“You plan, and plan, and plan… and then Africa happens.” Going by the first couple of episodes of History’s new series, Expedition Africa: Stanley & Livingstone, explorer Mireya Mayor’s words are pretty spot on. This new Mark Burnett series follows four explorers as they trek through Africa, attempting to relive American journalist Henry Morton Stanley’s quest to find Dr. David Livingstone.
When you hear the name Mark Burnett, you probably think: Survivor. Burnett produced that popular reality series and in some respects, Expedition Africa does have a sort of Survivoresque feel to it. Except instead of “tribes”, eliminations and prefabricated challenges, the obstacles these four explorers face are much more random and far less predictable.
Starring in the series are navigator Pasquale Scaturro, wildlife expert Mireya Mayor, survivalist Benedict Allen and journalist Kevin Sites. Each with their own unique background and set of skills, the four work together to make the journey, using compasses and maps just as Stanley did when he was looking for Livingstone.
From the moment they set off on their journey, we come to learn that it isn’t just the dangers of what lays off the beaten path that these four explorers have to worry about. That in itself is enough of a challenge to make for an interesting TV series but what stands out most in this show is the way the four explorers interact with each other. As navigator, Pasquale takes on the role of leader, more or less but the other three have opinions and ideas of their own and aren’t always content to sit back and let him make all of the major decisions. Sites, for example, is a journalist and probably the least skilled in terms of exploration out of the four of them but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t want a say in how the trip is handled. We see him step up to lead when one of the porters suffers from heat exhaustion and this serves as a fine example of how even someone with limited experience in this kind of adventure can serve as a valuable member of the team.
There’s something truly amazing about witnessing a group of people take an adventure like this. We see them share moments of pure joy as they witness all of the beauty Africa has to offer and watch as they suffer anxiety and fear when the weather takes a turn for the worse or their water supply runs low. This is the real deal. People die doing this and it’s clear that all four of them recognize the opportunity and the danger that’s ahead of them.
It isn’t just the mild-drama that ensues when they’re in disagreement with one another that makes Expedition Africa entertaining, nor is it the scary moments when something unexpected happens that’s out of their control. Over all, what I found the most enjoyable about the episodes I watched was how my own mindset continuously shifted from wondering why on earth anyone would want to put themselves through such an ordeal to wishing I could be with them to experience it too.
Expedition Africa: Stanley and Livingstone
Starring: Pasquale Scaturro, Mireya Mayor, Benedict Allen and Kevin Sites.
Premieres: Sunday, May 31 at 10:00 pm EST on History
