Four-time Emmy winner Eugene Levy isn’t really a fan of traveling, but Apple TV+ has decided to take him on trips anyway. This is the basic premise of The Reluctant Traveler, a new unscripted series that the streamer announced today. The idea is to clash Levy’s distinct personality with different cultures across the planet, as well as witness how he reacts to five-star experiences in some famous hotels.
Levy himself will be the executive producer of The Reluctant Traveler, along with David Brindley, who has produced a wide range of unscripted TV shows, including multiple travel series. For Levy, however, this will be the first venture into hosting an unscripted series. The actor has worked in Hollywood for several years, but recently came to prominence after the surprise hit comedy show Schitt’s Creek made it to mainstream media.
The Reluctant Traveler is not the first documentary-style production that has been greenlit by Apple TV+. It comes following a roster that has proven itself widely successful for the streamer and includes the movie Boys State which won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance Film Festival, The Velvet Underground, which chronicled the legacy of the famous rock band, and The Beastie Boys Story, helmed by renowned director and screenwriter Spike Jonze. Now it’s just a matter of time until Apple starts leaning heavily into true crime, which we can’t get enough of.
Apple TV+ has yet to announce a release date for The Reluctant Traveler, but here's the official synopsis for the series:
The Reluctant Traveler will see Levy visit some of the world’s most remarkable hotels, as well as explore the people, places and cultures that surround them. Self-confessedly not your average travel show host — he’s not usually adventurous or well-versed in globe-trotting — he’s agreed the time is right for him to broaden his horizons. Levy will be packing his suitcase with some trepidation but hoping his experiences might lead to a whole new chapter in his life — that’s as long as he doesn’t have to battle his motion sickness, and still gets dinner at 7.