local meals without rudely spitting them out. Some episodes can get pretty tense, too -- the pair has often risked gunfire and other perils to learn more about the lives of the people they're meeting.
The duo doesn't hold back from drinking (often heavily) or shy away some of the more wild and/or risqué aspects of local entertainment. But they're also very clear about the importance of respecting the people they meet and their native practices, no matter how strange or absurd any of it may seem to foreigners. Overall, the show offers an interesting point of view about the world we live in and gives less brave and/or more squeamish viewers the chance to travel the world vicariously.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about how the show approaches the cultures, peoples, and practices it covers. Is there any kind of agenda? How does this show compare to other "exotic activities" series you might have seen?
If you had the opportunity to travel anywhere in the world, where would it be? What kind of local customs would you like to learn more about? What kinds of things would you try (or not)?
What goes into producing a travel show? How do you learn about the places to visit and figure out what to
film and not to film once you get there?
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| TV rating: | TV-14 |
| Network: | Travel Channel |
| Cast: | Riku Rantala, Tuomas Milonoff |
| Genre: | Reality TV |
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