Travelling for the Enjoyment of Others

May 21, 2024

I started watching Jet Lag: The Game early last year after seeing a friend recommend it. By this point there had already been four “seasons”, and I devoured them. Happily, the fifth season wasn’t far off, and I’ve continued to enjoy the series as it aired since then.

The show mainly follows Sam Denby of Wendover Productions and two of his employees, Ben Doyle and Adam Chase, as they play a different travel-based game each season. The games are interesting, but they’re mostly a backdrop to force interesting things to happen while personalities interact. Most seasons also include a guest, which helps to mix things up.

Before I seeing the show recommended, I might have let it pass by in my YouTube recommendations feed. You have to please the algorithm, so some of the thumbnails have that “mouth wide open”, over-the-top bombastic look. It’s really not that kind of show, though. The players all want to make engaging content, but they’re also friends having a fun time. That doesn’t stop them wanting to win, but there’s also a real effort to play by the rules they created and to not bother the people around them.

When I started following the show, I also signed up for Nebula so I could watch early and get access to some bonus content. There’s an accompanying podcast for each episode from season five onward, and also some “offseason” episodes. I like the podcast almost as much as the show! The team discuss extra details that didn’t make the final edit and share the thinking that went into the game design. There’s also a Nebula-exclusive “season zero”, Crime Spree, which was a proof-of-concept for the series.

The show has a lot of heart and is really wholesome. Season 10 got started last week on Nebula, and the first episode was a blast. It should be out on YouTube later this week. If any of this sounds interesting to you, the previous season might be a good starting point, but you’re also safe heading back to the beginning. This show is some great comfort watching, and something I’ll definitely rewatch completely at some point in the future.