Travel Channel bombs again with ‘Confessions Of A Travel Writer’

By Ian MacKenzie On August 11, 2009 · 30 Comments

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Judging by the reaction across the web, people hate the show. Like really hate it.

Host, Charles Runnette

Earlier this year, I wrote about the vapid show on Travel Channel Bridget’s Sexiest Beaches. Most of you readers agreed with my argument, that we should expect better from the Travel Channel.

Unfortunately, they’ve now given us Confessions Of A Travel Writer.

Hosted by Charles Runnette, the show offers a sneak peek behind the scenes of this “dream job”. The pilot aired last night, and the reactions are now flooding in…and they’re not good.

The World Hum interview with Charles has been flooded with outraged comments:

“Charles comes off as a completely pretentious snob who is quick to ridicule everyone else in order to generate pleasure for himself. I wouldn’t want to follow his advice when travelling. He seems to take no joy in ANYTHING.”

“I’m 20 minutes into this show. I had never heard of Charles Runnette before but I already hate him. What an arrogant, self absorbed, petty jerk.”

“This guy is an arrogant, negative joy-sucking jerk. Please, please don’t ever let him go on another press trip or ever get in front of a camera again. And never interview him again.”

“Huge misfire from the normally dependable Travel Channel. Charles Runnette is like the watery diarrhea you get from eating the wrong food in a foreign country.”

Similar comments were left on Jaunted’s coverage of the show as well.

To be clear, I haven’t actually seen the show myself yet. I’ve only read the reactions of others across the web.

What can we make of this decision by the Travel Channel? Was it actually another blunder? Or a calculated risk to generate an outpouring of negative publicity, and hence, interest in the show?

Share your thoughts in the comments!

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If you’d like to check out a show about travel writers that has good reviews, check out Word Travels. And see my behind the scenes photo essay here.

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Ian MacKenzie

Ian MacKenzie is the founder and former editor of Brave New Traveler. He is a now a contributing editor to Matador, and the network's architect. Ian is also a documentary filmmaker, with his first feature (One Week Job) released in 2010.

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http://thetravelersnotebook.com david miller

woah–”watery diarrhea.”

doesn’t sound stoked.
http://gosw.about.com LIz

Sometimes people tune in to watch offensive “jerks.” I actually found his snarky comments fun and a bit true to life. I’m a travel writer. I’ve been on those press trips. Anyone agree?
http://www.gobackpacking.com/Blog Dave

Wow, those early reviews are pretty awful. I’m going to give it the benefit of the doubt and watch an episode before I chime in on this one.

BUT, I did think the couple on the “1,001 Places to See Before You Die” series was a bit vanilla/boring, and when I met someone from The Travel Channel for coffee back in 2007, she agreed.

At least Anthony Bourdain’s show is still running strong!

http://www.tvrotsyourmindgrapes.com/ Marissa

Agreed! I actually only caught the last few minutes of Confessions of a Travel Writer before the new No Reservations (in San Francisco!) started and nothing about it seemed interesting. A few minutes isn’t really enough to judge though. Perhaps I’ll try again…or maybe I’ll stick with No Reservations, haha.

http://Everything-Everywhere.com/ Gary Arndt

He complained about everything and really came off as pretentious and thought he was some sort of a big deal. That is not entertaining.
http://www.collazoprojects.com Julie

I didn’t see the show either, but having been on the same press trip sponsored by the same host only a few weeks after this show was filmed, I can say there was very little for any reasonable person–and especially a supposedly experienced traveler and travel writer–to complain about.

The problem seems to be the very concept of this show. A press trip is generally 3-8 days. The Chile trip was 7 or 8. Are you really going to get material for a reality show out of 7 days? The relationships formed during press trips are generally pretty tame, low-drama affairs, not the exciting stuff of reality shows.

My question about the show beyond one’s assessment of Runnette is this: What did it do for Chile?

jill b

Yes 7-8 days should be more than enough for a show. Most reality shows get an episode from 3-4 days.

http://www.transitionsabroad.com Gregory Hubbs

Just plain painful to watch.

It made everyone look bad. As my wife said pointing to the “reality show” characters who made travel writers seem like whining self-indulged children:

dweeb, dweeb, dweeb, princess, bitch…

No value whatsoever unless you want to see how people are herded into press trips and fail to interract with the locals in any meaningful way.

Could the narrator be any more pretentious and obnoxious: “If they had seem my writing credits, they would give me a better room…” FU man.

http://www.ianmack.com Ian MacKenzie

It makes me wonder how much of the show is “real” and how much is constructed to deliberately up the drama. This is a big problem with many reality shows, since “reality” usually isn’t that interesting – at least in the context of a half hour tv show. Could be the producers pushed Charles to act like an pretentious ass…

http://www.transitionsabroad.com Gregory Hubbs

I am sure you are right about the producers pushing what there was of “drama.” My wife read that they tend to place reality show participants in horrid conditions, deprive them of food, get them drunk, etc. to provoke such drama. But what self-respecting human being would fall for that–Andy Warhol’s prediction notwithstanding…

Nonetheless, it was deeply embarrassing to watch for all those on the press trip, and as the cliche goes “there is a litle bit of truth in everythng you say.” (Travel) writers who speak of themselves as though they were gods only reveal their own insecurities. I can’t imagine Rolf Potts or Pico uttering such petty self-aggrandizing nonsense…

http://www.nicholas-gill.com Nicholas Gill

They need to bring back “World’s Best” Mexican Beach Resorts (actual Travel Channel Show Title).

http://www.tvrotsyourmindgrapes.com/ Marissa

Oh dear lord.

Luke Nye

I actually kind of enjoyed the show. He admitted that he was critical, and he needs to be, he’s a critic of sorts. I felt a slight kinship with him. I for one don’t want to see more shows where everything to do or try is amazing, delicious, or magnificent. Not all travel experiences are great, and we all find problems with what we are given. If the show continues I will watch it more. I’ve read many travel writers that are much more critical and depressing.
Carl

Seems like the Travel show simply made a poor attempt at creating a show like WORD TRAVELS which stars Robin Esrock and Julia Dimon. It is a Canadian based show that follows the 2 writers as they travel to different locations in search of material to write travel articles about.

Ironically enough I know that WORD TRAVELS was pitched to the Travel channel but they turned it down.

Maybe they should have picked it up instead of making a terrible knockoff…
http://matadortravel.com/travel-community/vmcalves Vera

Since I haven’t watched the show, I can’t really take a side and comment on the quality of it. However, all the controversy around it has made me curious about it and will eventually lead to me watching at least one episode so… yay, success, I guess. Except that even if the controversy makes people watch one episode, if it does turn out to be crap, they won’t watch the second. I don’t think that should be anyone’s goal when creating something. I certainly don’t write my articles thinking that I don’t need to work on the content, so long as I’m lucky enough that a bunch of people will comment on the Internet about how bad it is – which will lead to higher readership.
http://musictravelwrite.wordpress.com Michelle

I haven’t watched it so I won’t judge, but those are some pretty harsh responses so far! Yikes!

(And amen to No Reservations- LOVE him!!!)
http://www.theglobetraveller.net Trip Reviews

Wow… What a review about Charles Runnette! I havent seen the TV show yet (Im from Argentina and the show hasnt aired yet) but i dont think im going to watch it now that i read that critique. Are people tired of shows like this?

Thanks and good post,

The Globe Traveller
http://lusotunes.blogspot.com Claudio Silva

I don’t watch TV often and have only recently begun to indulge in the Travel Channel, especially Man Vs. Food and No Reservations. However I really dislike reality TV, so when I stumbled upon Confessions of a Travel Writer, and 5 mins into it saw what kind of show it was going to be, I continued watching it with growing trepidation.

I couldn’t make it to the end.

There they were, going wine sampling in the beautiful vineyards of Chile, but the writers could only complain, for the most part. Actually, Mr. Runnette did most of the complaining. It was very childish, snarky, and pompous, and not much was said about the intricacies of Chile.
http://TheBrooklynNomad.com Andrew

What a blunder on behalf of the Travel Channel. They had potential with this idea and failed miserably. The host Charles Runnette either is a complete tool or is trying to garner some sort of 15 minutes of fame for his future writing gigs.

The show was painful to watch and as a fellow travel writer I felt embarrassed and cringed at what my friends thought of it. Not the best depiction of an actual travel writer. The guy seems to hate traveling or is just so damn jaded from getting amazing press trips that nothing impresses him anymore. I felt sorry for the dude.

If they retooled the show and had 3 or 4 different travel writers each week go to a particular location and each give their own 2 cents on it like a Bourdain or Brown, then maybe just maybe it would be watchable.

Eh probably not.
Sean

My wife and I watched the show. We were excited at first, since I’ve always dreamed of travel writing. Once we got into it, however, we were extremely put off by the host, and wound up switching the channel. He truly seemed to hate everything about his job, his life, and his friends. He had nothing but complaints about free travel, which was pretty offensive to someone who has to scrimp and save for a one-week vacation.
http://www.bearshapedsphere.blogspot.com eileen

well, I just can’t wait ’til the program is aired in Chile. Then I can spend the next several weeks defending my countrymen, yet again. If you want to know about Chile, come visit, read good blogs. If you want to know about travel writers, follow ones you like. If you want to watch a trainwreck, well, then you know where to go.
http://www.RochesterWriters.com Michael Dwyer

The Travel Channel has a lot bad programming. However, this was one of their best shows in a long time! I can only guess that most of the negative reviews are from people that could never do the job of a travel writer. The program was true to fact as a press trip goes. The viewer only saw 45 minutes of a week-long trip. Maybe because I’m in the business I thought it was good programming, I’m sorry not more people enjoyed it like I did.

jill b

Being true to what happens does not necessarily make a show people want to watch. Being in the biz you come with an entirely different set of expectations and experiences. Most people want to be entertained and watching someone snarky may be entertainment to some, but clearly many of us don’t want that on the Travel Channel.

http://www.nomadicmatt.com Nomadic Matt

The travel channel really needs to hire better marketers….
http://TinaJGordon.com teethetrav

The Travel Channel is on a downward slide. The Travel Writer show is awful and I will not watch it again. Critical is different than mean-spirited and whiney as this Runnette guy is. I never tire of good travel shows but it’s been a LONG time since the TC came up with one. The bug guy is a one joke theme and they are even re-inventing Zimmern because he’s run out of icky things to eat. I love Bourdain but he seems bored, even with himself. The TC refuses to spend any money which is why they end up w/ such drivel. There is an audience out there and they are just missing the whole thing.
The Tobster

Pointing out problems with a trip, like shaky train schedules, lousy food, dangerous activities, crime ridden streets….that’s something to “bitch” about. But Runnette complains about almost everything. He is totally self-centered and puts the ugly in ugly American when he makes the stupid assumption that people should “know who he is”. Okay, we know who you are – yuck – now go home! Obviously he has become so jaded and bored with travel, that he has lost the ability (if he ever really had it) to be excited at the prospect of visiting another country and seeing its people in their element.

For cripe sake, he even made fun of one of his fellow travel writers because the guy had the audacity to actually speak the language of the country – - – oh horror!!

Watching this guy reminds me of traveling with a petulant teenager who complains because she couldn’t find diet pepsi on the road to Doolin….or there was no TV in her room at the B&B….or she couldn’t understand people, and “wished they’d just speak English”….same “it’s-all-about-me” attitude – BORING!!!
http://mattdeal.com Matt

Wow! These comments really make we want to watch… Im not sure if i’m joking or not… lol… I haven’t seen it before either but I do know Bridget’s Beaches was horrible – put that crapola on SpikeTV or something…
Wordwise

Ian McKenzie,

I’ve been on trips with two of these writers, namely Charles and Jimmy, and they’re both as vile, offensive, and obnoxious as they appear on screen. So no, the producers did not “push” them or edit them to look bad – they just are!

Travel Channel bombs again with ‘Confessions Of A Travel Writer’

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