Troika of Reality TV Veterans Present 'Around The World For Free,' a New Web-Based Reality Series Taking Travel to the Extreme

Business Wire, Sept 12, 2007

'Amazing Race' Winner Alex Boylan Sets Off Sept. 18 on a Global Journey Armed Only with His Wits and an Interactive Internet-based Fan Network as Currency

Show to Promote American Red Cross Preparedness Actions and Showcase International Relief Projects; Equipment Sponsors Include Sony, Remote Satellite Systems, and Tilley Endurables

NEW YORK -- "Amazing Race" winner Alex Boylan and Emmy-nominated editor/director Zsolt Luka hit the road September 18 from New York to launch the web-based travel reality series Around The World For Free. Developed with former "Survivor" finalist Burton Roberts, the series is the first multiplatform interactive reality travel show to debut from the team's recently formed Around The World Productions.

Boylan, an accomplished traveler, will depart from the CBS "Early Show" in New York City with nary a dime in his pocket and enlist viewers as his tour guides via a host of interactive tools at www.aroundtheworldforfree.com. The site is powered by FanRocket, the premier social networking and user-generated content platform headed by CEO Danny Kastner, "The Apprentice" reality TV alum. Boylan is attempting to circumvent the globe starting without any money and relying on strangers and users on the site to help him continue his quest from location to location.

"We are excited to harness a lifelong shared love of travel, the expertise of three reality show veterans, a cutting edge tech-savvy director and the power of social networking and the Internet to create the first next-generation live interactive extreme travel reality experience," said Roberts, co-producer of Around The World For Free.

Luka will accompany Boylan on the journey as the sole crew member creating content that will air in short daily and weekly 8-12 minute webisodes on the site. He will also periodically emerge from behind the scenes to add texture to the travel experience.

The Internet fan community at www.aroundtheworldforfree.com will be encouraged to offer suggestions on travel destinations, advice on interesting people to interact with, even viable tips on places where Alex might find room and board via email, message boards and cellular text messaging. For example, he may act on a viewer's suggestion to connect with a long-lost relative for a job in Peru or seek out a viewer's sister for a place to crash in Cape Town, South Africa.

"Too often people have a tendency to rely on money to have meaningful or fulfilling travel adventures," Boylan said. "This journey is all about relying on input from others as well as resourcefulness on the road. It's a bit scary to think soon I'll head off penniless around the world ... I am really going to need help from the online audience or it will be a very bumpy ride."

Around the World For Free has partnered with the American Red Cross to encourage its registered users to get prepared and "Be Red Cross Ready" for disasters and other emergencies. Internationally, the crew will weave visits to Red Cross disaster relief projects directly into its storyline.

"We commend Around the World for Free for the show's effort to help people get prepared by getting a kit, making a plan and being informed," said Darlene Sparks Washington, Director for Preparedness at the American Red Cross. "In doing so, the show is helping to build a culture of preparedness, and giving people confidence and peace of mind."

Boylan and Luka will document their journey with Sony professional and consumer HDV[TM] camcorders, professional audio gear and Sony Vegas software running on VAIO[R] laptops. The show breaks new ground as the only professionally produced web series shot with two cameras on the fly across borders, absent of security or on-location production support of any kind. "We've whittled the production and post process down to its bare essence," says Luka "gaining a freedom that will allow us to deliver a much more personal show."

Other Around The World For Free sponsors include clothing manufacturer Tilley Endurables and Remote Satellite Systems International, whose cutting-edge satellite technology will enable the small crew to post content online from even the most inaccessible corners of the globe and keep in touch with the internet-based fan community that is integral to the progress and success of the endeavor.

The series will also feature original independent music on a daily basis from both domestic and international artists through an innovative partnership with music producers Supervise & Score.

With the mission of exploring the world's cultural fabric through authentic experiences in other global societies, Boylan's goal is to visit South America, Africa, Europe, India and Asia returning to the U.S. in an estimated 5 months. But his extreme-travel schedule will ultimately be decided by the Internet community following his travels as well as the kindness of strangers he meets along the way.

"This is the first series where fans will truly be a part of the show as audience participation is integral to Alex's success," said FanRocket's Kastner. "The multiplatform experience with weekly CBS Early Show segments, engaging a broader audience, is extremely important. Fans can jump from their TV right into a world of unprecedented interaction online. We're pushing the envelope of reality entertainment to a level never before seen."