SUNDAY: Expedition Africa: Stanley and Livingstone (10pm on History)
When Survivor creator Mark Burnett cast this new reality show, tracing the 19th-century route taken by Henry Morton Stanley to find Dr. David Livingstone (”…I presume”), he didn’t return to his usual well of wanna-be actors and D-list celebrities. (Sorry, Flava Flav, we’ll get you on the next go-round!) Since Burnett knew his re-creation of the 1871 African expedition would be torturous, he enlisted a survivalist, a wildlife expert and—to play “Stanley,” of sorts—a journalist. Just how much more real than Survivor is this monthlong experience? Adventurer Benedict Allen introduces himself on this weekend’s series premiere by saying, “On my very first expedition, I had to eat my dog to stay alive.” For his part, Mount Everest guide Pasquale Scaturro solemnly calls a hatchet the best defense against the 29 deadly snakes in Tanzania (to slice up the snake? No, the chopping motion Scaturro makes against his own wrist is explanation enough: “Lots of times that’s the only way to survive.”)
There’s impressive fidelity to Stanley’s original expedition, which the American journalist underwent in hopes of finding Britain’s missing rock-star explorer, Dr. Livingstone. Water, wildlife and heat issues are explored (too little, too scary and too much, respectively); there are none of the manufactured recess games that plague most reality shows.
Some lip service is paid to the history of slavery in the area, but it’s hard not to cringe at the cultural clash when the American and British team has local porters try out by demonstrating their ability to carry the team’s bags (to be fair, the unseen cameramen are doing some major schlepping as well). The show’s a lush, lively history lesson, but audiences would do well to remember that Stanley and Livingstone, while heroes in their time, were inexplicably tied to the wave of imperialist rule in Africa.
At least they, and these modern-day professionals, didn’t play around with immunity idols, eliminations or Boston Rob. If this high-mindedness is the new wave of reality TV, all the better. Next stop, Expedition Shackleton?
