The Amazing Race & Big Brother Alum Jeff Schroeder to Star in Around the World for Free
Published June 16, 2010 by:
Shari Geller
CBS Announces Summer Start of Season 2 of the Web-Based Reality Series
Fans of Jeff Schroeder -- of Jeff & Jordan fame -- who thought they might have seen the last of the quotable Chicagoan, fear not. Jeff will be back soon for his third stint as a reality show star. After finishing fourth on Big Brother 11 (though first in the heart of eventual winner Jordan Lloyd) and then exiting The Amazing Race 16 in seventh place, Jeff will try his hand at another reality-based show. But this time, he's not competing for a prize, but participating in an adventure. Jeff will be starring in the second season of Around the World For Free, the travel/reality show hybrid produced by former Survivor contestant Burton Roberts.
According to the CBS web site, the premise of the show is to follow Jeff as he "attempts to travel around the world in 100 days ... with nothing more than a backpack and the help of an online community." The first season of Around the World For Free had TAR Season 2 winner Alex Boylan as the world traveler. Boylan visited 16 countries over a period of nearly six months. His exploits were shown on daily webisodes and later packaged as a series for WGN.
This year Jeff, who struggled during his globe-trotting adventures with Jordan on TAR, will rely on web viewers to help him make decisions as well as the people he meets as he travels. With no money and no travel plans, it will be up to the people he meets along the way to help him get from place to place. A special Facebook page has already been set up for viewers to join, follow Jeff's adventures, and help him along the way. But the CBS website will be "command central" to follow Jeff around the clock as he goes around the world. Viewers will be encouraged to offer advice, information, directions, and suggestions that will help shape the adventure by, perhaps, directing him to certain activities or putting him in contact with some local residents. Schroeder will be accompanied on his trek by Season 1 director/editor Zsolt Luka.
CBS Announces Summer Start of Season 2 of the Web-Based Reality Series
A clip of Schroeder announcing the show refers to it as "the original, online, interactive, live web series where you the audience are literally part of the show." The unscripted show will follow Jeff as he takes on the challenge of doing what Boylan did, but in half the time. He will leave from New York this summer and cameras will follow him throughout the trip. If his history in front of the camera is any guarantee, what Jeff lacks in basic skills and book smarts, he more than makes up for in affability and wit.
Jeff is known for some amusing one liners during each of his prior reality TV show appearances. Early in TAR, when his partner Jordan remarked about her unfamiliarity with one of the countries, he remarked, "Haven't you ever watched Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?" When they had a somewhat "dumb" moment, he retorted, "We should never reproduce." Earlier, on BB 11, when science researcher Michelle discussed some of her work at Caltech, Jeff deadpanned, "and I was impressed when I made a Lego castle. With directions." And, trying to figure out the reason some of his female house-mates worshipped Jessie the body builder, he wondered aloud, "I have to be missing something, like prior to coming here he saved a bus-load of children."
Jeff will certainly be entertaining and perhaps that will help him get help from the locals and pull in enough viewers to guide his travels. It will be a busy summer with Big Brother 12 starting and its 24 hour feeds pulling in much of the reality show audience. But CBS is banking on Jeff's personality and good humor to make the second season of Around the World For Free a hit.
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