TV Review: Season Premier of Expedition Africa

This past Sunday, another night of prime time television came and went, and with it, History Channel's premiere of Expedition Africa, a new reality series. While it's always difficult to tell about a show from a single episode, Expedition looks to promise real life adventure.

The show begins in Zanzibar off the east coast of Africa, where we meet our four modern day adventurers. We have Pasquale, the navigator and self-declared leader of the group. Also vying for the leader role is Benedict, the team's survival expert. Mireya is a strong woman who does not always voice her opinion but serves the team well through her wildlife expertise. Already in the premier, she locates a spitting cobra and instructs the team on how best to avoid its deadly spray. Lastly, there is Kevin, the team's war correspondent journalist, who is the least experienced in the "wilderness" field. Early on, viewers get the distinct impression these individuals will not always see eye to eye.

To reach the mainland, the team charters an old fashioned skiff, just like H.M. Stanely did in the original expedition this show tries to emulate. After enduring violent waves, they reach shore, and the real journey begins!

They have 970 miles of dangerous terrain to cover and only a rudimentary map and compass to guide them. From the offset, clashing personalities plague the expedition. Pasquale wants control of the team, while Benedict thinks he is also up to the challenge. Kevin, the most inexperienced, poorly suggests they not fill up on water until the expedition is underway, while Pasquale knows this is a bad idea. Water is life in Africa. But he is outvoted, and the team, consisting of the four core members, in addition to their porters, embark into the wilderness.

Only miles in, the team members realize they are out of water, severely dehydrated, and far from a viable water source. Already, this expedition is in trouble. Together, the four members decide it wise to send "runners" to the nearest source. They cannot go on without precious water. Once they are re hydrated, they vow never to make this mistake again. And, as expected, Pasquale is angry, since he told them so.

Later in the show, the team must ford the crocodile-infested, Ruvu River, in old, dug-out canoes, and trek through knee-high mud. To make matters worse, Kevin is lost for a brief time, and Pasquale has a difficult time orienting himself in the dense undergrowth. At one point, Benedict and Mireya even call his skills into question. Ultimately, though, he finds his way and leads the team in the right direction. It seems Pasquale is to be trusted; he simply has his own way of going about things. Time will tell how his strong personality will contribute to the expedition...

Overall, Expedition Africa looks to be an exciting, realistic portrayal of a famous wilderness adventure. It has it all: bickering team members, porters, epic mileage, severe conditions, predatory wildlife, and even native warrior protectors. So if you enjoy a little history, learning about foreign places, and - of course - adventure, you won't want to miss Expedition Africa next Sunday on the History Channel!