Race Across the World: ‘Like a complicated algorithm’

Covid protocols behind Race Across the World were like “a complicated algorithm”, according to BBC commissioning editor Michael Jochnowitz.

After a three-year break due to the pandemic, Studio Lambert filmed the long-awaited third series in Canada between May and June of last year, so that the team could limit rules around Covid restrictions to one country, rather than the usual border-hopping fare.

Nevertheless, Covid was a primary concern for the production team throughout filming, because anyone who fell ill would have to spend seven days isolating, scuppering the chances of a fair race.

“The covid protocols and contingencies were like a complicated algorithm,” said Jochnowitz. “The team had to figure out every possibility that might happen in case the contributors or cast got Covid. It was incredible.”

Executive producer Mark Saben, who did a recce of the start line in Vancouver, said he was surprised by how quiet the country as it was emerging from a long period of covid lockdown.

“Massive transport terminals were empty and trains weren’t going for three days,” he said. “It struck me how difficult it would be because the whole transport system had been decimated. That was a massive challenge for us.”

Line producer Maria Kennedy added that the “tricky” public transport issue was compounded by the fact that if the cast wanted to hitch car rides, each driver had to be swabbed to make sure they were Covid safe.

Jochnowitz stressed the importance of overcoming these challenges to ensure high standards did not fall for series three.

“At one point during lockdown one, there was half serious talk about Race Across the UK,” he said.

“[But] we had a real desire, determination, and drive to find a good race route and for the show not to be diminished, and this team did a fantastic job of finding an incredible route.

“It is not just about having a large country to accommodate the checkpoints, but having something that can provide the breadth, richness and diversity needed for a classic race – which Canada provided.”

Logistics of production

The production team kept track of the racing teams with two ‘wall rooms’ - one in London and one on location - with maps on the wall to track each team’s progress. Saben and Kennedy were at each checkpoint and could then feed back to story producers elsewhere.

“It was a huge logistical undertaking,” said Saben

Each pair of racers travelled with a producer/ director and an assistant producer doing the sound, with a support vehicle containing a researcher, driver and the safety advisor. Because they were not allowed access to phones, the cast had to have to have at least one crew member with them at all times.

The safety advisor was particularly crucial for a series in which bear, moose, elk and coyote encounters happened regularly, said Kennedy.

“A cheaper way of overnighting is to camp, but each team had to carry electric bear fences to put around the camp and carry bear spray,” she added. “The cast members were genuinely scared.”

  But Saben said dangerous and exciting experiences were “transformational” for the cast members’ relationships.

“The pace of travel allows them to have conversations that might have been lingering in their lives for a long time and gives them an opportunity to confront things and talk about things they wouldn’t normally talk about,” he said.

iPlayer first

The third series sees the show step up from BBC2 to BBC1, but Jochnowitz played down the significance of this move.

“It is a big show and quite often when shows that do really well on BBC2 they transfer to BBC1,” he said.

“But iPlayer is now front and centre of everything we do so we tend not think about whether it is a BBC2 or BBC1 show – our concern is whether it resonates on iPlayer. We didn’t want to tinker with the show too much, so hopefully audiences will respond in the same way.”

He also teased the celebrity version which filmed end of last year and is currently in the edit.

“It’s more of a traditional race in terms of the number of countries they have to travel through, and it’s looking incredible,” he said.