TV Review: Destination X - A show that entertains and educates

The new television series, Destination X, is a gripping watch that will have you guessing alongside the contestants as to where in the world they are.

Rob Brydon, from Gavin and Stacey, has recently released a new TV show, titled Destination X. It's available to watch on BBC iPlayer and takes inspiration from the Belgian show, Bestemming X.

It's a game show that echoes that of The Traitors, with a number of contestants embarking on an international adventure across Europe. All in the hopes of winning £100,000.

Destination X aired in late July and is a must-watch for fans of game shows that keep you guessing, gripped, but also learning.

I've watched two episodes so far and am really enjoying it. So, I thought I'd share my thoughts with you in a mini review to hopefully inspire you to give it a watch.

Review of Destination X

Genre: Game show

Rating: 4/5 stars

Destination X is a game show that takes contestants on a bus around Europe. Whilst on their trip, they have to complete a number of challenges, all hinting at where in the world they are.

However, it's not an ordinary trip around Europe.

The show began with 13 contestants competing for a boarding pass. Only 10 contestants made it through to the next round, which involves them embarking on their trip.

Episode one features the 10 remaining contestants having a helicopter ride to their next destination. But whilst blindfolded with their specific goggles, which allow Rob to control when the contestants can see their surroundings.

The 10 participants all tried guessing which direction they were flying in, using various manners of thinking, including the rise and fall of the sun, and what they could see out the window. From there, they are taken on a fancy bus, which has a screen over the windows, blocking their view, to the next challenge.

At the end of each episode, the 10 contestants enter the 'map room'. Here, they literally put an X as to where they think they are in Europe. The contestant who guesses farthest from their actual location goes home.

All 10 contestants come from different walks of life. There's a crime writer, a pilot, an endurance athlete, a care assistant, and many more occupations represented.

And that makes for a gripping watch. Destination X merges The Traitors with an international adventure, showing viewers different locations around the world.

Whilst watching, you're joining in with the contestants and trying to figure out the clues for yourself. My family and I thought we had chosen the correct destination in episode one, only to find out the contestant we thought was wrong was right.

It's a fun TV show that is addictive. The contestants all begin at the same level, but from there, they have to decide whether they'll be a team player or withhold information.

Tensions start to rise, and clues aren't shared.

It is easy to be swayed by what the other contestants say, but the BBC invite you to play along — whilst watching live — with a QR code for you to place your own X on the map.

It doesn't seem as toxic as The Traitors, but that could just be because I'm only two episodes in. But it certainly provides an entertaining watch.

However, it is more than just a game show. Destination X involves showing players different clues as to where they are. But these clues are also for the viewers.

Some involve different cuisines, showing country phone number codes, identifying what languages are spoken where, and more. At the end of each episode, Rob Brydon shares what clues indicate the exact location.

I've found this an enjoyable aspect of the show because it teaches us viewers. I've learnt quite a bit about the places the contestants have already visited, all just from watching them travel around in the hopes of winning a competition.

So, if you're interested in watching something both entertaining and educational, then give Destination X a go.

If you do watch it, let me know if you guess any of the destinations correctly in the comments below.

Until next time...